40Tech

Last year I wrote about SecretSync, an app that lets you securely sync files via Dropbox. SecretSync encrypts any file that you drop into your SecretSync folder, and then sends it on to your other computers via Dropbox. If those computers are running SecretSync (and you’ve set up the proper security key), the file will then be decrypted on those machines as well. I covered all that in my previous article, though, so why mention it again? After taking SecretSync for a spin last year, I stopped using it. I’ve just found a great new use, though, that makes SecretSync an integral part of my paperless document management system.

Dropbox is a great tool for moving files between different operating systems, but it isn’t perfect. If you use the Dropbox iPad app, then you may have noticed one glaring weakness: if you download images to your iPad’s Camera Roll via the app, you’ll find that the image quality is horrible. Yes, the Dropbox iPad app downconverts your images, leaving you with, in technical terms, crappy photos. There are at least a couple of workarounds, though.

Dropbox has been upsetting some of its users, recently, with changes to its terms of service that caused concern and outrage regarding privacy of files uploaded to the service. Sure, outrage is easy to come by on the internet, especially with changes to heavily used cloud services, but there were some valid arguments to be made — and people didn’t hesitate to make them. First, there was that whole thing about decrytpting users’ encrypted files and handing them over to authorities when asked. Questions of users’ legal and moral behaviours notwithstanding, the simple fact that Dropbox claimed the right to decrypt what was encrypted was enough to shake up many people.

Most recently, however, Dropbox did something that should have been considered a good thing: they updated their terms to plain language that made them easier to understand. Unfortunately that blew up in their face, as some of the wording gave Dropbox the right to use your files pretty much however they want, intellectual property notwithstanding. The latest update to the Dropbox terms of service is aimed at quelling those fears.

The more I work on the computer, the more I realize that Google is probably right about the Cloud being our future. In fact, other than Photoshop and friends, the occasional game, and the desktop version of Evernote, I pretty much live in Web App Land. Outside of the obvious like Facebook, Twitter (plus related apps), and Gmail, there are approximately 30 web apps that I use or visit on a semi-regular basis — and that’s not including the Chrome extensions that are direct links to yet other web apps. 

Here are the five that I use the most:

Dropbox has gotten some heat lately for allegedly lying to its users about the privacy of user data. The gist of the gripes is that Dropbox has made clear that it would turn over your data – in unencrypted form – to authorities if required to do so. That came as a shock to many people, who assumed that even the Dropbox folks didn’t have access to the encrypted data in their Dropbox folders. The lesson – if you want to keep your private data private, then you need to encrypt it before you put it into Dropbox and sync it to the cloud. One way to do that is through SecretSync, a beta app currently available for Windows only.

If someone stole your Mac, that would stink, to put it mildly. Not only would you be out an expensive piece of equipment, but your sensitive data might be accessible to the criminal who stole your gear. Using two free programs, you can not only remotely secure your Mac if it is stolen, but you can bust the loser who pilfered it. A combination of Hazel, Dropbox, and a bit of geek kung fu allows you to record the crook’s IP address, snap a screenshot of him, record his browsing history, disable automatic login, and lock the stolen machine.

You can never have too many backups. That is true with your smartphone, as well. If you want an easy way to backup some of the contents of your Android phone’s SD card, check out DropSpace for Android.

Calibre is, hands down, the best eBook manager out there. It can help you organize your entire library across devices, convert books from one format to another as needed or desired, and even use the built in server for over-the-air access to your books, from anywhere. In theory, anyway. In practise, there are many things that will get in the way of the “anywhere” part. Software and router firewalls, for example, may prove too complicated to overcome easily, leaving over-the-air book transfer dreams confined within the walls of home networks.

An easy way to mitigate these problems is to set up your Calibre library to be accessible from multiple computers — and the best way to do that is with Dropbox.

Recently, we talked a bit about Ge.tt, an extraordinarily easy way to send files to people without having to talk them through how to receive them. But what if you are the one who needs a file sent to you, and you want to make it as easy as possible to get that request taken care of? You could explain Ge.tt to people (it really is easy), or you could be a bit more direct and use the tool that one of our readers brought to our attention: AirDropper. After all, when you need something from someone, the best way to get it is to require the fewest steps possible — and to sweeten the deal, AirDropper uses your Dropbox folder, so you will be able to access the file(s) from anywhere.

Dropbox is one of our favorite apps here at 40Tech.  The traditional use of Dropbox is to make files, such as photos and documents, available on any computer you use, or even on your mobile phone.  But if you think outside the box (bad pun intended), Dropbox can be used in other ways to make [...]