DropBox is one of those software programs that is definitely a lifehack. Dropbox is a combination between software and an on-line data cloud. Dropbox allows you to easily save files on your computer and directly uploading them to your on-line space. You can reach these files everywhere in the world on any computer by the use of the web based Dropbox or by the use of Dropbox installed on one of your notebooks/Netbooks.

Why use Dropbox?

Below I will give a couple of ways I myself use Dropbox and how it made my life a whole lot simpler.

• File sharing between computers/workplaces.

Putting a file in the Dropbox is as simple as putting a file in a regular folder in your computer. Because of this it is real easy to share files and folders between computers. I have the same Dropbox account installed on both my home computer as well as my portable netbook.

If I’m working on a project I will create a project folder within my Dropbox and save all my files in this folder. By doing so I will always have an updated file to work with: at home and on the road. I don’t have to login every time, I don’t have to e-mail it and I don’t have to bother with USB sticks. Both computers hold the same files and I can be sure that they are updated.

As soon as I will get somewhere and I need a file from my Dropbox and I don’t have my netbook with me I can login to the web application and download it from there.

Fun fact, if you by accident delete a file or folder; Dropbox will allow you to get the file back.
Dropbox also works with syncing : browser favorites, Itunes libraries, password protection software etc.

• File sharing between friends, colleagues or clients.

Dropbox allows you to share folders as well. Invite friends, colleagues or clients to use Dropbox and share files with each other. A couple of examples how I use it:

• I installed a Dropbox account on my girlfriends computer and I share a folder with herin which we share photo’s, document and bookmarks.

• For one of my clients I created a Dropbox account; he needs photos to be retouched (something I sometimes do for marketing purposes). My client takes pictures of the products, put them in the Dropbox, I instantly can see those files on my computer, retouch them and back into the folder.

• I created a whole photo folder that can be viewed by friends and family. I also did this when I was a student and lived in a student dormitory.

• Public file sharing

If you have a document that you want to share with somebody but they don’t have Dropbox(yet). You can put the file in the PUBLIC folder. By clicking on the document you can get an URL that will lead anybody to download the file. This is an easy solution if you need to send documents that are bigger then e-mail allows you to send. This option can also work for hosting a simple website.

• Project solutions

Imagine how you can empower your teamwork. By sharing one single folder with your whole team you can speed things up and make file management more efficient. This is perfect for small operating companies that don’t have the possibility to invest in big network solutions.

• IPhone

As I’m not a IPhone user I can’t be very specific on how it can be used but I do know this from experiences that I had with a colleague who I introduced to Dropbox. We found out that you can play music right of the Dropbox server, this also worked with pictures. This is really easy because this means that you don’t have to use Itunes to load some of your music to your IPhone. When creating this post I also read that there a Dropbox app can be found in the App store.

Dropbox is really one of the best software solutions when you have one or more computers or if you need to share a lot of files with people/groups.

How to get it?

DropBox can be downloaded by clicking this referral link( I will come back to the referral part). When downloaded it can be installed on your computer and by the use of an easy to use wizard it will create a folder on your computer. Also you are asked to sign in for a free account on-line. Once signed in with your Dropbox you can start putting files in your Dropbox.

When done signing in you will have room for 2GB of space in your cloud.

2GB, Can I get more?

Of course you can. Dropbox offers the opportunity to get an extra 3 GB of space, that makes 5 GB in total. You can achieve this by starting to invite people to sign in as well. This works very easy within the web application of Dropbox. There is also the possibility to send a referral link to people around you. This works the same like I do now in this post. With each new signed in invite you will get 250MB.

You want even more space?

You can get a paid account for $9,99 or $19,99 per month. This will give you 50GB or 100GB of cloud space.

I hope you enjoy using Dropbox. If you have more innovative ideas on how to use Dropbox you can write them down in your comment so we all can enjoy.

Greets,

RJ

Do you poken? With this catch phrase the Poken was introduced last year.

The Poken is a small usb-stick like device that is said to be the next-gen business card.

When installing your new buddy you can enter your contact information, social media profiles and other notes onto the Poken. Once installed, you can carry the Poken with you on your keychain; it is not bigger than 2.4 inches and contains a cord. If you meet somebody interesting and they happen to have a Poken with them, you can high five the hands and the information will be exchanged. The very effective part of this all is that once at home you can plug your Poken into your computer and you can immediately transfer all that information into your social profiles and your outlook. No more typing out business cards and look for people in social media.

The Poken is marketed very broadly and is mostly sold in gadget stores and on-line. I think that the company has the intentions to make the Poken not only a business thing but also a very new way for teens and students to interact. These groups, being the web 2.0 generation, are likely to use more of these devices that will make the social media part of their lives more accessible.

I have been carrying around a Poken for the last few months now and I notice that it starts to become more and more known. Even at my graduation they gave out Pokens that had the university logo printed on them. It is much like the introduction of the fax machine; the first person that owned a fax couldn’t do anything with it. The fax machine became popular and even regular to use when more people owned one. In the end all businesses where expected to have one. The same went for e-mail and the mobile texts. Will the same go for the Poken?

I mentioned earlier that Pokens are seen as the next-gen business cards. Although I see the efficiency value of this device in not having to search and type out contact information, I don’t believe that it will ever ban the business card. In my experience in networking I noticed that giving and receiving a business card is something special. It is the act of giving and receiving that makes it feel important and personal. This gesture is really significant if it comes to building rapport and creates a new step in starting off a relationship. With a business card you really have something tangible that you can touch, something that is missing with the Poken interaction. More about this in the article on business cards.

Another thing that I’m curious about is how to know that somebody carries a Poken. In the beginning I always asked people if they had one. Now a days I don’t ask anymore, the only thing I ask for is a business card. How can we make it more visible that somebody has a Poken. Once I visited a trade fair where I saw a man walking around with the Poken around his neck; very good visiblity but it also had something geeky to it. So how to solve this problem, post suggestions in the comments and I will post the top 10 in a new article.

So there are some pros and cons to this device and I let the future decide if the Poken is going to be a trend or an ongoing thing.

The Poken comes in all kinds of appearances; pandas, aliens, bees, squirrels and other creatures. Different companies can also support you with Pokens that carry your logo.

The Poken only cost around 10 to 15 dollars each and can be bought on-line.

Look forward hearing your comments.

Greets,

RJ

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