I have had several pals asking me about using Dropbox lately, so I thought I would do a quick Blog post on my workflow for sending files on a Mac. At the end I will give some more info on why Dropbox is so very awesome, and why you need to sign up for a free account (Here) if you haven’t already. (Let me know if you would like to set up an account - if you refer a new user with Dropbox, both parties get an extra 500MB of storage.) Also, I have some cool Dropbox quick facts that may surprise you.
OK, So lets get started. Assuming you already have a Dropbox account setup, I am going to share with you the best way to send stuff quickly and safely over the inter-web. Most people just create a New Folder on their Dropbox account and then share that folder with other people via email invitation. While this is great for collaborative projects with several parties, it is not the best option if you just want to send some files.
For this example - Let’s say I took a bunch of Pics at a family get together, and I want to get everyone hi-res versions of them.
Why “Sharing Folders” is a Bad Habit
First of all, (this Is probably just a personal issue) I am a minimalist. Or at least I pretend to be, haha! Anyway, if you use Dropbox a lot, and you create and share a new folder for everything, you will quickly clutter up your Dropbox account. For example, If I took pics at several different family events I would find myself “Sharing” several different Dropbox folders, or with one big unorganized “Family” folder. Eventually, I would have a large mess on my hands. Also, I don’t want pictures from 5 years ago using up my free storage space on Dropbox.
Second, and more importantly, is Safety. Lets say you are sharing a folder with someone, and they get the files they need. Did you know that they will have access to that folder until you delete it? You may have worked on the project several months ago, forgotten about the folder, and then use it for something else. Everyone that was ever sharing that folder has continued access to that folder. Or let’s say you have several different shared folders, and in a hurry - or accidentally - you drop a very sensitive file into the wrong folder. Again, everyone will have access to that in your shared folder. With the Family get together example, Let’s just say Uncle Carl and Aunt Kate aren’t married any more. You don’t want to be sending him pics of “Uncle Jeff and Aunt Kate”. hahah!
Third, some files are just a pain. For example Video files. I have come to find that these are a real pain to send via Dropbox shared folders. The main thing is that Dropbox tries to play the video through your browser. If your Granny doesn’t have a really good internet connection, playback will be choppy and slow. And then she will complain to you about how her computer doesn’t work. Am I right or what?!
A Better (and Easier) Alternative - the Public Folder
(NOTE: If you do not see a “Public Folder”, you may have accidentally deleted it. No prob! just create a new folder and name it “Public”.)
Send compressed .ZIP files to your relatives, or anyone, following these steps. They don’t even need to have a Dropbox account.
Step 1:
Create a new folder on your desktop and name it “GrannysHouse_10.4.2012”
Step 2:
Put all the files inside that you want to share with people. Pictures, Videos, Documents, etc., etc.
Step 3:
Compress your folder into a .ZIP file (just right click and choose “Compress”)
Step 4:
Put the newly created .ZIP file into your Dropbox “Public” folder
Step 5:
You will see the blue spinning arrows, as the .ZIP file is uploading. When it turns into a green check you are ready to send a link.
Just right click on the .Zip file and choose “Copy Public Link”. Now you can go to your email and hit paste in the memo area. You will see a URL link to that Zip file.
Now you can send that email to anyone you want and they just need to click the link to download the Zip file. When they do download it, all they have to do is double click to uncompress the zip file back into a normal folder, full of all the goodies you wanted them to have.
Also, on your end, organization of your Public folder is quick and easy if you name your .zip files descriptively and delete files that are old.
Is DropBox King of the Cloud?
This is just one scenario, but I have found this process is great pretty much anytime I need to send large files quickly and easily. I worked in the Printing industry for years and have had to deal with the frustration of trying to send and receive large files. Logging onto FTP sites, passwords, file size limitations, etc, etc, all made the process a major headache. The need for Apps like DropBox is great and will only continue to grow. That being said, since I have been using DropBox other file storage and sharing Apps have been popping up like weeds. Some of them are startups like DropBox, but others are from companies you may have already heard of Google, Apple, or Microsoft. hahah! So yeah, the need for sending files through clouds is an ever changing market that has really just begun. I have very limited use with the others, so I can’t really make any suggestions about these apps. If you do a quick Google search like “DropBox alternatives”, you will find an abundance of comparisons between the major Apps. Some of the more popular ones are Google Drive, Microsoft SkyDrive, Apple iCloud, Sugar Sync. Each offer similar services, but you may find one that fits your exact needs.
While I may change my mind in the future, the simplicity of Dropbox makes it an easy choice. The scenario I mentioned above cannot get any simpler, and it’s easy for computer beginners, like “Granny”, to just get the stuff they want.
Quick DropBox facts:
Dropbox has more than 50 million users.
People save one billion files to Dropbox every 48 hours.
Dropbox is installed on 250 million different devices.
Dropbox is offered in five languages: English, Spanish, French, German, and Japanese.
Dropbox has paying customers in 175 countries.
More than half of Dropbox users are from outside the U.S.
People in over two million businesses are using Dropbox.
-Also, just a side note. I was looking for a “king” image to put in the blog. Instead of using clip art, I found a logo that I made for my friend Jason King. If you need a cool logo, please, let me know. Working together we can reduce the worldwide use of bad clip art one project at a time. hahaha -
This is not a political blog, nor do I intend to make it one. That being said, I do want to mention some news from last week that I feel will go unnoticed by most conservative, creative folks out there. The company Hobby Lobby, based in Oklahoma City, OK has come under fire for their stance against the White House’s HHS mandate (Health & Human Services). Hobby Lobby’s CEO and founder David Green is a Christian. Last week he said in a statement, "We simply cannot abandon our religious beliefs to comply with this mandate”, and “With great reluctance” followed with a federal lawsuit challenging the mandate. So what is the big deal about this healthcare mandate? Part of the White House’s recent heath care law requires employers to provide coverage for the morning-after pill and similar drugs that may cause the end of a life. Green also states, “It goes against the biblical principles on which we have run this company since day one. If we refuse to comply, we could face $1.3 million per day in government fines.” This will begin January 2013 when the insurance year starts.
As you can probably imagine, this has stirred debate about Pro-Life vs. Pro-Choice, with some mentioning boycotts of Hobby Lobby. I have read some articles and comments concerning boycotts and am quite surprised at some of the viewpoints. Here is one example. I also find it disconcerting, that in the quest for Pro-Choice laws and regulations, many of these commenters don’t seem to realize that this healthcare mandate is being forced upon some U.S. citizens who do not wish to participate. Can you really justify a boycott because Hobby Lobby doesn’t want to participate in buying some of these drugs that go against their values? On a much less important note, it seems that several of the boycott comments are rather partisan, and simply showing irritation toward “selfish” conservatives. I would submit to those individuals David Green’s statement. He mentions that Hobby Lobby has been adding jobs during this weak economy, starts full-time employees 80% above minimum wage, and is closed on Sundays so workers can spend time with family. With all of these things considered, I think that Hobby Lobby would be one of the last places that U.S. citizens would wish to boycott.
The 40 year history of Hobby Lobby is a pretty amazing story, and David Green is quick to praise the Lord for the store’s success. I hope you will take the time to read his statement concerning Hobby Lobby’s actions. It’s only a few paragraphs. The links for this and other articles I have referenced are at the bottom of this post.
I never knew that Hobby Lobby was owned by a Christian until a few years back. When strolling through the aisles, I recognized the music coming from the speakers. It was classical guitarist Christopher Parkening who is a Christian. I was able to hear Parkening play in concert as well as hear his testimony when I was In college. Truly amazing music! (Parkening is a world renowned guitarist, and actually just retired this summer. Check out his website here.) Anyway, hearing a Christian artist in the store surprised me, and since then I have been a huge fan of Hobby Lobby.
So to those that are Christian creatives, I would ask that you make it a point to add Hobby Lobby to your next shopping list. Not only is it a really cool place to find art stuff, it is also a company that is run on biblical principals. To be honest, Hobby Lobby’s stance on the White House’s Health and Human Services mandate is ancillary. I will conclude with one more quote from David Green’s statement which will summarize why I am “Lobbying for Hobby Lobby”.
“We're Christians, and we run our business on Christian principles. I've always said that the first two goals of our business are 1) to run our business in harmony with God's laws, and 2) to focus on people more than money.” - David Green
Lion is no longer king of the OS jungle. Believe it or not Apple has just announced another OSX update - Mountain Lion “coming this summer”. I feel like a broken record on the OSX previews. Once again the “upgrades” are centered around iPhone and iPad users. Lion adopted gestures, apps, and many other things from iOS, and Mountain Lion is doing the same thing.
It seems like most of new features mentioned have to do with actually connecting to iPhone and iPad users. With Mountain Lion, Mac computer users can connect with iOS users and send messages, reminders, notifications, etc. Also, Mac computers can now hook up with iOS gamers via the Game Center. As a non-iPhone user, I guess I can finally stop playing “Words Without Friends” and get in on the real thing. hahah. OSX Mountain Lion will feature AirPlay Mirroring like the iPad and iPhone, so you can zap that YouTube video or PowerPoint presentation from your computer to your TV.
One day in the Fall of last year, I was browsing around the interweb looking for information and inspiration concerning “church media”. I found a new site that i did not know about called ministry127.com , a product from Lancaster Baptist Church and West Coast Baptist College. It is “a resource for Spiritual Leaders...hosted by Pastor Paul Chappell” it reads on the About page. The bulk of the site is a “collection of ministry resources”, which includes articles and blogs on a plethora of topics ranging from secretarial helps to sermon assistance. I landed on the Media & Technology pages and found some good practical information. One of the Articles was about video, written by a young man named Andrew Garcia.
Sometime over the next month or so I was chatting with my pal Chad Phillips, who is now a Missionary in Cambodia. I was working on a project for him and so we were talking about media stuff. I mentioned the Ministry 127 site, since he attended West Coast Baptist College; I also mentioned Andrew Garcia. Chad said that he knew him and then began to tell me about his awesome video skills. Chad compared Andrew’s work to that of his own missionary video that was made before going on deputation. (If you have not seen it, you need to! Click the link) Chad also mentioned that Andrew was working on a full length documentary about a missionary family in Papua New Guinea. I was very interested, so I began looking for more info online. Soon I found “Two Hats” a film by Andrew Garcia. There were only previews and trailers at the time, but after contacting Andrew and finding a blog I learned that it would be released around the holidays 2011.
When the new year rolled around I eventually remembered to check and see what the status was. After having watched all of the trailers and extras multiple times I was really anticipating seeing the film in its entirety. I found where to order online and got a copy of Two Hats. It arrived the Saturday of the NFL League Championship games. Should I watch the New England Patriots smoke Tebow and the Broncos, or finally watch this movie - It was a difficult choice, but I chose Two Hats. I planned on starting it, and then pause it at a good stopping point so I could watch the game. This did not happen. I was glued to the TV the entire length of the film. It was spectacular!
Since I am about to max out my 500 word blog limit (aka. web readers attention span) I will spare you an in-depth review. However, let me encourage you to check this film out. You will not be disappointed. This is easily the best 90 minutes you will have ever spent in front of a Television. The subject matter is captivating. The Wells Family, their ministry in Papua New Guinea, and God’s clear blessing upon these is nothing short of inspiring. And also to be noted, the video quality is impressive on a big wide screen HDTV. Whether you watch it together with your family, or on an overseas flight it will be a blessing and an encouragement to you. I cannot say enough good things about it.
In closing, I would earnestly encourage you to get the film. It is about $15 on Amazon for a DVD version, or you can Rent/Stream it through Amazon for a few dollars. If you just cant justify spending that much, get it as a gift for someone - watch it - and then wrap it. hahaha! No really, think about how much Christian Americans spend on entertainment in a month with TV, Movies, Video Games, Sports, etc. Why not spend a fraction of that on a spiritually inspiring piece of work, by a very talented servant of Christ. You could not possibly spend your hard earned dollars on anything better. The Lord has truly blessed Andrew Garcia, and this film will continue to encourage any and all who view it. I highly recommend “Two Hats” to you and your family.
Did you hear any of the fuss about Flash content on the web over the last few years? If you are like me, all the web lingo tends to go way over my head. All I know is that I like cool websites. I don’t really care how they are made. I know a little about HTML, but I try to avoid it as much as my websites will let me. However, as much as I dislike coding talk, I found a website the other day that made the subject become almost interesting. ( ahhh - but only for 1 blog post )
Flash, JavaScript, HTML5, WebGL are all buzzwords about how a website is created, on the backend. Over the next few years these, and probably other technologies are going to make surfing the web a whole new experience. We will see better, more dynamic websites, that are simpler and faster on the backend. The folks at www.creativejs.com have kinda started a community site for JavaScript aficionados. One of the things they do, is search the internet for cool and creative examples of this new web tech in use.
Instead of talking about the backend of a website, I am going to take the advice of my last blog post and Let the Pictures Do the Talking - Or in this case, games, videos, demos, etc. If you’ve got a few minutes, check out some of these interactive websites on the link below. Most are pretty simple to figure out. I will have to say that for me, the 3D racecar is the coolest, and Sinuous a close 2nd. Here is a video of my browser as I tested out a few of the games. (music during the video is from the game “Sinuous”)
A few months ago I was doing some research on the pocket video cameras. My church had an upcoming teen activity that I wanted some good video footage of. I wanted a small video camera that was High Definition, and that would allow me to upload files to YouTube in a short amount of time. I also wanted something rugged enough to withstand the elements of a little mud and water. I was going to be in the middle of the action of some very muddy events.
The more info I read, the more I realized that this would be the perfect tool for my project. They are inexpensive, very mobile, and capture quality HD footage that is easily transferred via USB or SD card. Now, the only problem was finding out which one to buy.
There are several quality pocket video cameras on the market, but all of the reviews I read rated the Flip and Kodak cameras at the top. I was slightly discouraged that the creator of the Flip cameras, CISCO, was going to stop production. Also i found that the Flip camera’s memory was not expandable. I have really gotten used to plugging in SD cards straight to my Mac, instead of using the cumbersome transfer programs that come with the latest gadgets. Kodak had 2 different models that I couldn’t decide between, the Zi8 and the Zx3/Playsport. After reading a ton of reviews, the Zi8 seemed to have a superior picture quality. Many people mentioned their surprise with the HD footage even in low light conditions. I also found that the Zi8 was the only model with an external microphone jack, which ended up being a major selling point since I was planning on doing interviews. On the other hand, the ZX3 camera was literally built for the extreme conditions. It is supposed to be waterproof up to 10ft, and it has a very sturdy shell. I have to share this awesome review i read on the Kodak website, It’s great!
“I lost it {his Kodak Zx3} winching out a car from the median on the highway during a snow storm we had just after Christmas (it was my Xmas present). Well I just found it today, I'd looked for about half a dozen times and they had even mowed that strip of median and it missed blades. Here's what it looked like when I found it and after I cleaned it up. Turned it on and it worked like a champ and the battery still had charge on it after almost two months in the grass, rain, mud and snow."
HaHa! They need to call this guy up and give him a sales bonus, or get him to make a commercial or something.
Ultimately, I settled on the Kodak Zi8 for several reasons: I really liked the external mike feature (though i didn’t end up using it for this project), I was impressed with all the reviews, and I found a refurb. on sale for 65$ - including shipping. I was a little scared about the durability of this model in the mud, but it held up nicely. I included a picture of my cam so you can see the elements it had to face. haha!
One last thing I must mention, just for the electronics geeks like myself, is the frame rate. While most of these camcorders advertise 1080p HD quality, the framerate at these setting is not very good. If you are filming something with quick movements, the motion will be very choppy. I would suggest dropping the settings to 720 HD which will allow you to increase the fps from 30 to 60. I used the 720 HD/ 60 FPS setting in all of the teen activity videos, and it seemed to work well.
Overall I am extremely satisfied with my purchase of the Kodak Zi8, and the versatility of the new pocket video camera. The only specs about these cameras that really holds them back is the framerate and limited zoom. But to me, the price that these are going for easily outweighs these limitations. It will be interesting to see how these pocket cameras progress. I am guessing they will have to provide some really good features to survive, since all the new mobile phones are upgrading their cams to HD. It’s still amazing to me how you can cram quality HD video, in such a small package.
If you want to check out the Kodak Zi8 in action, below are a few links of some of the footage I was able to capture during our teen activity and at a Braves game I went to. Be sure to increase the quality setting on the YouTube player to get the 720 HD picture.
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