We write about the cloud quite a bit here at 40Tech. We’ve covered online word processors, options for free cloud storage, how to solve some of the risks of cloud computing, and several cloud-based task managers and productivity tools. In other words, we love cloud computing. But . . . lately I’ve started to appreciate the speed and elegance of a few desktop apps, and have started looking for desktop versions of some apps.
Late last spring, we talked about a tool that allowed you to make music right in your browser. Roc was in alpha back then, and was still ironing out the kinks, but Aviary has been hard at work making their online music creator one of the easiest ways to knock out a loop. There are currently (as of this writing) 167,843 saved music creations on Aviary.com, and people have been using the tool to create everything from ringtones to full, multilayer tracks by combining Roc with Aviary’s audio editor (also free and online), Myna.
Aviary has decided to kick off 2011 with a bang, and are in the middle of what they are calling 30 Days of Roc, where they will release a new instrument pack every weekday for 30 days, adding 50 new instruments to their already expansive library. As with all of the instruments in Roc, the new sounds will be licensed under Creative Commons attribution, which means that they can be used even in commercial projects without costing the user a dime. Don’t you just love free stuff? Yeah? Well, then you’ll like the contests that they’re running alongside the instrument releases too!
Image from Aviary Blog
Aviary’s sister site, Worth1000.com, is offering up challenges related to new instrument releases. Generally, the task is to create the best new track (in a specific timeframe) for the instrument of the day, meeting specific criteria. Winners get an iTunes gift card, usually in the $10-$20 range. Don’t worry if you’re not some super-talented beat-maker or composer; Roc is ridiculously easy to use — just point and click and see what you come up with. If you need help, check out the Roc Tutorial video at the bottom of this post.
The new instruments that Aviary has released for Roc so far are surprisingly good (and fun) for sounds that you don’t have to pay for. The first day of the 30 (February 4, 2010) saw a set of five Human Beatbox instruments, and subsequent days have brought about bells, chimes, vocal FX and jazz sounds, singing vowels, tabla bols and konokol, animals and birds, sounds around the house, body sounds (it’s not what you’re thinking…), a thumb piano, and more — just to name a few. And they are only on release #14 as of this writing.
If you are even halfway interested in creating your own ringtone or mucking about with loops and beats, you should dive in and take another look at Aviary’s online music creator. Who knows, maybe you’ll discover you’re the next Kanye West or Dr. Dre.
It could happen…
Really.
Roc Tutorial
Cookies. We have a love hate relationship with them. They track what we do and report all kinds of information back to the site that generated them — and to third parties as well, in many cases. But they also often provide a better user experience, keeping track of our preferences and removing small annoyances like having to sign in to a website every single time we open it up. Unfortunately, as is the case with most things on the internet regarding your privacy and security, the only completely effective way to protect yourself is to simply turn the potential problem off. The only problem with this course of action is that turning off cookies also has the effect of making a huge part of the web practically unusable.
So what to do about it? Well, if you use Google Chrome, try out Disconnect.
Disconnect, which was created by a former Google employee, is a Google Chrome Extension that helps you to keep your personal data safe while still maintaining the ability to work effectively with sites like Gmail, Facebook, Twitter, and others. You may run into a few issues now and again, but overall, the experience is fairly seamless. All you need to do is install the Disconnect extension in your Google Chrome browser, make sure the extension is turned on, then watch as the tally of daily attempted intrusions upon your privacy climbs. The basic functionality, and much of the more advanced uses, of the webapps should work without problems, helping you to do what you like, and search for what you like, without passing along any personally identifiable data. If you have need to unblock a service, say to do something like play Facebook games, it’s a simple matter of a click on the extension’s dropdown menu (which includes Facebook, Twitter, Digg, Yahoo, and Google).
Disconnect is open source software. Download it for Google Chrome here.
Disconnect for Chrome Disables Third-Party Tracking While Keeping Webapps Operational [Lifehacker]
Less than two months after our last update on Springpad — one of our hottest topics on 40Tech — the tool to save and organize pretty much anything has sent out another press release full of updated goodness. Goodness to the tune of more than 250,000 new users in the month of January alone, 4 million new bookmarks via the Delicious bookmark importer, new saved-search filters, delete and archive support, and an overhaul to what was already one of the better Google Chrome extensions out there.
Faster Ways to Get Organized with Springpad on the Web
Enhanced Springpad Extension
Springpad’s upgraded Chrome Browser Extension makes it fast and easy to add a note, create a task or look up something without leaving the site you’re browsing. When you use the extension to clip content, the new item is automatically categorized (recipe, movie, restaurant, book, etc.) and you can create or select a notebook for more efficient organization. To install the extension, click here.
Springpad has been moving in leaps and bounds lately, and its progress is impressive. If you’re looking for a tool to help you organize your life on the web, you should check it out. You can get a feel for the product here, check out their massive overhaul update here (with promo video, if you don’t feel like reading), and get all kinds of tips on how best to use Springpad from the Springpad Blog.
How are you liking the new Springpad?
Springpad Ends Record-Breaking Month with Over 250,000 New Subscribers [CEO Jeff Janer’s Springpad]
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.
Getting set up with AirDropper is pretty straightforward. You head to www.airdropper.com and click START. You will then be redirected to Dropbox to authenticate the AirDropper service, which will add an AirDropper folder in your Dropbox folder. Once that’s done, you will head back to AirDropper, and will be presented with a form that allows you to send an email (from your email address of choice) to multiple recipients to request files. The email contains your message, and a large, friendly button that says Upload and brings the user to an even friendlier ADD FILES interface. The file or files — AirDropper has supported multiple file sends since about September of 2010 — will then be sent directly to your Dropbox with no fuss, no muss, and not a worry except for your storage limit.
Note: If you are sending sensitive files, be sure to have a look over the AirDropper terms of service first.
AirDropper is free while in beta, but will likely charge for some of their service in the future, which will likely include tiered pricing for things like the size of the transfer(s), etc. Either way, it is definitely a useful tool!
Thanks to Martin for bringing it to our attention!
