dropbox

Among the growing list of services dedicated to syncing and storing your files in the cloud, there are two that consistently register as top dogs: Dropbox and SugarSync. Both offer comprehensive (and different) suites of syncing and sharing tools, both have their benefits and drawbacks, and both offer free Android apps. Let's take a look at what each of these apps offers in the way of mobile file-syncing.

When looking at a mobile application as an extension of a greater program or service, there are a few things it's important to keep in mind. First, how well does … Read more

Tong stood in line all night for Mortal Kombat, while Molly went to bed with her laptop and her brand new Keynote download. Impressive, right? In the actual news, Apple files a major set of patent and trademark lawsuits against manufacturing partner Samsung, Netflix is doing family plans, and what happened to all those 1-800 numbers. Dial carefully children. Dial carefully.

Can you tell Brian Tong is back on the show? Actually, we're legitimately wondering whether a home-brew electroshock like battery licking could produce video game skill improvements like DARPA is seeing with their electroshock research. No, really. Also, Google shuts down Google Video, President Obama wants a universal login that's not Facebook Connect, and Match.com just got a whole lot more trustworthy. --Molly

Security firm AVG is doubling down on cloud storage.

The company today announced LiveKive, a service that allows people to upload data to the cloud that can then be downloaded to other computers or Android- and iOS-based devices with the LiveKive mobile app. It works on both Windows and Mac.

AVG is currently offering two packages: a $49.99 per year option that gives customers 25GB of online storage and a $79.99 a year plan with unlimited data. In either case, people can upload files, folder, and multimedia content. The service also supports automatic syncing for those who don'… Read more

Dropbox is a free and extremely easy-to-use tool for sharing files and syncing them between computers, and you can also use Dropbox to back up files and access them from other computers and devices (including from your iPad or iPhone, with dedicated apps for each of those devices).

Dropbox's interface is largely invisible, which is part of what makes this app so easy to use. When you install Dropbox on your Mac or Windows machine, you create a Dropbox folder. This is a local folder that lives on your desktop, but you can access the folder from other computers (… Read more

Mozy, the online backup service, is testing out a bit of technology offered by rival DropBox: file synchronization.

The company started telling customers today that it's begun closed beta testing of the sync feature, which will let files stored on one machine automatically be replicated on another. It's a big advancement over Mozy's bread-and-butter of file backup, transforming the service into something people actively use rather than run passively in the background. It also dovetails with the multicomputer subscription plans Mozy introduced in January at the same time it announced it's ditching unlimited-data backup.

Also taking … Read more

On today's show, the Internet revolts over Yahoo's plans to shutter Delicious, the U.S. is looking into a privacy "Bill of Rights," and Facebook suffers an embarrassing code leak.Plus, using augmented reality to translate information in real time, plus all the world's information organized to show us how language has evolved over the last 200 years? Dudes, the Singularity is seriously right outside the door, and it wants IN. --Molly

Elements - Dropbox Powered Text Editor lets you share and edit text (TXT) files on your iOS device via Dropbox. Dropbox is a free program (Windows, Mac, iPhone) that lets you quickly transfer files between platforms with a folder that automatically syncs up between the devices to make moving files a breeze. You'll also need to register with Dropbox in order to use Elements. But with Elements, you'll now have a separate folder in Dropbox where you can place text files and edit them on your iPhone or iPad. Any changes you make will be automatically synced to … Read more

When Josh Lowensohn bought and wrote about the TyPad--the Bluetooth keyboard and iPad case combo--I knew that I had to have it. Though it's a bit expensive for a case ($129), the included black keyboard and fold-over leather case just seemed too convenient and classy to pass up.

I just received mine today, and I'm already glad I bought it, but it does have some minor annoyances. There is no right-Shift key, for example, which will be tough for formally trained typists to get used to. It also makes it difficult to play a lot of games because with the added keyboard it can be pretty unwieldy. Still, the ability to quickly convert my iPad into a laptoplike experience will be better for working than using the onscreen keyboard, and the controls for music, cursor arrows, and tactile typing make the case worth it to me.

What do you think? Does the TyPad seem like a good deal to you or should I have just bought a laptop if that's what I wanted? Is there a better case/keyboard combo you know about? Let me know in the comments.

This week's apps include an iPhone/iPad text editor that automatically syncs up with your desktop, and a game in which you control a man-eating giant worm.… Read more