Open Source File Syncing And Collaboration With Sparkleshare

sparkleshare-iconWhenever software development or any other type of project requires collaboration, the process of exchanging files, saving them, revising, and re-uploading can be tedious. Because of this, developers have created revisioning control systems. These systems have even been used for documentation in collaborative tools like wikis. Sparkleshare is an extension of these collaboration tools that provides a simple and easy-to-use interface: your own file manager.

Once setup, users can connect to the Sparkleshare server and edit/add/create files that are shared with collaborators, who can then do the same. Sparkleshare also has the potential of being used for simple cloud file storage like Dropbox or SpiderOak. The major difference is that Sparkleshare is free and open source, and you can install it on your own server.
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A Quick Look At Ubuntu One For Windows Public Beta

ubuntuone-logoCanonical’s own cloud storage service – Ubuntu One has been quite mature in its own Ubuntu platform. The previous news was that a version of Ubuntu One for Windows is coming soon and could bring the cloud service up a notch. Well, that day has arrived. Ubuntu One for Windows is now in beta and available for public testing.

At the moment, Ubuntu One for Windows public beta is invitation only. We are one of the few that are lucky to receive a download for testing. Here’s a quick review of what you’re going to see in the Windows version.
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Customizing Glide OS [Part 2]

glideos-mainIn our earlier article, we discussed how you can set up an online operating system using Glide OS.

Glide OS 4.0 is a free cloud computing solution, which offers a wide range of web based applications under one umbrella.  Glide provides cross platform compatibility for Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Solaris and a wide range of mobile devices which includes Android, iPhone etc.

If you have missed the earlier article, we recommend reading it first and then read this one which discusses the following points:

  • Syncing files from multiple computers to online operating system
  • Managing folders in Online glide OS.
  • Using Glide applications for various computing jobs
  • Customizing the Glide desktop.

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How to Sync Your iPhone Contacts to Ubuntu One

ubuntuone-sync-logoWhen Ubuntu One first launched, we all thought that it is just another file storage service, just like Dropbox, with the limitation that it is only available for Ubuntu. With the release of Ubuntu Lucid, Ubuntu One has evolved into a great tool that it not only sync your files, but also your music, bookmarks, and broadcast message archive. The latest addition to the plate is the synchronization of your iPhone contacts.

As you all know, iPhone and Linux are never a good pair. iPhone needs iTunes to sync, and iTunes is not available for Linux. Well, with the new Ubuntu One Contact [iTunes link] iPhone app, it is easy to sync your iPhone (contact) with your Ubuntu machine.
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How to Sync Your Firefox Settings Across Various Devices

firefox-sync-logoWhen you close a Firefox browser with many active tabs, it will usually prompt you to save your session so that the next time you open the browser, the tabs will be restored.

What if you can get the tabs/session to restore automatically on a Firefox browser in another computer? Just imagine, you can do your work in the office, close the browser (with all the tabs) when it’s time to knock off and restore it again when you open the browser from your home PC. Isn’t it great?

Well, you can do it now with the help of Firefox Sync extension.
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How To Make the Most of Dropbox – Part II

dropbox-logo2Following on from last week’s Dropbox guide, I will demonstrate some of the more advanced tricks that can be performed using Dropbox’s sync tool.

1. Remotely launch Bittorrent downloads.

I like to keep my various Linux distributions up-to-date and one of the ways I manage this is to ensure that as soon as the latest “iso” file of that distribution is made available I immediately start torrenting it. The first thing you will need is a torrent client that supports the “watch folder” feature. I personally use uTorrent. (Note: Transmission also has the ability to “watch” a folder for new torrent.)
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How To Make the Most of Dropbox – Part I

dropbox-logoDropbox is a file syncing and backup application. Files in the “My Dropbox” folder are synced to the cloud and are then accessible from a wide range of devices, including the iPhone and Android. What initially attracted me to Dropbox was the fact that it was one of the few file syncing applications that worked on Ubuntu flawlessly. Having used Dropbox on Ubuntu, Windows XP, Windows 7 and Mac OSX for a number of years, I have realised that pigeonholing Dropbox as a mere file syncing or backup service does not do it justice. In a series of articles I hope to show you how to make the most of Dropbox.

In this first article, I will explain the basics of installing Dropbox and using its more common features. In the next article I will outline some of the more unique uses of Dropbox.
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Syncless: An Easy Way to Synchronize Folders in Windows

Synchronize folders in WindowsDo you work with a lot of folders and feel lost when you have to find a certain file kept in one of the folders whose location you don’t know? Do you perform regular backup jobs and need a simple tool which can backup the contents of some folders in your removable drive? Do you need to sync folders with Windows desktop or with a folder, kept in your removable drive?

If the answer to any of these questions is “yes”, check out Syncless – a brilliant program for folder synchronization in Windows. Syncless works with the concept of tagging – you tag two or multiple folders with the same tag name. These folders can be present anywhere in your system, from your desktop to your My documents folder to a folder in your removable drive.
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How to Sync your Nokia Internet Tablet with Google Calendar

cal-sync-icon2When Nokia first released the Nokia 770 Internet Tablet, many Linux geeks could not resist a hackable handheld computer, even if they had no use for it.  With the subsequent releases of the N800 and N810 versions, the devices gained even wider appeal.  One of the problems I have always had with it, however, is that it has no default PIM (personal information management) software, and the free options available for it were always rather slim.

Nokia advertises it as an “Internet Tablet” rather than a PDA, so perhaps they expect you to rely on cloud services, such as Google Calendar.  Very well, we will, but we will do it with style.  mCalendar is a small application for the Maemo operating system that allows you to have an appointment calendar on your tablet and also sync it with your Google Calendar.  It is finger-friendly and easy to use.  It is available for Maemo/Tablet OS2007 and OS2008 and should work on Nokia 770, N800, N810, and N810 WiMax models. [Read more...]

Syncplicity – More Than Just A File Storage Solution

syncplicity-logo While there are many sites that provide online storage solution, most of them are limited to basic upload/downloading and sharing features. If you are looking for a comprehensive online backup and file-sharing system that allows you to sync across multiple computers, then Syncplicity could be the one you are looking for.

Syncplicity is an online storage service that aims to make backup, sync and sharing a breeze for its users. By installing the desktop client on your computer, you will be able to easily specified the folders to backup and get it sync quickly and automatically to the server and any other computers that have Syncplicity installed.

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