Elf Designs» Online Tools

Google Heads into the Cloud with Google Drive

efindlow — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 20:36:32 +0000

You may remember a post I wrote a couple of months ago about cloud storage. (For those of you who need a refresher, you can read that article here.) At the time, there was nothing but speculation about if and when Google was going to get into the cloud storage game. Well, the wait is almost over, now that a number of tech blogs have uncovered leaks that suggest Google will launch Drive next week. So what does this mean for Google users?

Well, many of you probably already use services like Amazon Cloud, DropBox, or SugarSync. So unless Google offers a radically different interface or service, chances are the main advantage to Google Drive will be that Google has so many apps and services that you may use on a regular basis, it will be easier to sync all of your documents without having to use a third-party service. Also, Google Drive is rumoured to be offering 5GB of space for free, which is larger than DropBox’s 2GB and equal to Amazon’s Cloud Drive. But it is rather attractive to be able to save Gmail attachments directly to the cloud or edit Google Docs on your desktop without additional synchronization apps. And of course, if you are already using Gmail or Google+ or an Android smartphone, why not use Google Drive? There is also rumoured to be a Drive mobile app which will allow users to share links directly with people instead of as attachments, which could be quite useful.

We won’t know for sure the specs and features of Google Drive until Google officially announces them, but the speculation this past week certainly seems more concrete than in the past. With the cloud storage market becoming increasingly saturated, it’s no wonder that Google would like a piece of the pie. The next few months are sure to bring some interesting changes to the cloud.

Tracking Your Trip with Glympse

efindlow — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 17:57:10 +0000

Many people use apps and programs on their computers and smartphones to broadcast their whereabouts to friends and family. While it can be convenient to be able to share your location with contacts, there are concerns that posting information about where you are online is not safe and it may not be in your best interest to give out this information to everyone on your Friend list. A new service called Glympse is hoping to offer a compromise that is both useful and safe.

Glympse uses tracking technology on your smartphone. You can share your whereabouts with select people for a specific length of time, and once the time runs out you’re no longer trackable. By limiting who tracks you and how long they can watch your location Glympse avoids the most common privacy concern, namely that anyone can see where you are. Another great benefit of Glympse is that you can send your trip information to someone and they can then watch your progress, so if you’re running late they can see exactly where you are and approximately how long it will take you to get to your destination. This is a great feature if you are meeting friends or colleagues. Glympse can be used to find out if your kids are where they are supposed to be, or to make sure you don’t lose your friends if plans change. Check it out here.

A New Way to Pay

efindlow — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 17:48:50 +0000

There has been quite a lot of innovation in the field of internet and online payments in the last few years, and smartphones and tablets are enabling people to make payments and transfer money faster and easier than ever before. A new service called Square is attempting to streamline things even further and allow users to make payments with their name.

Businesses sign up to become part of Square’s directory, and users can then explore the directory to find out what companies are using the service, and they can then set up an account attached to their credit card and smartphone. Square recognizes their smartphone so they can purchase by stating their name at the register. There’s no need to pull out a wallet or phone, and their credit card will be charged without any hassle. This is a convenient way for customers to pay, and Square offers even more benefits for businesses.

An app for your iPad can transform your tablet into a point of sale register, meaning you can bring your business everywhere. Square offers businesses a credit card reader as well as everything they need to set up and run their register, from printing receipts and opening cash drawers to custom gratuity amounts and analytics to track your busiest times and best customers. While Square is great for small businesses of all kinds, it really shines as a service for non-retail business owners. People who don’t have a storefront need a way to take credit card payments to stay competitive and get paid faster, and Square helps this happen. This is definitely a service worth checking out: find it here.

Say Goodbye to Real Estate Agents!

MJ — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 20:34:42 +0000

A couple of months ago, I was involved in witnessing how the purchase of a condo went and what it entailed. I had to deal with a Real Estate, which was standard procedure for anyone involved in the home buying process. Although there are pros and cons to going with a Real Estate Agent, the fact is the business of selling homes is changing. This can undoubtedly be attributed to the presence of the Internet. What used to be impossible to obtain without the help of an agent is now available with the click of a mouse. A myriad of information is now available online.
Home appraisal values, for example, used to only be available to individuals within the real-estate industry. This has changed. Sites now have access to private databases, making instant estimates of a property’s value available and obtainable to virtually anyone interested. Additionally, Zoocasa has partnered with a major property valuation company and has made the availability of local market information available to anyone possible. Individuals can enter any address in the country and by the provision of details (ie. number of bedrooms and/or baths), individuals can get an instant price estimate. This is great for homeowners as well, as it provides a realistic indication of the value of their home.
This industry will evolve online. As it does, more services will be available. Zoocasa’s appraisal site (where “Zoopraisals” are available), for example, helps consumers with specific portions of a deal. Perhaps the most interesting thing about the evolution of this industry online is that sites such as Zoocasa don’t charge for appraisals. Rather, it makes money by what the internet does best – ads! It charges real estate agents fees to have their ads pop up along with the data.
The presence of websites like these represents the weakening position of real estate agents, which is great news for any potential buyer. After all, can you really justify paying your agent commission, which often costs about 5% of the value of the home?

The Internet of Things

MJ — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 23:41:09 +0000

Technology has evolved at an exceptional speed. Nowadays, a car is more than just a vehicle, it’s an intricate computer system, controlling things like the audio-visual system or the rear-facing camera that assists with reversing. Lost are the days where OnStar was the only roadside-assistance service. Now with virtually any smartphone a myriad of functions can be performed. The automobile has now, more than ever, been integrated with the Internet. This is just one example of how an idea, which has been around for over a decade, is becoming reality. The Internet of Things is finally becoming real!
The Internet of Things, first discussed in 1999, represents the idea that Internet connectivity might spread beyond the devices we’ve traditionally used, such as computers, laptops, and now smartphones. Objects are becoming more interactive and are communicating with the Internet. It is interesting to see this concept get manifested in both high-tech ways and simple ways. Even more interesting is society’s willingness to adapt and accept these ways. More and more individuals are shopping online and we will continue to see an increase in the number of individuals using NFC/Google Wallet to pay for things. If you don’t believe me, think of the following examples:

Existing networks – wireless networks and wi-fi-enabled devices are extremely common. We can see the use of these networks through the increase in tablet and cell phone usage. In addition, the Nike+ running shoe, for example, contains a sensor that sends information about your running pace to your Apple iPod.
Scanned codes – QR codes have grown in popularity and can be frequently seen in stores, on billboards, or through advertisements. QR codes link a real thing to the information world and virtually any object can have a distinct code.
NFC (near-field communications) – provides ways for devices, such as a smartphone, to wirelessly read information from a tag on an object, just by being in close proximity. This unleashes an endless way to track inventory or to provide individuals with ways to learn about a product. NFC technology is also turning smartphones into virtual wallets.

The Latest Interest Network

MJ — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 20:58:18 +0000

UberMedia has a fresh take on Social Networks with it’s latest project Chime.In. Chime combines Twitter, Facebook, and Reddit to create what UberMedia CEO Bill Gross calls an “interest network”. Like other social networks, Chime.in lets users share content with others. It has a newsfeed, profile pages and a system for following other users. The social network doesn’t have status updates, though. Instead it has “chimes,” which are a cross between a Facebook status update and a blog post. A chime displays a headline, the first few sentences of a chime, a piece of multimedia (an image, a video, etc.), a profile picture, interest tags and options for liking, commenting and sharing.

One of the most intriguing features is that users have control over their profiles, including the advertising and sponsors that run on the page. Users can include their own ads on the page and keep 100% of the revenue, or they can let UberMedia sell ads for their page and split the revenue 50-50. Gross believes that control over revenue makes Chime.in more appealing to publishers that want to monetize themselves in social media.

There are so many social networks available today, so it will be interesting to see how well Chime.In does. The revenue sharing could be the one feature that sets it apart however. Only time will tell.

How Chrome Has Changed

MJ — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 05:21:59 +0000

There are a variety of reasons why you should be using Google Chrome – speed, simplicity, security, and the variety of add-on features it has. On Friday, Google released an update for Google Chrome – Google Chrome 15 Beta, which I encourage you to download. The most visible change is the redesigned tab page. Users have the ability to switch your default to have all your apps centered in the new tab. Users can navigate between most visited sites and bookmarks with a series of sections on the bottom of the screen. There is a new “bookmarks” entry as well. Additionally, users can synchronize the Address/Search bar history across multiple installations. Google Chrome 16 Dev has multi-user support, where users have the ability to log onto a single instance of Chrome with different accounts.
Currently, you can download apps, extensions, and themes from the Chrome Web Store. Although there aren’t a huge amount of Chrome apps available, this will soon change, making this function extremely beneficial. Google has recently pushed offline versions of Gmail and GDocs, which is also extremely beneficial and practical for users.
If you are interested in downloading the most recent version of beta, click here.

The Evolution of Commerce Online

MJ — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 19:38:09 +0000

eBay announced that it’s new commerce platform called X.commerce, aka X.com, will aim at connecting a variety of online and offline services for merchants. This will range from and include: sales, payments, financial management tools, etc. This is the fourth addition to the company, which umbrellas eBay Marketplaces, PayPal, and GSI Commerce.
The technology, known as “X.fabric,” aims to be an open platform for all companies. X.commerce resembles an e-commerce operating system, like Windows or iOS – with eBay, PayPal, Magento and GSI
A company called Outright is assisting with the build. Currently, they already assist small businesses with online accounting management, in addition to aggregating data from merchants’ accounts on PayPal and eBay. Today, Outright is one of the top apps on the eBay Marketplace. With the new platform, customers will “be able to connect with PayPal, eBay and other applications, such as inventory management systems, with just one set of API’s.”
The biggest benefit will be to merchants, who will be able to integrate offline and online commerce efforts. What does this mean? For merchants wanting to launch a mobile app, for example, the platform would enable the merchant to plug the app into existing data such as store inventory, prices, special deals, etc.
Further details are suppose to be unveiled by eBay during October Innovate Developer Conference.

If This, Then That

MJ — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 20:46:49 +0000

Have you heard of the awkwardly named but handy site called Ifttt.com (short for “if this then that”)? It’s a service that syncs other web services so that you can automate common tasks like sharing links, saving Instagram photos or responding to Twitter posts.
At the most basic level, users can connect any two services together. Here’s how Ifttt works: If you want to share links with friends on the web, you might post the link on Facebook. Ifttt automates this process. Hence the name – if this, then that. In the example of sharing a link, all a user has to do is create a task such as: IF a new link is posted to WordPress, THEN grab the link and post it to Twitter and Facebook. Another example is anytime you post an image to your Instagram account, Ifttt.com can grab a copy and sync it over to your dropbox folder, instantly creating backups.
There are endless possibilities on Ifttt, so they’ve introduced a new feature called recipes, which are a way of sharing your tasks.

Searching the Internet for the Environment

MJ — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 20:19:19 +0000

Ecosia is a typical search engine in that it will help you find what you are looking for on the web. The difference is that through searching, Ecosia gives back to the rainforest. The way this works is that if you saw an interesting sponsored link and decided to click it, the sponsoring company pays Bing or Yahoo, who then gives a portion to Ecosia, who then uses it to support the WWF efforts in the Amazon rainforest. Not only does Ecosia donate money, but you can view their business report here, and see all the money they have donated here. By making all of their records public Ecosia believes that this will ensure their credibility. In the first year of operation, Ecosia was able to generate over 125,000 Euros.