Against my TOS reservations, I installed the PC version of Google Drive on my notebook computer. So far from what I can see – for storage — it’s not all that different from Sugarsync that I used for a couple years and my regularly used Dropbox installation (still preferred at this time). I had thought that the poorly marketed Skydrive by Microsoft could eventually dominate, but the sleeping giant continues to sit on it’s hands and let others delve into the cloud storage space. Personally I think both Microsoft … and Amazon, with their stellar S3 storage … could still easily take the lead in cloud storage and personal file backup space.
One of the glaring negatives that I noticed on week one of the Google Drive release is that they don’t’ support iOS devices on the initial release (the iPad for me). Dropbox is pretty OS neutral at this point and I suspect that their lead will keep their service the preferred 3rd party cloud storage … although pricing is pretty attractive with Google Drive – $4.99/mo. for 100GB.
One of the differences is that Google doing more than just storage. They are iintegrating what used to be called Google Docs into their Drive storage. This makes it a bit different than the “file storage only” companies and brings a app cloud computing platform to users. Since I do use this web-based computing platform to sharing documents, spreadsheets and work collaboratively on projects, it does interest me … but it really isn’t ready for the productive business world. I have found that apps work fine for clubs and organizations, or for personal and perhaps school papers where several people can work together and see real-time updates to their work. I use this regularly with my son who is in college and more recently to help review his internship applications, resume and cover letters.
So far I’ve backed up my Google Docs to my computer for offline access and stored a few photos and documents. More in a few days after using it …
Why it is dangerous to sail close to land, inlets and reefs in areas of strong currents, high winds and heavy swells. See article from a survivor of April 14th’s Full Crew Farallones Race. http://tinyurl.com/Lat38-120424
Family and friends say, “just sell it on eBay.” There was a day when I thought it might be easy, but by the time a person figures out what it takes to make a once in a while sale, it might be time to think twice.
I purchased a part that I ended up not needing and decided to re-list it back on eBay, since they encouraged me with a free listing. Granted there was no cost to list, but the 30 minute hassle to write a description of the part and take a photo seemed a waste … considering it didn’t sell (reserve too high). A couple months later, again a chance to list for free on Ebay. This time I decided not to put a high reserve and eventually sold the item for $160 minus the $4.94 i cost me to receive the money through eBay’s Paypal arm ($160 was $60 less than I paid) — live and learn.
Now the fun part: Communicating with a persnickety buyer who began warning me of his refusal to accept if it wasn’t package and insured just the way he expected it. So by the time I had it packaged and paid the $13.31 for an eBay shipping label, I still had to drive it to the post office. I was finally glad to get it off my workbench. My time loss was about an hour of time, plus a gallon of gas to the post office and back to complete this less than lucrative sale.
Today my invoice from eBay arrived indicating that although the eBay listed was free, I still owed the “Final Value Fee” of $13.50 and the “Final Value Fee on Shipping” of another 90 cents. My loss has now rise to $60 + $4.94 + 13.31 + 13.50 + .90. That’s a total of $92.65 to sell the part that cost me $220 (plus time, aggravation, etc). Perhaps I should be glad that I’m not regularly trying to sell higher dollar items on eBay?
Before jumping ship from Dropbox, Skydrive or Sugarsync for Google Drive, the new lower price cloud storage solution, be sure to read the TOS agreement.
A quick analysis of Google’s terms of service shows how the search company owns the files you upload the minute they are submitted, and can in effect do anything it wants to your files — and that’s final. — CNET
“Your Content in our Services: When you upload or otherwise submit content to our Services, you give Google (and those we work with) a worldwide license to use, host, store, reproduce, modify, create derivative works (such as those resulting from translations, adaptations or other changes that we make so that your content works better with our Services), communicate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute such content.
The rights that you grant in this license are for the limited purpose of operating, promoting and improving our Services, and to develop new ones. This license continues even if you stop using our Services (for example, for a business listing that you have added to Google Maps).”
I finished wire brushing, sanding and painting the black iron railing last night and greeted the masons over lunch to see how the progress of the thin pavers is coming along. Sort of glad I hired them and am not tackling this project myself. (I was actually was up on the roof yesterday – birds in the attic – and twisted my knee. Am I getting older or what?)
Google’s latest doodle is a zipper down the center of the search engine’s homepage marking the birthday of Gideon Sundback, the Swedish-American electrical engineer creating the “zipper” which revolutionized the clothing industry. How many times have you “zipped” without thinking that some inventor created this.
Before Sundback’s intervention, the idea for a fastener based on interlocking teeth had circulated among engineers for more than 20 years but no one had perfected it.
His innovation was to place a dimple on the underside of each tooth and a nib on the top that would sit securely within the dimple of the tooth above it.
As a result, the join between two rows of teeth was then strong because no single tooth has enough room to move up or down and come apart. He also created the manufacturing machine for the new zipper.
Well it looked like a horse to me … but since my wife is the one with the chemistry background I don’t feel so bad. This structure is for CH3CH2SH or the organic compound Ethanethiol (EtSH), commonly known as ethyl mercaptan. It is most notably added to liquified petroleum gas (LPG) to help warn of gas leaks. According to Wikipedia,Ethanethiol has a strongly disagreeable odor that humans can detect in minute concentrations. The threshold for human detection is as low as one part in 2.8 billion parts of air. Its odor resembles that of leeks or onions. Ethanethiol is intentionally added to butaneand propane (see: LPG) to impart an easily noticed smell to these normally odorless fuels that pose the threat of fire or explosion.
According to the 2000 edition of the Guinness Book Of World Records, ethanethiol is the “smelliest substance” in existence.”
Here’s what works and what doesn’t work when using the Hana Flv Player plug in with my WordPress install in an attempt to figure out the best way to post video that will play in all browser/hardware combinations.
3. Internet Explorer 9 plays the flv player H.264 .mp4 but “looks” as if it is just buffering and loading the video with a spinning icon
4. Firefox 11 plays the flv player just fine with the H.264 .mp4 video. The Mediaelement.js H.264 .mp4 just paints a black box.
So unless there is a combination I haven’t tried, the best way currently to serve my own content is to use H.264 and .mp4 wrapper and two different embedded players … unless all viewers at this time use Chome. Unfortunately the HTML5 isn’t universal and it doesn’t look like Apple is going to make there devices compatible with flash anytime soon. Unless I’m missing something? (a couple test video clips in both embeds “without pre-loading” to save bandwidth below)
Self explanatory if you can watch one of the two embedded clips. (testing)
The U.S. and its allies finalized operations in Iraq last year, but continue to struggle with what victory looks like in another theatre of operation (Afghanistan). The sabers also rattle a bit louder this weekend regarding another possible middle-east war. This weekend Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Benny Gantz was interviewed by the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper and stated that “In principle, we are ready to act.”Ynet.com reported that Gantz emphasized in a pre-Israel Independence Day interview that their intelligence assessment is that given the strategic reality and instability in the region that the change of deteriorating into war is higher now than in the past and that 2012 is going to be a critical year. “The State of Israel believes that nuclear arms in Iran’s possession are a very bad thing, which the world should stop and Israel should stop. We are preparing our plan accordingly.”
You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. – Matthew 24:6
Against my TOS reservations, I installed the PC version of Google Drive on my notebook computer. So far from what I can see – for storage — it’s not all that different from Sugarsync that I used for a couple years and my regularly used Dropbox installation (still preferred at this time). I had thought that the poorly marketed Skydrive by Microsoft could eventually dominate, but the sleeping giant continues to sit on it’s hands and let others delve into the cloud storage space. Personally I think both Microsoft … and Amazon, with their stellar S3 storage … could still easily take the lead in cloud storage and personal file backup space.
This makes it a bit different than the “file storage only” companies and brings a app cloud computing platform to users. Since I do use this web-based computing platform to sharing documents, spreadsheets and work collaboratively on projects, it does interest me … but it really isn’t ready for the productive business world. I have found that apps work fine for clubs and organizations, or for personal and perhaps school papers where several people can work together and see real-time updates to their work. I use this regularly with my son who is in college and more recently to help review his internship applications, resume and cover letters.
