jeffhester.net

Regular readers know that I test a lot of products. I don’t let let a measly little “beta” label scare me away. But once in a while, you get screwed. And when that once in a while comes along, be sure I’ll let you know so you can avoid a similar fate.

In this case, the culprit was the Microsoft FolderShare beta. The concept of FolderShare is this: using your Windows Live account, you can install the FolderShare software on multiple PCs and even Macs. I had installed it on a laptop running Vista, a desktop running XP and a MacBook Pro running OS X.

Once installed, you can create a “share” between the computers and FolderShare will sync files across them. You have the choice between automatic or on-demand synchronization. In my case, I chose on demand. You also chose the corresponding container folder on each PC (they can be different on each).

Here is where my tale of woe begins…

I had just purchased and downloaded Big Blue Ball from Peter Gabriel’s Real World Records via iTunes on the Vista laptop. I simply wanted to copy the songs over to my desktop (all legal — it’s one of the devices attached to my iTunes account). I could’ve done this any number of ways, but I thought it would be a good opportunity to give FolderShare a real-world test.

After installing the software on the three computers, I created a Personal Library called “Music.” I added the iTunes folder from my laptop, and it added the files to that library (somewhere on a FolderShare server).

Next, I setup the desktop (where I wanted the files). Unfortunately, as soon as I connected to the new personal library, it started adding all the music I had on my desktop to the library as well. Not what I wanted at all.

Looking back on the laptop, I noticed that FolderShare had automatically created a long list of folders that matched how my music was stored on the desktop. Inside each folder was a special “shortcut” that if you clicked it, would fetch the requested file from my desktop and transfer it to my laptop. Likewise on my desktop, I saw new folders that mirrored the folders on my laptop, also with the little shortcuts for each file.

Well, that’s neat, I suppose. I tried to transfer a few of the files over from my laptop, and the were “downloaded” properly. So that part worked, but what to do with the massive, empty folder structure that was created on my laptop. Remember I didn’t want to copy my music from my desktop to the laptop.

At this point, I suspect someone will point out that FolderShare is in fact designed for folder synchronization. This is true, although I suspected by selected the “on demand” option as I did, I could control what got synchronized, when it got synchronized, and where it got synchronized. I was wrong. And I’m not the only person to have been bitten by FolderShare.

So moving back to the laptop, I decided I would never want to transfer all those files from my desktop to my laptop, so I selected all the folders that were created with their little FolderShare shortcuts and deleted them.

Holy shit…. what a mistake!

Yes, the folders were deleted from my laptop, but (as I realized later) the actual MP3s on my desktop were also being deleted — victims of a synchronized deletion. To add insult to injury, they weren’t even moved to the recycle bin. They were just… gone.

As soon as I discovered what was happening, I exited FolderShare and deleted the library. I don’t know if that was a mistake, too, but now I’m left with a massive music folder structure that is completely empty — no more music.

Some of this music was downloaded, but most of it I’ve got on CD. I can burn it again, but it’s going to take time.

The moral of the story: steer clear of FolderShare. It has promise, but the fact that it deleted files on another computer without warning or confirmation is entirely unacceptable.

Every once in a while a new idea comes along — a shift in thinking that challenges the status quo. These innovations require us to either resist the change or adapt (most of us tend to resist).

German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer did a good job of summarizing the lifecycle of the new idea, when he said (describing the revelation of “new” truth):

“All truth passes through three stages: First, it is ridiculed; Second, it is violently opposed; and Third, it is accepted as self-evident.”

Ideas come in all sizes and shapes. The talented ones among us are quick to spot the truth, embrace it and adapt to take advantage of it.

Nike Soccer hired Guy Ritchie to produce the following 2-minute film that does a terrific job of capturing the dream of millions of young footballers (soccer players, for my US friends) — becoming a pro football player. The film is shot from the first-person perspective, and condensed to show the ups and downs and progression of “your” football career.

Nike Soccer has made a couple of shorter commercials from this, currently airing during the Euro Championship. Brilliant, and worth sharing.

Now — what would a first-person film of your life look like?

I ran across a great quote from Yvon Chouinard, founder of outdoor outfitter Patagonia and noted environmental philanthropist. He says:

“…to understand an entrepreneur, you should study a juvenile delinquent. They’re both saying: ‘This sucks and I’m going to do it another way.’ You have to want to break the rules and prove that your way works.”

Cheers to the delinquents and entrepreneurs of the world! Cheers to Yvon Choinard.

Some of you already know the sad story of my first generation iPhone. Fortunately, there is a bright spot on the horizon — the newer, faster, cheaper iPhone 3G! Announced by Steve Jobs at Apple’s developer conference, this thing rocks. It supports AT&T’s 3G data network, which means faster wireless internet connectivity. It’s got true GPS. And best of all — it now officially supports third-party applications.

The intro at the conference took about 90 minutes, but the good folks over at Mahalo Daily have created a wonderful highlight reel that actually covers all of the salient facts in a mere 60 seconds.

Current iPhone owners such as myself can upgrade, but I’ll have to turn in my old (broken) iPhone and restart my two-year contract. It’s worth it.

When can you get the new iPhone? It hits Apple and AT&T stores on Friday, July 11th. Now you know where you can find me.

Adobe Photoshop has long been recognized as the premier tool for image and graphics editing, but the cost was prohibitive for many people. Adobe first offered a slimmed-down version of Photoshop at a lower cost, but now you can use Photoshop for free! Zero. Zip. Nada. Nothing.

Adobe has introduced Photoshop Express, a free, web-based version of Photoshop. Photoshop Express is available now in beta form, and apart from the required Flash 9 plug-in (also free), you don’t need to install any software on your PC. This means Photoshop Express will run happily on your Mac, your Windows PC or even your Linux computer.

On top of that, Adobe is providing 2 GB of storage for your work, also free. So now you can edit images from pretty much anywhere with a PC and an Internet connection.

While graphic designers and image pros will still need the full desktop client, most people will find Photoshop Express more than meets their needs. Even pros will find it useful for those occasions when their own PC is not nearby.

And it’ll probably make law-abiding citizens out of a lot of would-be pirates.

A few months ago, I bemoaned the way Google mishandled it’s acquisition of Urchin. To refresh your memory, Urchin was the web analytics product that was morphed into Google Analytics.  Google Analytics is fine for public web sites (I use it on all of my sites), but won’t work for servers behind a corporate firewall on an intranet. Urchin did this nicely, but somehow it got left behind in the development of Analytics.

I’m pleased to say that Urchin has finally been brought up to par. Google has announced the public beta of Urchin 6.

The beta is a time-restricted version. The final release will cost $2995. It’s money well spent for large organizations who want to keep their intranet ducks in a row.

I was reading an interesting story about how Netflix (one of my favorite services) is going to start downloading rentals directly to set-top devices hooked to your TV. Great idea, but what really caught my eye was the quote from Reed Hastings, Netflix CEO and founder:

“It (the set-top device) is going to be very slick and easy,” said Reed Hastings, Netflix’s chief executive officer. “We want the TV experience to be very relaxing and not like visiting a Web site.”

What struck me about Hasting’s quote is how he casually damned all of the web in one swift stroke. Apparently, the web is neither “slick and easy” nor relaxing. Is it really that bad?

Walt Mossberg of the WSJ sat down with Steve Jobs and Bill Gates to discuss the future of computing, the “death” of the PC and life in a “post-PC” world. It’s interesting to hear their vision for where things are going. Hint: look for a lot of innovation in the small form factors (iPhone, tablets, etc.).

17-Dec-2007 UPDATE: The free serial number has expired, though you can still download a free 30-day trial. There is another free alternative; I’ll write about it later this week.

We all have our favorite tools, utilities and websites. One of mine is SnagIt, a great product from TechSmith that makes screenshots a snap. SnagIt isn’t free, but it’s one of those tools that I find indispensable.

Now TechSmith is offering free serial numbers for SnagIt 7.2.5! It’s not their latest version, but it’s not crippled or limited in any way. SnagIt gives you tremendous control over how you capture, save and print screenshots. My personal favorite feature? SnagIt can automatically capture long, scrolling web pages into a single image!

Why are they giving away serial numbers? It’s a great idea to introduce people their products, and hopefully convert a few into paying customers. Not only do you get SnagIt 7.2.5 for free, but you can upgrade to the latest version for half price. Not a bad idea.

To get SnagIt 7.2.5 and your free serial number, download one of these files:

• ftp://ftp.techsmith.com/pub/products/snagit/725/SnagIt.exe - English
• ftp://ftp.techsmith.com/pub/products/snagit/725/snagitde.exe - German
• ftp://ftp.techsmith.com/pub/products/snagit/725/snagitfr.exe - French

Then visit the TechSmith website here and give them your name and email address. I got my key in my inbox less than one minute later.

Hats off to Amit Agarwal at Digital Inspirations for the tip!