Web Worker Daily

YouSendIt Pursues Integration Strategy Posted: 09 Sep 2008 01:00 PM CDT When we looked at the landscape of file-sharing, one of our main concerns was that none of the available file-sharing services provided a compelling advantage over email. With creating email attachments being so simple, why would anyone go to a new service to move files around? Well, one of the entrants in this crowded field, YouSendIt, has been quietly pursuing a strategy that may yet bring them to email parity: increasingly, they’re integrated into your desktop, instead of being just another web service. When you create a YouSendIt account (1GB of monthly download and 100MB file size comes for free; $10 per month will get you substantially higher limits), you get access to a variety of YouSendIt applications. These applications allow you to work directly from your desktop or from other software. For example, YouSendIt Express sits on your desktop (OS X or Windows, while the YouSendIt Outlook application is implemented as a Microsoft Outlook add-in. The latest release in this group of applications is YouSendIt for Acrobat Pro. After installing this on my Mac, “Send by YouSendIt” appeared on the File menu, right next to “Attach to Email”. Using this is as simple as filling in the recipient’s email address, along with a message; the current file is already selected. Using YouSendIt this way is literally as simple as using email for the file transfer, with the added benefit of handling huge files (as well as access to YouSendIt’s other features, such as delivery tracking and return receipts). The recipient gets a link in their email that they can click to download the file, just as you would if you shared it directly via YouSendIt’s web site. The more of these integrations YouSendIt presents, the easier it becomes to use - and the more likely web workers will choose it instead of email. Other available integration options include Aperture, iPhoto, Photoshop, CorelDRAW, and (in beta) Microsoft Office for Windows. Share/Send

Cisco Virtual Office Highlights Security Posted: 09 Sep 2008 08:00 AM CDT As covered on our sister blog Earth2Tech, Cisco is out with an integrated set of product offerings dubbed the Cisco Virtual Office. This is turnkey telecommuting for companies with a bit of money in the bank: Earth2Tech got ballpark estimates of a couple of hundred thousand dollars to spin up an installation. For that price, you get secure routers, IP phones, and software designed to enforce corporate security policies across the widely-distributed enterprise - right into telecommuters’ homes. As Earth2Tech points out, “remote workers are increasingly cavalier about security issues, as the lines between home and work uses of technology have become more blurred.” While high-end solutions like Cisco Virtual Office will appeal to larger companies, even independent and small-business telecommuters should expect to be faced with questions about security as companies grow more sophisticated in this area. What do you do to protect company data when you telecommute? Share/Send

Copernic Desktop Search Finds it Fast Posted: 08 Sep 2008 06:00 PM CDT While Mac users are used to being able to pinpoint and open up files and e-mails instantly, Windows users don’t enjoy that luxury because, even as it delivered Windows Vista, Microsoft shelved plans for a full-blown file system. Desktop search products can come to the rescue here, though, and my favorite Windows desktop search program Copernic Desktop Search has some good new features. Best of all, it’s a free download. One problem I’ve had with other desktop search products is that they index data and files so constantly that I can feel my system slow down. Copernic Desktop Search doesn’t do that, though. In fact, in its most recent update, it feels faster than ever. In Copernic Desktop Search, you get a toolbar that lets you search within categories for content that you want. For example, I have my Outlook e-mail tied to Copernic, and if I start typing a search term within the e-mail category, the search will begin before I am done typing. Rarely does it take longer than five seconds for Copernic to find the e-mail I want, and that’s definitely not true of Outlook itself. I’ve sat for three minutes waiting for Outlook to find a message when my inbox has gotten large. You can also search for files, music, photos, videos, and more with Copernic Desktop Search. Unlike a lot of other desktop search offerings, especially Google’s, Copernic doesn’t reach for too much. It’s really a search tool, meant to open fast when you want it, and find things in an instant. Windows Vista’s system search features are an improvement over Windows XP’s, but they’re still not as fast and capable as Copernic’s. Especially if you run XP on any systems, try this free utility out. Share/Send

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