ERS What's New in VO Tech

I am constantly on the lookout for an application or website that makes my life easier.  In this tireless pursuit, I get sidetracked far too often with a program that at first seems like a solution to a problem (or one I didn't know I had), only to be disappointed in a missing critical feature or lack of reliability.  This time, I found a real winner in SugarSync.
To sum up what SugarSync does, I think of it as MobileMe's iDisk feature, without the problems, and better features. 

For the Windows users out there, iDisk is Apple's version of a "cloud" computer where you can place files you want to have access to elsewhere.  It can also serve as a quasi FTP server, and does so quite well.   As long as you just access the iDisk files from the Apple server, all is well. But it's the iDisk Sync function, after several years in existence, that remains completely frustrating, unreliable, and horrible. 

SugarSync makes me jump for joy.   Why?

I recently hired an assistant, which was long overdue.  I've been getting her up to speed on how things work around here (or don't), and we've come a long way in the last month.  One issue that had me scratching my head, however, was how to keep the files that she works on in sync with mine.  I have a master Clients folder, for example, where I keep all information pertaining to each client (duh).  It rapidly became apparent that files she saved needed to end up on my computer at some point, and files created on mine, sent to hers.  I thought we might keep a central folder on a shared disk on my network, but I couldn't easily access said files with my Macbook while on site or traveling.   SugarSync rectified this problem, and so much more. 

Once I installed the FREE application on each of our computers, added the folders of interest as Sync folders to each computer, and linked them together, I was in synctofied heaven!
The initial sync took some time as it slowly uploaded the files to the SugarSync server, but as each file reached it, they magically appeared on the other computer, pretty much instantly.  No Sync button to push, server to mount, or wall with cracked plaster from my poor head (sending medical bills to Apple's MobileMe development team).  That feature alone was worth the price of admission.  I know... free (for up to 2GB of server space, $5/month for 30GB).   

But wait, there's more!!
1.  Share any file or folder with any person or group you like, password or no password, with read-write access control.  Great for collaborating or just sending files to your clients.
2.  Access all synced files from ANY computer on the Internet through the great web interface
3.  Access all synced files from your iPhone or Blackberry (my smartphone of choice).  You can take photos and copy files created on your mobile to the server wirelessly.   
4.  I am sure there's more, they keep adding features, and the blog lists new ways to use it all the time!

GET SUGARSYNC NOW!!

Goooo MIKE!  I've gone through VERY similar experiences when dealing with this horrible customer service division of Verizon in the NYC area.  Mike conveys his sadly frustrating and humorous exchanges with CSR's at Verizon on Voice Over Xtra.

For the last 6 months I've been investigating ways to use the iPhone as the ultimate portable handheld recording device for voice-over while traveling.  I found a serviceable recording interface, that when used with a studio condenser mic worked nicely.  There's also recording software available for the iPhone that will even let you edit your recording, called Poddio, but it's uploading function is not yet active (waiting for Apple to allow this).  However, the app iStorage seems to have already solved that problem!  You can upload to any FTP OR your iDisk folder while on WIFI and 3G networks. 
We are getting really close to a truely hand-held iPhone recording/sending device.  another thing we are waiting for is the ability to actually create an MP3 from an AIFF file directly on the iPhone, since we don't want to have to send AIFF files.
Now all we need is Source Connect to jump on the iPhone bandwagon...

I am always on the lookout for the fastest and easiest way to share files from one's computer with clients, friends, or family.  Setting up a webserver on your home computer is possible if you have enough tape on your glasses, but it can be very challenging and requires the use of Dynamic DNS capable routers, and crazy stuff like that.  Now there's a gadget that makes it stupid-easy to share files, it's called the Pogoplug.
Plug any USB drive (or drives with a USB hub) into the Popoplug, register your unit with their website, and you are done.  No Firewall configuring, DynDNS, port mapping, hair pulling...
If you are using it just to provide a file site for your clients, you don't even need a huge, hot, spinning hard drive, just a 8 or 16GB flash drive would be perfect!  When you export your MP3 or AIFF file, just dump it to the Pogoplug drive, send your client the URL automatically generated by their software, and anyone you send it to can access that file.  Better yet, you can share directories on your drive just by clicking a Share button and optionally entering an e-mail address to send out invitations, and you can also get an RSS feed for any shared directory. Make a folder for each of your clients, and they always know where to look for your files. 
You can upload files to your Pogoplug drives via a standard-issue clunky Web form, or--much better--use the software driver that makes the Pogoplug emulate a local hard drive on a Mac or Windows system. With the driver installed, adding or managing files to the Pogoplug drive is as simple as dragging them with your computer's file manager. Files quickly pop onto the drive over your local network.   For iPhone users, you also get direct access to your files, can stream music and video from your Pogodisks, and send files back to your Pogo from the phone.
 I am dying to get one!!

http://www.pogoplug.com/

Woohoo!  Finally a no-nonsense website that makes it easy to get hundreds of free applications for the Mac.  Unlike other websites that cloud the listings with demos and commercial "crippleware", everything on App Donkey IS FREE.  Of course we always encourage donating to the developers, if you like the software and actually use it for business.  App Donkey
I've been on there for 5 minutes and already I found an amazing multitrack audio recorder/editor called Ardour that I had never seen before... Cool stuff!

ERS now features video tutorials on the FAQ page to help guide you through the setup of various types of recording sessions, editing, exporting MP3's, and much more.  We'll add more video tutorials over time, but at some point in the future they will only be made available to ERS Support Subscribers and customers. 

Here are the tutorials available to date:

ERS now features video tutorials on the FAQ page to help guide you through the setup of various types of recording sessions, editing, exporting MP3's, and much more.  We'll add more video tutorials over time, but at some point in the future they will only be made available to ERS Support Subscribers and customers. 

Here are the tutorials available to date:

WireTap Studio is in its infancy at version 1.0.9, but already it's got some great potential, and is already quite useable for recording and edition a simple VO track.  I discovered it while taking a tour of the latest MacHeist bundle.
If you buy it in the next few days, you get WireTap Studio, a $69 application, for $39, and a SLEW of other applications as well. 
After playing with it for only 15 minutes, I can say it is a very well designed application and is highly intuitive to use.  It can record ANY source, including audio output from applications such as Skype, Firefox, or anything that creates sound.  It also can record from two sources simultaneously. 
Another innovative feature is the ability to preview in real-time any file format and audio codec settings so you know what the final product will sound like without needing to export and playback to test.  It's 100% non-destructive so your original uncompressed audio is always intact.
Definitely worth a demo!

My job is to help my clients avoid this common scenario in buying new equipment.

Google Analytics is a powerful, and as always with Google, FREE web application for monitoring and reporting your website's statistics. 
If you have your own website, you need this tool.  It's VERY easy to use, if you have access to your website's HTML code.  Even if you have a web master, you can have them set this up for you in a few minutes flat.  Simply install a chunk of code on each page of your site you want tracked, log into the Analytics page, and you'll see an incredible amount of useful information about who visits your site, where from, how often, what they see, and how they find you. 
It's useful for understanding what actually brings users in to see your website so you can focus your design efforts in those areas.  You might be surprised what search keywords bring users in! 
It even tells you what amount of the traffic is actual humans, and what is from Search Engines.
Check out this screen grab to get an idea of what you will see: