Kyle LeBoeuf

Every once in a while, someone creates an application or service that changes the landscape of the tech industry. This year, I think that distinction belongs to Dropbox.

I installed Dropbox on my laptop earlier this year without the intention of really making use out of it. I’m a tech enthusiast and I install all kinds of applications on my computer that usually never end up actually using. But Dropbox was different.

Dropbox is a web service that allows you to store specific data in the cloud and access it from anywhere. This is a very basic description of the service.

Basically, with Dropbox you can sync a folder (commonly called “My Dropbox” or “Dropbox”) with the Dropbox service. Any file or folder or you place in the Dropbox folder gets automatically uploaded to the Dropbox service. If you connect multiple devices (say, 2 or 3 computers) to the Dropbox service, it will push those files to your other devices automatically. Its amazing. You can also access your files on the Dropbox website, when you are not at a computer on which you have the Dropbox software installed.

This is the simplest way to describe the full services of Dropbox. Dropbox has a TON of real-life uses, and I learn more uses each day. Here are some of the uses I’ve had for Dropbox over the past year:

• File Transfer From Computer-Computer: I own two laptops: my trusty 13″ MacBook Pro and an old Dell ultra-mobile laptop on which I am running Windows 7. I also have an XP workstation at work. If I am working on one computer and I want my work to be easily accessible on the other computers, I just drop the necessary files into the Dropbox folder, and those files will be uploaded to the Dropbox service and redistributed to my other computers.
• File Transfer From iPhone-Computer: Dropbox does have an application for the iPhone, and this is not the first time I will reference this application for my favorite Dropbox uses. Lets say I took a picture with my iPhone, and I want a quick way to automatically transfer it to my computer without fooling with email. All I have to do is fire up the Dropbox app on my iPhone and upload the photo through the Dropbox app, and it is instantly synced to my computer(s).
• Syncing 1Password Keychains: I use Agile Web Solutions’ 1Password utility for secure data management (product licenses, passwords, etc.). If I need to be able to access this information from another computer, I can simply place my 1Password keychain data in my Dropbox folder on my Mac, and it’ll instantly get copied to my other computers. With 1Password Anywhere, I can access my keychain even when I’m on a PC. You can find out more about using 1Password with Dropbox here.
• Accessing School Documents from Anywhere: Lets say I need to print something for school that I’ve been working with on my computer. I can just save my work in the Dropbox folder and access the file on the Dropbox website from the school workstations. I can also access documents such as Word and Powerpoint files on the iPhone app (read-only purposes…perfect for studying when I don’t have my computer near me).
• Remote Torrents: I can simply add a Torrent file to my Dropbox folder and it can be picked up by another computer running a Torrent client set to watch a specific folder in my dropbox for new Torrents. You can find out more about Remote Torrents with Dropbox here.
• Sharing Files: Say I have a photo album I want to share with my friends, or an application, song, or any file that I need to send to others. I can simply place the file in my public Dropbox folder and give the people the link. I can also use the iPhone app to send a download link to a file that’s anywhere in my Dropbox, not just in my public folder.

You can find out more uses for Dropbox by visiting their website or check out the posts tagged with Dropbox on Lifehacker.

I was scanning some of my RSS feeds in Google Reader this afternoon when I stumbled on this article from MacRumors, reporting on some legal precedings in one of the many patent infringement suits in which Apple is a target.

“Silicon Alley Insider reports that Apple has been told to pay a $21.7 million patent infringement judgment to OPTi Inc., a former semiconductor company that abandoned its business to focus on pursuing patent claims against other companies.”

What? A business that actually abandoned ITS INDUSTRY to sue people? That’s insane. This is the perfect example of a patent troll. Can’t say I’ve ever heard of a company that turned it unto their primary source of income.

This is ridiculous. The article points out at Apple will probably appeal and attempt to defend itself, as it should.

What is the world coming to?

Apple Ordered to Pay Finalized $21.7 Million Patent Verdict, Hit With New Suit Over iPhone Camera [Via MacRumors]