Lanka Help Magazine » Technology

Things you should know about Google Drive

Sandun W — Mon, 07 May 2012 22:40:45 +0000

Google has officially launched the long awaited Google Drive on 24^th April 2012. An average person who knows about the computer understand the ‘Hard Drive’ ‘Flash Drive’ etc associates with it that use to store data. Google drive does the same but with more sophisticated way as it’s the newest Cloud Storage device introduced to the internet users. A Cloud Storage device is a place you store your files online so that you can access them from anywhere at any time. So it can be referred as your hard drive in the sky. After you run the free Google Drive application, you get a folder on your computer (Windows or OSX) that looks just like a directory on your hard disk that you can drag your files in to. Anything stored in that folder is kept on your hard disk and also copied to your account in the cloud. You can access those files from drive.google.com or from other computers, including mobile devices.

Is Google Drive the first in Cloud Storage device in the net?

The answer for that question is No. Actually Google is very late to introduce a such facility. In the consumer cloud storage market, there are serious, well-established, and highly valued companies already up and running. Dropbox, box, SugarSync,Cubby,CX, Mozy Stash,Wuala ,Bitcasa,Microsoft Sky Drive and Apple icloud are the pioneers and alternatives to the Google Drive.

What will happen to the Google Docs ?

Google Drive is also the new name for Google Docs. Google’s suite of Web-based productivity tools such as word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation app and documents you create using these tools will show in your Google Drive from now on.

Files that you drag into your Google Drive from your hard disk are actually copied to the cloud. They’re also synchronized to your other computers that use Google Drive.

What are facilities I get by using the Google Drive?

I. File Synchronization

When you do changes to the file that you have stored in the Google Drive it is automatically updated not just in the cloud but on all the other devices that you have connected to the Drive. So you can start working on a file on one computer, close it, and then open it on a second computer, and what you’ll see is the version you closed on the first one.

II. Ability to store any kind of File format or folder

Within file size and space limits, anything you can store on your hard drive can also be stored in a cloud drive.You can also move entire folders in your Google Drive.

III. Sharing make easy with coworkers

Earlier you have to email a file or sent it stored in a portable storage device to your coworkers in order to get it reviewed or completed. Now all you have to do is email a link to a file stored on your Drive. All the services let you mark a file or folder for sharing and then invite people to view or download it.

IV. You get 5 GB Free

Google will give you 5GB of completely free storage for storing files to use across computers, or to share, or that you need to access on your mobile device. But if you want to store large archives of photos or videos, you can pay for more storage. 25GB is $2.49 a month; 100GB is $4.99 a month.

V. Your Data is safe from hacking as they will be encrypted

Google Drive encrypts data between your computer and the Google servers. If you’re using your Drive over the Web, the connection defaults to secure (HTTPS), and when you use the software that makes your Google Drive appear on your computer like a local hard drive, the data between your computer and Google is likewise encrypted. No casual hacker will be able to grab your files by monitoring or intercepting your Internet connection to Google.

VI. Access your files through your Mobile.

Google Drive is available on Android. An iPhone app also will be introduced near future. With cloud storage mobile apps, you can see what’s stored in your cloud drive easily, and then download or view files as needed. It won’t use up all your storage the moment you set it up.

What are the drawbacks in Google Drive?

For the time being the files created using Google Docs tools is not stored or copied to your computers. You see in your Google Drive are links to your files. If you open one, it’ll open in the browser-based Google app.
There is an element of danger associates with file synchronization. If you update a file before your cloud service has sent you the latest version, you can end up with collisions or version conflicts.
You cannot sync a file that’s buried in a folder on your hard drive without dragging it to the Google Drive.
The iOS apps aren’t out yet and there’s no news of versions for Windows Phones or BlackBerry.
Google Drive doesn’t copy your Google Docs data to your computer, so you cannot access those files when offline.

‘Book Hub’ – Sri Lanka’s first ever e-book store

Sandun W — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 00:55:40 +0000

Reading a good book usually gets you information, which in turn can be converted into knowledge but most importantly it guides you to achieve wisdom. It helps people be knowledgeable as well as thoughtful. For generations, Sri Lankans have been a nation that loved literature, but the reading habit has decreased to fairly low levels in the recent times. At present the students are exposed to modern communication methods and technologies with the presence of Internet and other facilities and tend to give up the habit of reading. Understanding this new tendency correctly an online e-book store, called ‘Book Hub’ is to be commercially launched by end of March which will be the Sri Lanka’s first ever e-book store.

Etisalat in collaboration with publisher M.D. Gunesena and mobile solution providers Microimage are set to launch this innovative project in Sri Lanka. The innovation will allow Sri Lankan literary works to be published electronically and will be made available for direct purchase through any personal computer, Android or Apple mobile device. While the product will be commercially launched in March, the signing of the agreement of the three parties involved took place at the Hilton Colombo Residence recently.

The eBook store will be available to all users free and regardless of their mobile carrier. The eBook store will host English, Sinhala and Tamil locally published works in an electronic format. Users can shop through the portal, choose the books they want and directly download them to their smart phone, tablet or any PC. The content will go beyond novels, potentially including any locally published material such as educational publications, magazines, children’s books, religious texts and business journals.

E-Book stores have been so successful internationally because of the way in which they streamline the traditional process of shopping for books. eBooks bought through the online store will be priced lower than the physical copy of the book, and shoppers will not have to physically travel to the book store, but will be able to access it from anywhere in the world provided they are connected to the Internet.

Award winning technology company Microimage will power the entire eBook store technology for digital transformation and eBook reader apps for all leading Smartphone’s, tablets and desktop devices.

“EBook readers and eBook stores have become a global phenomenon but their benefits have eluded Sri Lankan readers, writers and publishers. This innovation will change that and the way that people read, purchase and publish local material, making it in our opinion one of the most innovative locally developed internet-based products,” stated Etisalat CEO Dumindra Ratnayaka.

Ratnayaka said they were having talks with the education ministry to list education texts in electronic format.

“It is far easier for a child to carry a tablet to school than a load of books,” he said. “It will be easier for the education ministry to update these books than printed matter.

“We will empower up and coming authors,” Ratnayaka said. “One of their biggest problems is that publishers are not willing to print their work because of the cost of holding it. Now with the ‘Book Hub’ we can open the doors to them.”

Deputy Managing Director of M. D. Gunasena said;”The rapid developments in information and communication technologies have now presented us with a unique opportunity to enrich the lives of book loving people in Sri Lanka and all over the world. The Book Hub creates a very exciting opportunity for publishers to reach out to readers through the electronic book medium. As a publisher, our wish is that the society as a whole is more enlightened through the wisdom delivered by books.”

“No matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance.” – Confucius

Free calls to USA or Canada using Magicjack

Sandakalum — Mon, 16 May 2011 18:38:44 +0000

This article is to explain how you can use Magicjack to call your relatives in Canada or USA for only 19.95 USD (US Dollars) Per year. Magicjack won the award for the product of the year in 2009. It does not have any monthly fee. This service is used by many Americans and Canadians who now can save lot of money spent on their phone bills. But this can also be used internationally to call phones in Canada or USA. Today my aim of this article is to introduce this device and I will try to briefly explain how you can use it to call Canadian and American phone for just around 19.50 Dollars per year.

How you can use Magicjack If you live in Canada or USA ?
Yes many Canadians known to me has begun using Magicjack as their landlines. Magicjack offers a risk free 3o day free trail and you can get first hand experience before you buy it. The annual fee is 19.95 Dollars and there is a one time fee of 35.00 USD for the device. You will be given a phone number allocated to your Magicjack. If you live in Canada now you can request to get a Canadian number.

You need to be connected to Internet to use the Magicjack. Once properly installed you can use the phone to call any mobile or land phone in Canada or USA without any call charge. You just have to pay only 19.95 USD annually. So this will cut down your phone bill fully and you just have to keep your internet connection. Students and frequent travelers use this device commonly while it is now becoming more popular for regular land phone use.

How Can you who live outside of Canada or America use this to Call your loved on in North America?
Yes you can use this device from any country to call North American phone numbers. Currently Only Canadian and USA residents can buy this device. But there is no restrictions to use this device internationally. So you have to ask your loved one in Canada or USA to buy one for you and send it to you. You can then use the Magicjack installed to your computer and Internet and then you can call any phone number in Canada or USA. There will be no extra charges for International use.

We have been partnered with Magicjack to introduce this service to our users. We will be adding more information regarding this device and its use in future. Please share this article with your friends and families who live in Canada and USA. Click Here to buy a Magicjack from Amazon. Please also read our article related to this topic how you can reload Sri Lanka phones Here and our article on Rs. 2.00 per minute calls to Skype users anywhere in the world from Sri Lanka Here. If you have any question regarding this you can send us a message using our contact us form.