Category: Small Biz Go Mobile

DROPitTO.me – Securely receive files from anyone to your Dropbox

by BrothaTech

You all should know by now that I am a huge Dropbox fan. So you can imagine my surprise when I discovered the ever-growing list of apps and services that utilize Dropbox.

One of the apps that stuck out was the DROPitTOme online service lets you request files from anyone that will automatically be uploaded to your Dropbox account. Now, if you’re going from Dropbox user to Dropbox user, file sharing is included in the basic account. But, if you need a file from somebody who has never heard of Dropbox (shame on them), the quickest way to receive a file I guess would be via email. Most people with a smartphone have access to their email accounts on the go, and most people know how to send an email.

But, if you’re dealing a user who doesn’t use Dropbox AND wants to send a huge file, that’s where DROPitTOme comes in. You can send your upload link to anyone and they can add files up to 75mb directly to your Dropbox account – Most other email clients only allow up to 10mb per email attachment. DITM will also create a separate folder that won’t mess with your current Dropbox structure.

Once you’ve registered an account and linked to Dropbox, DITM will generate a special upload link (http://dropitto.me/username) that’s secured with a special upload password that you assign to. Once the link and password is accepted, users can start to upload any kind of file Dropbox currently accepts. upload/transfer is crazy fast, and you will be sent an email with the uploaded file details when the transfer is complete. Files are available immediately to access via the web, connected computers or (wait for it) any smartphone or mobile device connected to your Dropbox account.

That upload link stays the same no matter who you give it to and there is no time limit/timeout period to when a user with your link/pass can upload files. That may be a good or bad thing, so you have the ability to change the upload password at any time, or toggle upload capabilities on and off.

My only gripe is there is no bulk upload option, so you will have to upload those files one at a time. But for free (or a donation), what more can you ask for from a quick and easy way to receive files that are automatically added to your Dropbox account for instant access via a smartphone?

I thought so. So visit the DROPitTOme site and let us know what you think in the comment section.

Android Owners get a Native Google Docs App

by BrothaTech

Nothing speaks to mobile productivity more than the ability to access, edit, and share documents no matter where you are (or what device you are using). The Google Docs online document storage/sharing service has a mobile-friendly site where mobile device users can do most if not all of the above mentioned. But nothing says “You’ve arrived” nowadays more than an actual app, and Android owners now can bask in the glory that is the new Google Docs app.

The short and sweet of the native app versus a mobile-friendly site is that you have greater functionality since a native app takes advantage of the technology built inside your phone versus more “universal” features for multiple devices. The Google Docs app for Android does just that. In addition to being easier to search and filter content, edit documents on the fly and share them with anybody in your phone’s contact list, The Google Docs app adds greater functionality that can’t be done via a web app or mobile-friendly site. Read More

BlackBerry PlayBook App: Track Shipments with The Big Package

by BrothaTech

Looks like we have another mobile device to write about. So we might as well get cracking on the BlackBerry Playbook tablet and find some cool and useful apps that you and your business can benefit from if you decide to spring for the gadget.

The Big Package app goes out to all of those “e-tailers”, ecommerce folks, and mom-and-pop shops who routinely ship packages to customers. The Big Package will track all of your UPS, FedEx and USPS packages in the same place. No need to go to each vendor website and type in the tracking number every time you want to see the latest update.

The main features of The Big Package are that you can save multiple tracking numbers; and add custom names to tracking numbers for quick retrieval every time you open the app. Unlike your average tracking sites that just spit out text results, The Big Package shows your shipment en route via Google Maps in addition to a details page that offers specific notes about your shipment. In other words, The Big Package doesn’t just tell you where you package is, it also shows you too!

Even if you’re not a business that ships products and just obsess over where your package is the second after you have purchased it, The Big Package is a free app to download to the BlackBerry PlayBook. So click this link to download the app and rest assured that you know exactly where your packages are.

Improving Apple

by Justin Alcon

I love Apple products. There, I said it. However, as comes with the fanboy territory, many of us have started to notice small things that we would change about our favorite iOS features.  Over at Apple Matters there’s an article about just this – in particular, how certain apps for your iOS devices can be replaced with something better.  The highlights:

Their list starts with Instacast, which does a better job of managing and finding podcasts than searching through the iTunes Music Store on your iPhone.  Podcasts represent a surprising share of iTunes traffic.  I can see why when I look at the really great ones like The Complete Guide to Everything, Laughing Historically, and the New Yorker Fiction Podcast. If you don’t have a favorite, you should definitely go exploring.  Similar to Instacast, although it is not on the list at Apple Matters, Stitcher is quickly becoming the most popular way to manage podcasts among my friends.

Next comes PhotoSync, which wirelessly syncs your photos between your iOS device and computer. If it only synced everything (not just photos), this would be a real game-changer.  Stil,l if your mobile life involves a lot of photo management this could really help you out.

Finally, they list Stash Pro, an image management application. It’s more expensive than the other apps we’ve discussed at $3.99, but it does allow you to download images directly from websites. Plus, you can add keywords, titles and ratings to images for superior organization of large sets.

I’d be amiss if I left my latest favorite Apple hack out of this post. It doesn’t come from the list over at Apple Matters, and it isn’t a software hack: it’s Applecores.  Pictured with this post is the cool, affordable little solution to my biggest Apple beef: tangled headphone cords.  You all know the story- you neatly wound your headphones and put them in your pocket, only to later you pull them out and boom! A bird’s nest of tangles and knots!  Well, no more.  Applecore offers their simple and effective solution for the Apple cord tangle for only a few bucks- a bargain, in my opinion, to be freed from the daily headphone de-tangle.

Small Biz Tips with SmallBizTechnology.com

by Shy Mukerjee

We are pleased to work with Ramon Ray, CEO and editor of SmallBizTechnology.com, journalist, and technology evangelist, to bring you new Small Biz tips. Each week they’ll be sharing videos and articles featuring hot topics, products and trends in small business.

Travel Is A Pain, But Technology Can Make It Easier

Over the course of 12 months I travel about 12 or more times a year. This a lot LESS than some of you might travel and a lot more than some of you.

One thing I’ve found is that although I have to stand in long security lines, remove my belt, show my dingy looking socks to the public and endure cramped seats in an airplane, my tech bag makes travel easier. With my smartphone I can check in (no paper necessary) and with my MiFi (portable hotspot) I’m online when others are trying to find a free WiFi hotspot.

There’s more. Tripit’s a popular service which enables travelers to forward their itinerary to an email address and have the flight information easily organized for you.

Solving the Small Business Mobile Dilemma

According to the latest Small Business Success Index sponsored by Network  Solutions and the University of Maryland ( released March 2011), most small business owners are aware of various mobile marketing activities, the best known including:  sending text messages to customers about a promo (73 percent) and listing the company on a location-based website (68 percent).  Most owners are aware of other applications, including creating their own mobile website, placing ads on mobile websites, and creating their own apps for their business.  While awareness of mobile marketing activities is high, usage is low. See this episode on the MSN’s Business on the main where my colleague Navin Ganeshan joined in the discussion on Small Business Mobile technology.

Intuit GoPayment for iPad

by Justin Alcon

Earlier this week, Terrance gave us the skinny on Square being sold at Apple stores. So now lets take a look at some of Square’s competition!  Enter Intuit’s GoPayment for the iPad, a mobile payment application that gets you paid on the spot using your iPad to process customer credit cards.  Yesterday, the company announced that the iPad app is now available to the general public over at iTunes.

GoPayment’s new layout takes advantage of iPad’s larger, high-resolution display and multi-touch interface (highlighting the devices superiority to is little cousin, iPhone, in this department). It also includes new features intended to enrich the user experience by integrating images and interactivity.

GoPayment uses the free Intuit Credit Card Reader.  GoPayment has actually been around for years, but only recently started to target the small business market (Square’s main share) namely, businesses without merchant accounts or who don’t already take credit cards.

Expect several other competitors to this market in the near future. However, Square should be most concerned about Intuit since Intuit already has trusted relationships with millions of businesses through QuickBooks and a few advantages in the way that payments are processed.

Blackberry PlayBook: A New Kind of Tablet?

by Shy Mukerjee

With Apple holding a near-monopoly of the Tablet market (currently at 73% market share) , and Honeycomb-based Android tablets finally hitting the market, is there room for a brand new platform?  RIM, creators of the BlackBerry series of smartphones, seems to think so, this week releasing their Wi-Fi only PlayBook tablet running a custom-designed operating system and architecture.  With prices starting at $499 for the 16GB model, is the PlayBook a legitimate 3rd option in a market in which Apple had nearly a year head start?  Today, we take a look. Read More

Latest Evernote for Android Update goes BIG

by BrothaTech

Quoted from the Evernote Blog:

This is the first time that we have crammed this many great features into a single release of any Evernote product

In other words, Android folks who swear by Evernote as their go-to “put everything here” service should be in for a nice surprise the next time they check their app update status. Just a few key features include:

  • A progress bar at the top that shows you exactly what is being synced
  • A new ever-so-sexy widget bar that lets you quickly jump into the app to create text, audio and snapshot notes, as well as to perform searches
  • Maps and location. Now in addition to just tagging your notes with location information (if your phone’s GPS in enabled), you can now see all of your notes locations visually on a map.
  • Posting notes directly to your Facebook wall, Gmail, and Twitter accounts in just a couple taps.
  • Browse and edit shared notebooks. If other Evernote users have shared notebooks with you, you can now search for notes within those shared notebooks and edit them if necessary.

Those are just some of the features that come with the free Evernote version. Premium subscribers have the extra functionality of a PIN lock that enables you lock your data with a pin. This comes in handy when you share a mobile device (like a tablet) with multiple users, but still need to keep them away from your data.

The Evernote Blog claims to have even more features in store for Android users. With all the current features and capabilities currently being offered for free, there is no reason why you can’t stay organized on the go. But just in case you don’t believe me, download Evernote for Android and try it for yourself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usUg-CdJEKo&feature=player_embedded

Square Reader on Sale at Apple

by BrothaTech

This is pretty cool. In an attempt to make even more waves in the mobile credit card processing arena, Square has teamed up with Apple to sell the Square card reader online and in Apple retail stores. Previous to this announcement, the readers were only sent via snail-mail to users who went through the Square sign up and activate process. Now Square has some help from Apple to get the popular readers into small business owner’s hands.

The Readers are $9.95 and are also available in black. If you’re an early adopter like me and signed up as soon as they were being offered, you only had a choice of white. For those with a little more patience, you will be rewarded with your choice of white or black. Those of us who MUST have a black reader to match our Apple gadgets (God only knows when the white iPhone 4 will officially surface), you can still buy it at full price, but Square is offering customers a $10.00 transaction credit when a new Square account is activated. That’s only fair since original customers who signed up were issued a free reader.

All of same features still exist for new Square users who buy the reader at Apple:

  • Quick and easy sign-up
  • No complicated contracts or monthly fees
  • Simple pricing—2.75% per transaction
  • Free Square mobile App for Apple iOS and Android devices

If you’re a small business that won’t swipe enough credit cards to require a full merchant account, but want to offer your customers more ways to pay—march into your local Apple store, pick up a Square reader, sign-up, and get to swiping.