syncing

If you do not trust online storage drives for file syncing across your devices or are frustrated with storage limits, there is another player in town. BitTorrent has released a new alpha version of its Sync software, which supports syncing folders across the Internet without going through an intermediary like Dropbox, Cloud Drive, or iCloud.

The Sync software uses the standard BitTorrent decentralized file-sharing technology to establish a secure file-synchronizing routine between your various devices. It does so by use of local peer discovery, peer exchange, and static known hosts as well as DHT and classic BitTorrent trackers to establish … Read more

Someday, all syncing and charging will be done wirelessly. (The syncing is pretty much there, actually.) Until then, we remain slaves to cables.

This is especially hassle-tastic if you have different kinds of mobile devices -- say, an iPhone, a Kindle, and a Bluetooth headset -- with different kinds of connectors. That means you have to deal with three separate sync/charge cables.

Or not, if you grab today's deal. For a limited time, and while supplies last, Groupon has the Nextware Trio 3-in-1 Sync and Charge Cable for $6.99, plus $2.99 for shipping. (Order three and … Read more

Users working between multiple workstations may need to access the same file from different computers and back up data between them. ChronoSync for Mac is a welcome program for those users and syncs data quickly and securely.

The program offers a free trial version available with a 500-file transfer limit while the full version requires $40 to unlock. The setup of ChronoSync for Mac went smoothly despite requiring acceptance of a lengthy user agreement. Upon first starting the program up, the user can choose to open a complete user manual, which is a welcome addition to this type of program, … Read more

Chrome on desktops has been able to sync personal data like passwords and online form fields for ages, but the features just landed in the Android version of the browser today.

Chrome 26 for Android (download) brings automatic form filling and password synchonrization to the mobile browser, as well as unnamed performance and stability fixes. The new version of the browser also repairs a problem where a blank page would be shown instead of loading the correct URL.

Some features that made it into the beta version of Chrome 26 for Android don't appear to be in today's … Read more

Amazon's Cloud Drive is one of many online storage services like Dropbox, Google Drive, and Microsoft's SkyDrive where you can save pictures and documents for access on another system with Internet access.

While the Cloud Drive service has been available for a while, one of its lacking features has been a well-integrated file sync option that makes use of the online storage seamless. Additionally, Amazon's older tools for accessing the drive were written in Java, which is no longer included in OS X and which many are avoiding because of security issues.

To bring its service up … Read more

One would have assumed that Amazon, the Web services cloud giant, would already have had file syncing available for its personal cloud storage service, Cloud Drive.

Turns out that the digital lockers didn't have that capability until recently.

The Verge reported today that the company has quietly rolled out the new feature to Cloud Drive users.

File syncing seems like it should be a fairly standard feature for any cloud-based storage and collaboration platform, and Amazon's version doesn't seem much different.

Basically, users can just drop a file into a specified folder. That file is automatically uploaded … Read more

Remember the ChargeCard? It debuted at this year's CES and made my list of the three things I saw at CES I'd actually buy.

As I noted then, it's a mostly rubber card that's thin enough to fit in your wallet, but able to charge and sync your smartphone, e-reader, digital camera, Bluetooth headset, and the like.

The ChargeCard comes in three versions: iPhone 4/4S (meaning Apple 30-pin connector), iPhone 5 (Apple Lightning connector), and Micro-USB. All three have the same rubber arm that folds out to plug into a USB port, but a different … Read more

Intel wants to make its future "Haswell" chip better than past generations of silicon at gaming and announced tools to make this happen at the Game Developers Conference today.

The world's largest chipmaker announced tools, known as extensions, for software developers that allow Intel's 4th generation Intel Core, aka Haswell, to process demanding special effects.

The first of these extensions, called PixelSync, allows programmers to more realistically render smoke, hair, windows, foliage, fences, and other complex geometry and natural phenomena, according to Intel.

"The artists working on Grid2 have been requesting this type of effect … Read more

When the Une Bobine made its Kickstarter debut about a year ago, I had the same reaction as a lot of people: What the heck does "Une Bobine" mean?

One look at the product and I definitely wanted to find out. Alas, I've forgotten too much of my high-school French (sorry, Mrs. Herman), but Google knows all: Bobine means "coil," and that's exactly what this thing is: a coiled, goose-neck sync/charge cable for the iPhone. (There's also a microUSB version for Android and other phones.)

What does a coil get you that … Read more