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Soonr Brings Cloud-Based MS Office Document Editing to the iPad

Aliza Sherman — Mon, 23 May 2011 17:04:47 +0000

The iPad can be a handy remote working tool, but only to a point. So far, tablet computers seem to have been more useful as “data consuming” tools than genuine work devices. One stumbling block I’ve found is the inability to easily edit documents that you’ve stored in the cloud. Until now, that is.

Soonr is the first cloud file storage service to offer integrated editing for Microsoft Office documents on the iPad. Unlike cobbling together of file storage apps such as Dropbox and SugarSync with editing apps such as QuickOffice and Documents-To-Go, Soonr brings it all together so you can directly edit any files stored in the cloud using a single app. No configuration, no hassle, no cross-app interdependency. It also works offline when you don’t have a Wi-Fi connection and will sync back up when you do. And you can store, share, access, search, edit and sync your files from any tablet securely through Soonr.

Available both on iTunes and the Android Market, Soonr offers a 30-day free trail. A Premium account costs $7.95 per month for three users with 10 GB of storage, while Soonr Pro is $19.95 per month for five users and 40 GB of storage. Soonr supports Mac and PC, and mobile devices including Android, iPhone and BlackBerry; and iPad and Android (Honeycomb) tablets. The Soonr editing feature currently supports Microsoft Office 2003 (Excel, PowerPoint, Word) and Microsoft Office 2010 (Word only) files.

Here’s a short video demo of Soonr’s editing function:

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Buffalo CloudStor: Another Option for Remote File Access

Charles Hamilton — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 20:00:36 +0000

The Buffalo CloudStor, just announced at CES, is an external drive that has built-in capabilities allowing you to make its contents available outside your own network. As with the Pogoplug Biz and Pogoplug Video, which we’ve written about previously, users will be able to make the contents of the Buffalo CloudStor available anywhere with an Internet connection. In fact, the CloudStor uses technology from Pogoplug to make these connections possible.

CloudStor will be compatible with Mac, Windows and Linux, and won’t require installation of any special software, although the drive will come preformatted with the EXT-3 file system. Since this format is not readable by Windows PCs, Buffalo will provide a free application allowing Windows users to access their data.

None of the content on the device will actually reside in the cloud, so there will be no monthly storage charges, and you will be able to decide which content you wish to make available. Of course, you will be able to limit unauthorized access.

In addition to its Internet capabilities, CloudStor offers many traditional network attached storage features, including support for private network sharing. Plus, CloudStor has an integrated backup system that will allow Mac users to use Time Machine to back up multiple Mac systems to the drive.

The device will include two drive bays. The first will be filled with either a 1- or 2 TB drive; you will be able to install a compatible 3.5” SATA hard drive into the spare bay. The installation will require no tools or hard drive trays.

The Buffalo CloudStor is scheduled to become available in Februrary, and will be priced at $169.99 for 1 TB, and $269.99 for the 2 TB version.

The CloudStor may be less expensive than buying a Pogoplug Biz plus similar-sized standard external hard drives, and its integrated design is likely to be simpler and more attractive. But if you need significant amounts of storage, the CloudStor doesn’t give you the option of attaching up to four drives, as the Pogoplug does.

How do you make your files available outside your internal network?

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Pogoplug Biz: Remote Access to Files On Your Own Hard Drives

Charles Hamilton — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 14:00:41 +0000

If you like the idea of having remote access to your files, but aren’t comfortable with cloud storage services, such as Egnyte or Dropbox, then Pogoplug Biz may be worth considering. The Pogoplug hardware allows users to connect up to four external hard drives directly to the Internet; more drives can be added with additional Pogoplugs. Data on the drives attached to the Pogoplugs can then be shared via an encrypted, HTTPS-enabled web interface.

The consumer version of Pogoplug has been around for a while, but now the manufacturer, Cloud Engines, Inc., is offering an updated version aimed at business customers. The company provided me with one to try.

Pogoplug Biz is a slightly oddly-shaped box, a bit smaller than most external hard drives. It includes a Gigabit Ethernet port for connecting to your network, plus three USB 2.0 ports on the back and one on the front. The curved extension allows for easier cable management.

Setup is simple: plug the box into power and into an Ethernet connection, then plug one or more external hard drives into the device via USB. It took a few minutes for the Pogoplug to find my drive, but a green light appeared on the device once the drive was connected. One then goes to an online activation system which detects the drive, or if automatic detection doesn’t work, you can enter the drive’s 26-character unique ID.

Pogoplug differentiates its service from cloud-based storage systems by emphasizing security. According to the manufacturer:

None of your personal data is stored in our servers other than your email address. All of the data on your drives attached to your Pogoplug remain only on your Pogoplug…While it is being accessed, the data may be forwarded through our servers, but no copies are retained during this process.

Of course, remote access speed will depend on the upload speed of your internet connection.

Both the original Pogoplug and the new version offer file sharing limited only by the size of the hard drive(s) you attach to the device, as well as simple setup, remote access, and remote printing. Pogoplug Biz adds the ability to create multiple users (each of whom can have their own space to store and share files); customize the service’s web interface; share some or all files as “view-only;” and track and audit who accesses files.

Pogoplug Biz also allows you to create custom email addresses, which lets people email files to your Pogoplug. You can create custom upload folders and give them each a unique email address to share with your clients.

Pogoplug offers free desktop apps for Windows, Mac, and Linux that activate what the manufacturer calls “Active Copy.” With this software, a user can specify certain folders that are automatically mirrored onto the external hard drive attached to the device, and then made available remotely. I tried the Mac version (2.1.2) of the software, which works, but is pretty rudimentary. It feels as though it were designed by someone who’s not a Mac programmer. It seems rather slow, and it doesn’t really run well in the background.

Pogoplug also offers a free iPhone and iPad app to allow remote access to one’s files. The app is nicely laid out, but I found the current version (2.3) impossible to use, as it crashes every time I try to go to certain screens. Others have reported similar problems, so don’t count on using this app until it’s been updated. There are also apps for BlackBerry, Android and Palm, which I haven’t tried.

The Pogoplug Biz retails for $299, which includes access to the web interface. The device is compatible with Windows XP, Vista and 7, Mac OS X 10.4 + (Intel and PowerPC), and Linux.

Do you have a Pogoplug? Let us know your comments on the device below.

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Unorthodox Secondary Revenue Sources

Darrell Etherington — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 16:00:49 +0000

Even in the best of times, a freelance web worker’s income can be spotty and irregular at times. Unlike salaried employees, contractors are subject to sudden and frequent variations in the amount of revenue they can generate at any given time. Those variances can be mitigated, however, by buttressing your revenue through a few out of the ordinary sources.

Before you get your hopes up, let me warn you that this post isn’t going to turn into an episode of “Weeds.” Instead, it’ll provide some much more tame (but workable) suggestions about how to make a little passive income on the side while you continue your main pursuit of a career on the web.

Write and Publish an e-Book

It may seem like a daunting task to write and distribute a full-length e-book, but look around. Just about everyone who works with social media seems to have managed to release at least one e-book. The reason it appears to be such a popular endeavor for those working in the social web is the multiplicity of angles there are on the subject. Your own specialized area is probably ripe with topics that would merit covering in a book-length work.

You may not even have to actually write a book to create a book. Check your existing IP to see if you have enough material to publish. It could be an archive of blog posts, or something much more technical, but if you think an audience may exist for it, go ahead and publish it. Actually creating an e-book and posting it for purchase requires almost no overhead, so any revenue you generate is profit, even it it’s only a small amount.

There are various services online that will publish and distribute your e-book. Take a look around and find one that’s right for you.

Rent Out Your Extra Space

This is definitely not a problem I have personally, but some web workers may find that they have tons of room at their home/office that they just aren’t doing anything with. You could fill that gaping hole with cats and/or flea market bric-a-brac, or you could offer it up to other, more space-challenged individuals in exchange for cash.

You can find renters yourself via an ad on craigslist or Kijiji, or you could use Sparefoot, a new web site specifically designed for the purpose. On Sparefoot, you can create an account and list for rent any space you’re not using, including rooms in your house, a garage, parking spot, empty lot, shed or whatever other square footage you might have.

On the other hand, if you’re like me and find your belongings need more nooks and crannies to be crammed into than you have available, Sparefoot also provides great search tools for finding space to rent. That doesn’t generate any income, but it might pay dividends in terms of peace of mind.

Rent Out Your Car

I suspect people will be far less inclined to rent out the use of their car than they would be to rent out extra space, but as long as you do it intelligently there’s no reason it can’t become a profitable way to get some income out of that depreciating investment sitting in your driveway.

I live in a major metropolitan area, so I don’t actually own a car myself. I used to, for the better part of my life, when I lived in a much quieter, less densely populated area. As a result, I got used to the immediacy of private transport. Not that I don’t like public transit, but sometimes you just want to be able to pick up and go somewhere, on your own schedule instead of on someone else’s.

That’s why I occasionally give a friend of mine $25 to rent the use of his car during the day (he uses transit to commute to work, and generally only needs the car on weekends), plus the cost of giving it back to him with a full tank. He doesn’t feel like the cost of maintaining a car in the city is wasted, and I get to experience the freedom of car ownership once in a while.

There are countless ways to generate so-called “passive revenue,” but those I’ve mentioned above are specifically tailored to people who work from home. They generally don’t require too much extra effort on your part, and they take advantage of your position as someone who doesn’t have to commute to an office for work, or who can be on site as a facility manager at your home during most hours of the day.

Do you have any other suggestions for generating additional revenue? What are some creative solutions you’ve come across for supplementing your income?

Photo credit: Monochrome

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Web Working, Paris Style

Pamela Poole — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 16:00:01 +0000

As I mentioned in my last post, I attended the first TechCrunch Meetup in Paris on Tuesday. I confess, I don’t enter the tech meatspace very often, generally preferring to observe from afar via the Web. But I couldn’t pass this up.

I didn’t find the millions of euros I was hoping for (I admit I didn’t try very hard). But I did find some real live French web workers/startup founders (including a delightful web-working couple with the delightfully French names of Sylvain and Jacinthe) and a startup with an app we web workers can use (more on that soon).

I also discovered La Cantine, which is where the event was held. It’s a great co-working space run by Silicon Sentier, a nonprofit networking organization for tech professionals.

La Cantine provides 14 individual workstations with an ADSL connection and another space where 12 people can meet, or where 30 people can view a presentation. The atmosphere is very Parisian, as you can see. There’s even a wet bar in one corner, so the space can easily be converted from work to après work. More of that magnificent French work/life balance.

Silicon Sentier offers regular events, presentations and topical public gatherings at La Cantine, several of which recently focused on women and tech. The La Cantine website will soon feature an international social network for web workers and co-workers (something I’ve been wishing for) called “Coworkers United.”

So if you’re passing through Paris, even though the whole city is (un)wired for wi-fi, you might want to consider popping into La Cantine for an authentic Parisian web-working experience!

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Dropbox Opens To the Public

Scott Blitstein — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 19:33:25 +0000

File sync, storage and sharing site Dropbox launches to the public today ending the need for pesky beta codes or invites to this very cool service.

Mike gave us a glimpse of Dropbox back in March, and in my testing of services of this type I found Dropbox to be among the easiest to use and manage. Because there is no new interface to learn, it just works for me, and is easy to introduce to clients. A nice demo screencast does a great job of explaining how it all works.

Also announced today is the availability of a Linux client to add to their existing Windows and Mac options as well as information on new storage plan options. The 2GB free accounts are still around but if you need more space you will have the option to upgrade to a 50GB box for $9.99 / month or $99.99 / year.

Will you try Dropbox? With the myriad of sync and share options available, what do you use to keep files in sync?

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Choosing an Online Storage Vendor

Mike Gunderloy — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 21:00:00 +0000

With the tremendous number of ways to get your files online – from Dropbox to FolderShare to Box.net to SugarSync – there’s one big issue for consumers: how do you choose? Over at our parent blog GigaOM, Om Malik things Sugar Sync has a new edge in this market due to their announcement of an iPhone interface. But is that enough to tilt the balance in their favor?

Part of the issues is that the market is so fragmented: there are backup solutions, replacements for email attachments, synchronization solutions, and more. Trying to pick one “best” provider from the confusing variety out there is tough, at best. If you’ve had to choose a way to get your own files online – who did you choose? And why?

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Network Storage for the Web Worker

Mike Gunderloy — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 15:00:00 +0000

At our parent blog GigaOM, Om Malik is tackling a question that will be familiar to most independent web workers: what’s the best way to add a bunch of bulk storage to your network, beyond just putting a larger drive in your computer? After considering his own needs, Om pronounces the Buffalo Linkstation Mini “almost perfect.”

Of course, there’s no guarantee that your own needs match Om’s precisely. While the idea of just adding an external box with storage is attractive, you need to think carefully about what you’re going to do with it. Is it just an extra drive that you can get to from all of your computers? Is it a media server? Is it a backup device? Do you need compatibility with multiple operating systems? Do you need web or wireless access?

In addition to the sheer amount of storage (1 terabyte is getting more and more common these days), you need to understand something about the underlying technology. If a storage unit promises RAID 0, that means the failure of 1 drive will cause data loss. RAID 1 gives you complete redundancy, but it cuts the effective storage size in half. RAID 5 gives you redundancy while losing less effective storage, but it can take much longer to recover from a bad drive.

Besides the Buffalo unit, your other choices include Apple’s Time Capsule, Drobo’s products, and many more. Or, of course, you can just load up a spare computer with extra drives. If you’ve added network storage to your own home network, what did you use and how happy are you with the results?

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