DataLocker Vs BoxCryptor - Dropbox Encryption a comparision

Yesterday, I read about this new AppSense labs product DataLocker. According to AppSense , DataLocker enables users to easily encrypt sensitive information in their Dropbox account without sacrificing the convenience of anywhere access. The DataLocker suite, offered for free by AppSense Labs, includes native clients for Windows, Mac, iPhone, and iPad. The Windows and Mac clients are capable of encrypting and storing secure files in any local file system or cloud storage location, including Dropbox. The DataLocker iOS application stores files in Dropbox. 

Initially, this looked very similar to Boxcryptor which provides a way to encrypt your files (including your file names) to store it in Dropbox. But just giving it a try i felt it is not very similar. Here is why. DataLocker just provides a way to encrypt files. So, every time you want to add a new file  or update an existing file , you have to open the DataLocker drag and drop (select) those files to encrypt or decrypt. But on the other hand ,Boxcryptor provides a way to encrypt the entire  folder and all its contents (including subfolders) without opening any software window i.e you don't have to do anything to encrypt any additional files created on the source folder once its been set up. All the new files created or existing files updated on the source folder gets automatically encrypted and stored in the destination folder (Dropbox folder). Encrypting and decrypting files manually every time you add or update files would be a very annoying task (at least for me). But this has an upside, you can use different keys to encrypt different files. In BoxCryptor , all the files are encrypted with the same Master key.

Apart from the way both softwares work , there are other differences as well. See below for a quick comparison of both these softwares.

* This is in my personal opinion. It might differ for others.

** This is based on some testing done today on my Mac.

DataLocker Crash

Please note that DataLocker is a new software. Just a few days out in the wild. In my opinion , with few additional improvements , it can become a great tool. AppSense team  is actively hearing for public comments/suggestions to improve DataLocker.

Conclusion, am going to stick to BoxCryptor till i find something better (Future DataLocker might be a good candidate). Till then BoxCryptor rocks !! 

Disclaimer: This is not a professional review. It is just my (individual) opinion.

A Geek's Marriage Proposal - So Romantic :) !

Serviio - Free Media Server (uPnP/DLNA) for Mac,Linux and Windows

For Some time after i bought my new Samsung LED TV , i was trying to find a media server for my Mac which i can use to stream my videos to my new TV. I first tried TvMobili. It is easy to set up, works without any issues but the only problem i had with it was the 10GB limit per month. It allows to stream 10GB of content per month for free. If you exceed that limit you would have to buy their pro version. It costs 30$ one off. It wasn't  high but i wanted to try others before buying it. Then i tried others like plex, Twonky but nothing worked well for me. Then i found Serviio. It is really great. I love it.So, what it does?

Serviio is a free media server. It allows you to stream your media files (music, video or images) to renderer devices (e.g. a TV set, Bluray player, games console or mobile phone) on your connected home network. 

Thanks to Petr Nejedly and other open source folks who really pulled out this fantastic media server. 


Some of the key features i like about serviio.

•  Serviio enables playback of online resources like RSS feeds, live streams or web site content so that you can listen to your favourite podcasts or watch latest TV programmes published online. 
• It builds its own library by reading the media metadata
• ServiiDroid to manage and configure your Serviio server, directly from you android device
• Great Forum and support
• Resume from where you left last time.

If you are looking for a decent free media server for your home network. Serviio is the place to go. 

Enjoy Streaming !!!

Vimium ( The Hacker’s Browser ) – A keyboard ninja’s favorite browser extension

Do you like keyboard shortcuts? Do you like Vi/Vim? Do you use Chrome? If yes, then you will definitely like Vimium. Vimium is a Google Chrome extension, which provides keyboard shortcuts to navigate and control in the spirit of Vim. To give you an example, you can type gg to go to the top of the page or G to get to the bottom of the page. It has got full lot of keyboard shortcuts. Have a look at it. If you have used Vi or Vim earlier then it is far easier for you to get used to these shortcuts. The Best part is, you can customize the keyboard shortcuts if you didn’t like the default one. My favorite shortcut is F which gives you a shortcut to open any link on a page. Watch this video to get an idea of it.

Some keyboard shortcuts you can use

Pulse + Feedly - A Great way to read all your interested articles/news.

I Love "Pulse" app on my Android. It provides all my news feeds in a cool mosaic view. If you have not heard of it or tried it . I would recommend you to check it out. Here is the description of the app. 

"A beautiful application that makes reading news fun and engaging.Pulse News is a beautiful app that takes your favorite websites and transforms them into a colorful and interactive mosaic. Tap on an article to see a clean and elegant view of the news story. Save stories for reading later across all platforms or sync them with Instapaper, Read it Later and Evernote. Sharing a story via Facebook, Twitter and email is as easy as two taps."

It is available in IOS platform as well. So, iPad and iPhone users can also enjoy this great app.

After looking at Pulse, somehow I started disliking the text based news/rss readers like Google Reader, NetNewsWire etc.,  I started missing Pulse when I was at my computer ( Pulse does not exist for desktops yet). So, I started my search in finding a similar desktop equivalent that i can use. With a little bit of research and trying out few websites/apps, i could find this browser extension called Feedly. 

Feedly is a great way of reading news on browsers. It provides extensions to chrome/firefox/safari. It also provides apps for Android and iOS. You can explore your interests by just typing your topic of interest and see the list of websites/news feeds you can follow. It can also synch your feeds with Google Reader. It has a nice look and feel. You can customize/personalize the look as well. Check out their video.

Different views to select from

Searching your news sources is very easy !

I know there are other alternatives for such services. Even I tried few others but  settled down with Feedly for my desktop and Pulse for my Mobile and Tablet.

Redesigned Multi Touch Interface

http://youtu.be/tf03YBxCyGI

Showing how multi touch interface could change how we interact with computers. 

Setup Samsung ML-1670 as Wireless Printer using ASUS RT-N56U Router

I recently got a 27" Samsung Monitor which brought me a free Samsung ML-1670 Printer. So, I thought i could use it with my ASUS RT-N56U router and make it as a wireless printer. I tried to setup but had initial hiccups. After some googling and few tinkering i could make it work :).  Here is what i did. Hope it helps someone who is trying to set up a similar stuff.

Samsung ML-1670 Series Printer Setup - Connected Via ASUS RT-N56U Router

Printer Setup in MAC OS X :

1. First Connect the Printer to the USB Port of ASUS RT-N56U Router 
2. Open System Preferences 
3.  Print & Fax 
4.  Click on + (to add new printer) 
5.  Chose IP 
6.  Enter 192.168.1.1 in address - it should detect the printer 
7.  Enter 192.168.1.1 in Queue
8.  Enter whatever name you want to give the printer 
9.  In Print Using  printer driver - Click on Select Printer Software and Select the Samsung M-1670 Series. Install.
10. Then click ADD

Your Network Printer is Ready ! Enjoy Printing !!

My First Blog Post

This is my First Blog Post. 

Lose Yourself !