How to get big files to friends. 2 simple solutions.
“Hey Bob! You know those photos of the basket weaving tournament that we went to?”
“Yeah!”
“Well, could you destroy the evidence and send me the bucks night pics instead?”
“But they’re huge!”
“Aww, that wasn’t the only huge…”
We’ve all been there. Well maybe not the “huge” bucks night (I promise honey). Friends, family, bosses all asking for you to send them big files through email. Twenty-seven emails later and the final pic is on its way. Then you get some error that causes you to cry and then hit your monitor with astonishing force.
There’s got to be an easier way.
And of course there is or my typing would end here.
As I’m an all round novice and simpleton I always try and find the path of least resistance. The super simple way that’s going to cause the fewest headaches. So I’ve got two solutions for you all. The first is a superquick disposable method and the second is one of the most amazing and elegant uses of web tech I’ve come across.
Drop.io, as the name suggests, is a site that allows you to create “drops” of up to 100Mb that can be accessed through the web. Upload files, photos or videos, using the simple website and send the link to your friend. They can then punch that into their web browser and download away.
The first step is to name your “drop”. It’ll tell you if the name you’ve chosen is okay and then just move on to select files. Once the pics from Aunt Mavis’ eightieth have been selected just hit “Create A Drop”. Give the drop a password and you’re all done. The password’s only used for administering the drop. You can then just email the link. An example could be http://drop.io/auntmavisrocks.
If you want to get a little more sophistimicated you can set access passwords (for those basket weaving *cough* shots) or even a self destruct date.
So overall, what’s drop.io good for:
- Super quick and easy sending of files.
- Making a non-permanent place for friends to share files online.
- Sharing up to 100Mb for free (pay a monthly fee and you’re heading into gigabyte territory).
- Email files into your drop.
- Easy customization of the look and feel of your drop.
The second method is just brilliant and one that I use on a daily basis.
If you’re forever sharing photos and other files with friends and family, Dropbox is going to be a godsend. Seriously.
Just signup for their free 2Gb account and then install the free desktop software on your PC, Mac or Linux box. This will create a dropbox folder in your documents folder. This is when the magic begins.
Add any file into the Dropbox folder and it is then backed up in the “Cloud”. If your computer then spontaneously combusts your files are safe. You could access these files by using a web browser and logging onto the Dropbox website or by re-installing the software on your new computer. The files are automatically downloaded and re-synced to the new computer.
Where Dropbox gets really special is when you install Dropbox onto your work computer, iPhone (free in the App Store) and home computer. Now if you place a file into the Dropbox folder at work it is immediately available to be viewed on the iPhone (yes you can even stream compatible media like mp3 music) and when you get to your home PC. Lucky you, you can keep working on those files at home – with any alterations being made to the documents on your work PC.
You can treat this Dropbox as you would any folder on your PC. Create new folders within it for your family pics and other items.
Where Dropbox extends its value is that it rewards you for recommending friends. If they are recommended by you they then receive 250Mb of extra space free after they install the desktop software. The other bonus is that you also get another 250Mb for nix up to a maximum 3Gb-ish extra. Noice.
So here is the family-centric scenario.
Invite the parents and your brothers and sisters to join you on Dropbox. Get the free extra space and then share a folder using the right mouse click (sharing options). You could call it something super clever like, “familystuff”. Now any picture, document or embarrasing video that gets placed into the shared folder magically appears on everyones computer. Picks of Dazza’s 21st birthday just got super accessible. Everyone who has access to the shared folder can contribute. Sweet, no getting together and swapping CDs or USB drives.
Other clever odds and ends like revisioning and access to deleted items for 30 days makes this excellent for team collaborations.
If 2Gb isn’t enough there are various subscription packages for 10′s of Gigabytes of storage. Handy.
So there you have it. 2 super simple ways to get files to bosses, spouses and various other crazy cats. Enjoy.
