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What is Cloud Computing?

“Cloud Computing” is the newest buzz word in the world of the internet… and an integral part of Web 2.0. Here’s how they work together:

Computers like your laptop, while convenient, still can’t be in all places at once and can cause major problems when lost, stolen or just crashed. If you’ve ever used a web browser like Safari or Firefox to check your email, you’re already using “Cloud Computing”…. it’s just a place to keep stuff… in the cloud! Imagine having all of your computer files, settings, pictures, music, EVERYTHING… stored in a place you can access 24/7 anywhere there is a computer with an internet connection (which is increasingly just sitting in your pocket all of the time). If you use gmail, MobileMe,YahooMail or even AOL, you’re already taking advantage of this… but that’s just the beginning….

The future contains much more use of computers in the “cloud”. Besides email, you can already keep your notebook up there with Evernote, your videos up there withYouTube, your documents up there with Google Docs, your photos up there with Flickror MobileMe, your desktop up there with SugarSync or perhaps most importantly, you can backup your files automatically to Mozy or CrashPlan. Man, you can EVEN keep your snail mail up in the cloud with EarthClass Mail! All of these web based services are examples of Web 2.0  and a telltale sign of that is their use of Cloud Computing.

It’s pretty amazing the abilities we have to be mobile in today’s day and age. Enjoy it, folks, you’re living in a new age!

justin

PS: Steven Fry, a great comedian and gadget geek wrote a great article recently on this same topic. That article inspired this one, so check it out.

UPDATE 6/13/09: I just read an article at the NY Times about the data centers that are required to keep our lives in the cloud. It’s a fascinating read if you’re interested!

Animoto: easy and dynamic slideshows

Animoto is a new video service that will amaze you… especially if you’ve ever spent hours putting together a nice slideshow with music and photos. It will download your pictures from Flickr or Facebook and has an uncanny knack to be able to match your pictures to the beat of your music!

Watch this video I made with it and you might find it hard to believe that it only took about 10 minutes to put together!

Why not to use Bit Torrent

Well, I’m being a little hypocritical with my headline on this one since I use Bit Torrent from time to time (for legal things!) but I’m very aware that this stuff could contain something malicious if not simply annoying.

Now there is proof of an actual malicious Trojan Horse for the Mac! Let’s repeat: a Virus-like thing has been released into the wild for the Mac. You won’t get it unless you’ve used Bit Torrent to download a pirated copy of iWork ’09, but according to zdnet, about 20,000 people have downloaded it already.

Don’t freak out about this one because if you’re not doing anything nefarious in the first place, you’re still immune. I just want you to be aware of the possibility.

Also, this morning I got a call from a client saying that after clicking on a google link she was greeted with a message like “your computer has been infected! You must install a protection package right away to protect from malware and spyware! Click here to install!” Well, needless to say, that message was a hoax, and luckily they didn’t click on it… but if they had it could have been a similar Trojan or Virus.

Lesson being: Don’t download illegal things and don’t believe it when a website tells you the world is going to end unless you click to download something. ALWAYS navigate directly to the site you’re trying to download something from rather than using some ad or link to it!

If you have any more questions about this, feel free to email or call me about it!

justin

UPDATE: According to ZDNet, there is now an “iBotnet” of Macs who have been infected with this virus that came from pirated copies of iWork and Photoshop. Again, if you didn’t get the software illegally, you have nothing to worry about… but this is a troubling development because it’s the first coordinated hacker effort against the Mac that has gained ANY traction (to my knowledge)

iPhone ringtones

There are many ways to make ringtones for your iPhone from music you already have in iTunes. You really have no excuse… and it’s fun!

So here are some of the ways you can do it:

1) iTunes Store ringtone feature: $0.99 each.
For songs you’ve purchased at the iTunes store, this is the only option, and that’s only if the creator has allowed ringtone creation. The $0.99 cost is in addition to the cost of the song. It’s not that much money compared to other ringtone costs… and it gives you a really easy method of choosing the section you want.
Click here for further instructions.

2) GarageBand 4.12 to iTunes: $79 for iLife’08 if you don’t already have it.
Anything you can make in GarageBand you can turn into a ringtone… including unprotected tracks from iTunes. It’s an official built in feature just like #1, but it’s MUCH more flexible and opens up the rest of your library too (not to mention using your own voice or your own recordings).
Here’s a great tutorial.
Caveat: This is my personal favorite but it hasn’t been working since I got iTunes 8. Hopefully Apple will update GarageBand soon to make this work right.

3) Use iTunes and the Finder: $0.
Somebody came up with this clever workaround technique which doesn’t give you the ease and precision of the selection as the first two options… but it’s easy and works even with iTunes 8.
Check out this tutorial.

4) Use QuickTime Pro: $29 for QuickTime Pro.
This method will give you more precision to choose the section of the song you want, and doesn’t require GarageBand or any third party utilities.
Try this method out here.

5) PocketMac Ringtone Studio: $15.
This nifty little utility might just be the easiest method for converting your non-DRM tracks or anything else… to a ringtone. It has a great and simple interface… and even though I’d like the timeline to be longer for greater precision in selecting the segment, I highly recommend it to anyone with a few bucks to spend on this.

6) Ambrosia’s iToner: $15.
iToner has a similar interface to Ringtone Studio but unlike it’s $15 competitor, it syncs the entire ringtone list for you instead of iTunes… This is great if you aren’t syncing your iPhone with iTunes regularly and just want to update your ringtone list… but it also gets confusing if you do. I love Ambrosia Software for the many great things they do, but this approach isn’t my favorite.

So try one, try all… make a playlist of songs you might want to use and get started! With the exception of iToner, they all can work harmoniously together by adding the ringtones into iTunes’ master list. It’s really fun to do and even more satisfying when that friend calls you and you know who it is before you even look at the phone!

justin

UPDATE: Rogue Amoeba just updated their good audio editing app, Fission, with an automatic export for ringtones to iTunes. For $32 this is a good deal because it does it all.

Printing to PDF

dof.jpgOne of my favorite tips to impart on my clients is how to print to PDF and save things like web receipts to their hard drive for later (if ever) printing. It’s an easy and quick way to make your life easier and save paper… you just click File > Print > PDF > Save as PDF.

And for a more in depth look at why you’d want to use this feature, check out this article about Getting Things Done.