T11M

Dropbox has been around for quite a while. I tried it out initially back in 2008 and had no use for it. I used a laptop everyday and so always had my files with me. After my move to DC and taking a job in which I’m extremely mobile and supporting users across the world, Dropbox has become invaluable. Dropbox syncs the contents of your Dropbox folder with the Dropbox servers and then back down to any other computer you have linked with your Dropbox account – essentially cloud storage. The difference between Dropbox and a service like Google Docs (which just enabled any file type upload) is it stores the files both locally and on the server so there is no lag time when trying to use the files on that computer. I personally sync my home Mac and primary work PC with Dropbox allowing me to always have access to the files I need everyday.

Another great feature of Dropbox is the ability to quickly and easily share files with other people. To do so you simply move the file to the public subfolder in Dropbox and right click to get the public URL. Then just email the link to whoever needs the file. Super slick for delivering files that users need access to any where in the world.

Speaking of firewalls and security – according to Dropbox, “Your files are actually safer while stored in your Dropbox than on your computer in some cases. We use the same secure methods as banks and the military to send and store your data.”(How Secure is Dropbox) On that page they provide a detailed explanation of their security procedures which are pretty impressive.

Some added benefits to Dropbox are the cool workarounds that can be configured to allow syncing across multiple computers. For example, I use Notational Velocity on my Mac for quick and easy note taking. With Dropbox I can sync the text files that NV creates to anywhere I may need them, including other Macs running NV. A final example is the ability to sync iTunes libraries across multiple computers. All you have to do is move your iTunes library to your Dropbox folder (give it time to synchronize) and then point iTunes on any computer to the correct location of the library in your Dropbox folder. Library synchronization done easy. (obviously the limitation here is how much space your music occupies – for those of you with 100+ GB libraries Dropbox isn’t an option)

Now as for price:

Dropbox Basic – 2 GB of storage – Price = Free (Awesome deal)
Dropbox Pro 50 – 50 GB of storage – Price = $9.99/month
Dropbox Pro 100 – 100 GB of storage – Price = $19.99/month

Web cross platform, synchronization, web apps

An outstanding write up on considerations that should be made in regards to web development. All of these apply in some way or another to ALL web development, not just corporations. I nodded my head most of the way through this article.

Web

Many pundits have stated that Apple is a game changer. Just look at many of it’s products – iPod, iPhone, unibody Mac, etc. No matter what they do they make sure their products are stable and user friendly (I’d even say user easy). But I didn’t truly believe Apple could change the way I used a computer until this morning when I realized I haven’t used a mouse to interact with my laptop in weeks. It’s not for lack of a mouse either. I have one sitting on my desk at all times. I tried to use it this morning and I was much slower getting around than when I use the trackpad. The new glass trackpad is incredibly swift, smooth, closer to the keyboard, and contains many built in shortcuts. I’ve used other trackpads and even the predecessor to this one couldn’t compete with a mouse. But now the functionality of the trackpad and the ease of use have soundly beaten the mouse in my mind.

I didn’t realize it until today, but Apple is slowly mastering the Holy Grail of computing – user/technology interraction – and by defining how the user interacts they will remain one or two steps ahead of the competition.

OS X, Personal

Great post on easily limiting access to websites.

HTAccess Privacy for Specific IPs: “

Running a private site is all about preventing unwanted visitors. Here is a quick and easy way to allow access to multiple IP addresses while redirecting everyone else to a custom message page.

To do this, all you need is an HTAccess file and a list of IPs for which you would like to allow access.

Edit the following code according to the proceeding instructions and place into the root HTAccess file of your domain:

# ALLOW ONLY MULTIPLE IPs
<Limit GET POST PUT>
 Order Deny,Allow
 Deny from all
 Allow from 123.456.789
 Allow from 456.789.123
 Allow from 789.123.456
</Limit>
ErrorDocument 403 path/custom-message.html
<Files path/custom-message.html>
 Order Allow,Deny
 Allow from all
</Files>

To prepare this code for use on your site, do these three things:

1. Edit the three IP addresses to suit your needs. Feel free to add more IPs or remove any that aren’t needed.
2. Edit both instances of ‘path/custom-message.html’ to match the path and file name of the file that will contain your custom message. This may be anything, anywhere, with any functionality you desire.
3. That’s it. Copy/paste into your site’s root htaccess file, upload, test, and get out!

(Via Perishable Press.)

Web

I have been asked by many people on many occasions, “Why are you becoming Catholic?” Unable to give them a definite answer at the time, I have set out to put into words the reasons why I am making this choice and going through the long process of becoming Catholic.

1. The Sacraments – “Efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us by the work of the Holy Spirit.” (CCC) – I have often heard
   Catholics speak of the blessed sacraments and how wonderful they are, but it wasn’t until I actually learned of their meaning that they began to make sense to me. In short they are an outward sign of God’s grace. It’s not that God needs to show this outward sign in order to give us grace, but rather I need this outward sign to comfort and encourage me. These outward signs, or sacraments, have become very important to me the closer I get to confirmation.
2. The Structure – The Catholic Church teaches that the Holy Spirit reveals God’s truth through Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition and the Magisterium (the teaching office of the Church made up of the Pope and the Bishops in communion with him). In most Protestant churches there is a heavy focus on
   Sacred Scripture while Tradition is left by the wayside (not to mention that Protestant churches generally have no equivalent to the Magisterium, leaving scriptural interpretation to individuals). I have always thought this was very imbalanced By following these traditions I am able to reflect on Christ’s actions on earth. Finally, the Magisterium (I’ve noticed that word bothers people), is responsible for studying the Scriptures, Tradition, and all of the works of the Saints to make decisions on theology. Call me overly trusting, but I would rather statements of theology be considered, crafted, and handed down by people called to God’s work and who have spent a lifetime studying the mysteries of faith rather than myself. While every aspect of faith must, at some point, be considered by every individual, leaning on the guidance of the Magisterium is like using sources to write a history paper. Why would that be considered unthinkable or inappropriate when making decisions about faith?
3. The Apostolic Tradition – Every bishop in the Catholic Church can trace their ordination back to the Apostles; never has the line of ordination been broken. That is powerful to me.
4. The Unity amongst Diversity – There is a unity in the Catholic Church that I have not found anywhere else. On Sunday, Mass happens around the world and all are identical in purpose and tradition. I
   love that the Catholic Church is universal and readily available to all.
5. The Open Door Policy – I have found no other church that I can go to at anytime of the day or night and walk in to meditate, pray, or worship. The doors to the Catholic Church are always open.

In the end, these are just a few of the multitude of reasons, some inexplicable, for why I am joining the Catholic Church. However, I must say that the most important reason, the one that unequivocally motivates me to become Catholic is that I feel at home. I feel as though I meet God there. He and I haven’t gotten on much since I went to college, but my renewed interest, my homecoming if you will, has brought us closer. To be frank, I have found the Trinity to exist in the Catholic Church and to come alive to me there unlike anywhere else I have ever been. And that is all that need be said.

Personal Catholic