Weekly App Giveaway: Flash Drive (View/save with drag and drop/email documents)

Giveaway originally posted at http://www.jakeculpmedia.com/home/2010/10/15/this-weeks-app-giveaway-flash-drive-viewsave-with-drag-and-d.html

This weeks giveaway is very special as is this app. 

Flash Drive is a file management solution for your iPhone and iPod Touch. It allows you to use your iPhone and iPod Touch as a Wi-Fi flash drive from any Windows or Mac computers. Flash Drive has powerfull built-in file viewer that can be used to view your documents on the go. You can also email files to friends and colleagues with Flash Drive's quick and easy Readdle Mail Servers. 

Another great feature is that you can read books on the go from all different file formats. Their formats range from TXT to HTML files and FB2 to RTF files as well as your standard DOC and PDF documents. The app gets better when you can bookmark any place in the document or use automatic bookmark that Flash Drive places when you stop reading the document!

Here below are some other facts about Flash Drive:

- Password protection for your files
- Support for zip archives
- Fast scroll through large documents
- Powerful file management
- Fullscreen mode

I give this app a 4.5 out of 5. The reason being is that the price seems a bit high but if you need a app that can quickly and easily transfer your documents to your computer then this is a must-have-app!

Rules for Giveaway:

1. Follow @JakeCulp on Twitter

2. Tweet this message "Flash Drive App Giveaway for iPhone or iPad: RT and Follow @JakeCulp for Entry. http://bit.ly/a3RSCt"

Appstore link: http://bit.ly/a3RSCt

GV Mobile + Run-Through

This is a run-through of the GV Mobile + app for iPhone. It is the second Google Voice app to be added to the app store. Even though it's the second Google Voice app to be added, it was the original Google Voice app when Google Voice was first started. You can pick it up in the Apple App Store for $2.99.

YouTube

GV Connect Run-Through

This is a run through of the GV Connect app. It is currently one of two Google Voice apps available. The other Google Voice app is the GV Mobile + app. You can see it in my video above. The GV Connect app can be downloaded from the Apple App Store for $2.99. 

YouTube

IE9 Beta First Impressions

Curious because Internet Explorer 9 somehow made it onto the twitter trending topics twice in one day, I decided to give it a try.  Heading to Beauty of the web, I downloaded the beta and opened it, and immediately thought I had opened Chrome by accident.  Well, I was wrong.  Here are some things I noted while playing with the beta:

* Improved interface:  The tabs are now on the top of the window, next to the navigation bar.  Speaking of the navigation bar, it acts like the navigation bar in Chrome, allowing you to search the web (Bing) right from it.  The home, favorites, and settings buttons are now neatly tucked in a corner, and not in your face like in previous versions of IE.

* Faster rendering:  I would be lying if I did not say that I was not impressed by the speed of the browser.  Microsoft is trying really hard to pull users back to it's product, and it's obvious that speed is how they are doing it.

* Just faster:  I remember using IE7 and IE8, and wanting to open a new tab.  Well, it tabs took forever to open in IE 7 and 8.  Not so in IE9.  I held CTRL+T, and tabs opened instantly.  Also, it's blowing the competition away in benchmarks.

I would be lying if I did not say that I was impressed with the beta, but I would also be lying if I did not say that I kept thinking and wishing I was using Chrome.  IE9 is a big improvement over IE8, but will it be enough to fend off Firefox and Chrome?  We will have to wait and see.

Turn Your Mac Into a Phone

I am someone who spends a good deal of time in front of my computer, but I also spend a fair amount of time on the phone. At some point last week I thought to myself, "It would be great if I could use my phone through my Mac... like Skype." After a Google search or two, I found Blue Phone Elite 2. Unfortunately, I won't be able to post any screenshots of the application for privacy reasons, but I will do the best that I can to describe it to you. 

The idea behind the application is simple. It enables your Mac to pair with your mobile phone, and allows you to use a mic on your Mac to make and receive calls. One of my favorite things about the application is that I can dial directly from Address Book. The application has also proved useful when searching for a phone number on the web, but you still have to copy and paste the number into the "call box."

Receiving call is also pretty straightforward. If the application is on and your phone is within range, you will see a large display of information pop up on your screen (along with a rather annoying flash.) From there, you have the option to accept or reject the call, as you would on any phone. On the phone itself (an iPhone in my case) your Mac will show up as a source, which lets you easily switch between your phone, your phone's speakerphone, or your Mac.

As far as complaints go, I don't have very many on my side, but everyone I have called using Blue Phone Elite has complained about hearing a pretty significant "speakerphone" effect, so you might want to take that into consideration. Thankfully though, you don't have to take my word for it. You can download a free two week trial here. After the trial period, it will cost you $25 if you wish to continue using the application. It is important to note that Blue Phone Elite 2 is Mac only.

It may not be for everyone, but overall, I am happy with the application. However, because of the call quality, I would not suggest it for longer phone calls, but it is perfect for making brief calls at your desk, while not interrupting your workflow.

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