With all of my looks at web-based storage, I overlook Microsoft’s SkyDrive every now and again. It’s definitely worth the look due to the generous 25 GB of free storage. While you can download an ActiveX control to integrate your SkyDrive into Windows Explorer, but there’s another option pointed out by gHacks: SkyDrive Explorer, which just got an updated beta version yesterday.

The free download of SkyDrive Explorer adds some features that the ActiveX control currently doesn’t offer when using SkyDrive in a browser, namely: renaming objects, deleting groups of object and copying folders with subfolders and files from SkyDrive. And it makes it easier to take basic file or folder actions on your SkyDrive:

• View the structure and contents of folders in SkyDrive
• View files information (type, size, creation date in GMT format)
• Create new root folders and subfolders
• Copy files into storage
• Delete files and folders
• Copy files from storage to the computer
• Copy folders and subfolders from the storage to the computer keeping their structure
• Use Drag & Drop for files operations
• Rename files and folders
• Create links to SkyDrive folders on your computer

While I tend to work in a browser, there are plenty of folks that want to access files with in Windows Explorer. If you’re one of them, SkyDrive Explorer is worth the look. My installation in Windows 7 went without a hitch and the program integrated my SkyDrive in Windows Explorer as if it were a local system folder. Clicking the “local” SkyDrive does prompt you for your Windows Live credentials, but you can allow the app to remember them for quicker access. Now if I could only get my SkyDrive mounted as a drive so I could easily integrate cloud tunes with a local music player, I’d be really happy. Aside from Windows 7, SkyDrive Explorer works with Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows Server 2003 / 2008.

James and I have been involved in the mobile technology space for quite some time now. He’s been using mobile devices “since they weighed 30 pounds.” Those are the days when I weighed 30 pounds, but you catch my drift. Between the two of us, we have years of practical experience in this space. And while new gadgets, operating systems and software appear on a daily basis, there are still some common fundamentals that are useful — mobile maxims, if you will. While the specific tools supporting them might change, these mobile suggestions never go out of style.

Continue reading »

I believe that Nokia offered the Ovi Files Macintosh Connector prior to today, but the product manager of Ovi Files is just now touting the service. Like its PC counterpart, the Mac Connector allows for file sharing and synchronization from a Mac to the Ovi Files service:

• Remotely access the files stored on your OS X 10.5 (Leopard) based Mac from your mobile phone or web browser
• Send files to your friends, even if they don’t use Ovi
• Create an online mirror of content stored on your Mac using our Anytime Files feature

Sounds like similar functionality to Microsoft’s Windows Live Mesh and the other usual suspects in this space — Dropbox, ZumoDrive, SugarSync, and more.

At one point, Nokia was charging for the service: $80 a year for 10GB and $150 annually for 30GB. However, I recently read that Nokia decided to make the service free with 10GB of space. While it’s optimized for Nokia handsets, you don’t need one to use the service. That means if you need an online storage and synchronization service for PCs or Macs, this might fit the bill — without a bill.

I did just sign up for the service, but I’m not going to try the Mac Connector. I’m prepping myself to go on a Mac diet for a few weeks to get the full Microsoft Windows 7 immersion experience. I’ll have access to the final build tomorrow, so today is my transition day — I’m working all day on my Toshiba NB205 with the external monitor on Windows XP.

MobileMe users pining for remote iDisk access on an iPhone or iPod Touch can breathe easier. Apple added the free MobileMe iDisk to its App Store, enabling handheld control of files in the cloud. I say the app is free, but the reality is that it’s a free complement to Apple’s MobileMe pay service, priced at $99 per year. Why it took so long for remote handheld access to server-based MobileMe accounts is beyond me, but that’s a moot point now. With the free software on an iPhone or iPod Touch running iPhone OS 3.0 or better, users can:

• View public files on iDisk
• Access public folders
• Enable file sharing
• View supported file types on handset, i.e.: iWork, Office, PDF and QuickTime. Apple notes that files over 20MB in size may not be viewable

I’m sure that many folks are happy with Apple’s MobileMe service, but I’ve opted to pass it by. Instead, I use other services like Dropbox, SugarSync and ZumoDrive. Apple offers 20GB of storage for the $99 yearly fee, but the three services I’ve named are all cheaper on a cost-per-gigabyte basis. They also don’t necessarily lock you into a particular brand of handset, either. SugarSync, for example, supports iPhone, Windows Mobile and BlackBerry devices. The service just added support for Google Android handsets, as well.

Thanks to HG for the tip!

Earlier today, the ZumoDrive folks pinged me with some updates on their services. The company offers a cloud storage and synchronization solution that works with Macs, PCs and the iPhone natively, or you can access it through a browser. There’s excellent integration with iTunes, making your cloud-stored music appear local. I especially like the audio streaming support in the iPhone app — if your library has DRM-free music like mine does, you can stream tunes from the cloud to your iPhone. It’s a great way to virtually expand the storage capacity of a phone, netbook or notebook if you have connectivity.

Here are the latest developments in the ZumoDrive world.
Continue reading »

Image Credit: PalmWebOS.org

Although I’m planning to get a Palm Pre handset next weekend in two weeks, I’m sort of disappointed in one particular feature. The phone only has 8GB of storage capacity and some of that is taken up by the operating system. I’m bummed by that for two reasons. My current everyday handset is the first-generation 8GB iPhone, so I’m not gaining anything in the storage department. Secondly, my current digital audio library is 9GB in size. That’s why I store my media locally and in the cloud: The music that I can’t fit on my phone can be streamed from the cloud. Currently, I’m using ZumoDrive for that purpose.

Call me crazy, but I think Amazon is missing a huge opportunity here and the best place to realize it is on the Palm Pre.

Continue reading »

Although my toolset flips back-and-forth, I’m streaming far more music to my handset than I used to. Last summer I stumbled upon Simplify Media for this purpose, but lately I’ve opted to use ZumoDrive. Regardless of the solution, this approach gets around the smallish 8GB storage limit on my iPhone. ZumoDrive doesn’t require my computer to be on since all of the music files are stored in the cloud. However, Simplify Media is adding new features to their iPhone client that has me about to switch back for a while.

Simplify Music 2.0 costs $2.99 in the iTunes App Store and adds these new features for both the iPhone and iPod Touch:

• Search: Users can now search for artist, album and title across all connected computers as though it’s one giant library
• Favorites: Tag favorite music on the fly from personal libraries, or those of friends
• Playlists: Create an on-the-fly playlist for later enjoyment right on your phone or Touch
• Seek: Use the “scrub bar” to easily move forward or back in a streamed podcast or audio book

The software has always worked well for me: even on AT&T’s EDGE network. I like the artist biographies that Simplify offers as well, but that might be TMI for some of you. In any case, if you like what you see in the new release, I wouldn’t wait to purchase it. I hear that on May 14, the price is going up to $5.99: that $3 savings can add three more tunes to your collection.

Just a quick heads up that ZumoDrive has moved from private beta to public beta. Even better is the launch of a supporting iPhone application that I got to see early. It’s a nice complement to ZumoDrive’s hybrid cloud solution of backup and synchronization, and offers music streaming in addition to file and photo access.

The ZumoDrive folks took pricing feedback to heart as well. Gone is the flat $2.99 for every 10GB of storage: You’ll now see discounts for increased capacities. My full thoughts and impressions are available this morning over at GigaOm.

When I first heard about ZumoDrive, I almost passed it by. I figured that we’ve already pointed out enough file synchronization-type programs using the cloud by now between Live Mesh, Live Sync, Dropbox, SugarSync, etc. Then I saw a few distinctive features that made ZumoDrive a little different. I covered the two main ones in my short video demonstration, but if you missed it, I was impressed by these subtle touches: the ability to integrate MP3 files from the cloud right into iTunes and a way to mark a file for local storage as needed.

Not everyone uses iTunes, so perhaps the integration there isn’t important to you. It really isn’t for me either, but I find it impressive as a demonstration of what’s possible between cloud data and desktop apps. Having said that, let’s take a closer look at ZumoDrive’s service, which is more of an online storage solution than a true sync service.

Continue reading »

Today I’m taking a quick look at ZumoDrive, which is an online synchronization service in private beta. I’ll have more thoughts to share on ZumoDrive later this week. Why spend five minutes looking at yet another cloud-storage and sync tool? I’m impressed with the way ZumoDrive integrates cloud data and desktop client applications; I believe we’ll see more efforts on this front over the next year or two.

We have several hundred invites to the private beta of ZumoDrive, be sure to watch the video so you know how we’ll do that in a few days.