synchronizer

Few people do all their work on a single computer. Fewer still don't occasionally need access to files on another PC, whether their own or someone else's. The free Gbridge program lets you access and synchronize files and folders on any Internet-connected PCs quickly and simply.

Gbridge uses Google Talk to create a VPN connection for the secure transfer of files between your own PCs and the machines of family, friends, and coworkers. The service requires a Gmail account, but if you'd rather not use your primary Gmail account, you can create one for free specifically for … Read more

Created by the developers behind the popular CSSEdit, Espresso is another option for Web developers who want a relatively low-priced, one-window Web editor that also gives you an intuitive code-editing environment along with organizational tools and other extras.

Espresso uses a two-paned, single-window interface organized around a single, logical workflow: the app has Workspace, Files, and Publish sections, and it's easy to drag and drop files and sites. A third Navigator pane lets you view and quickly manipulate the organizational structure of your docs. Espresso also gives you a full set of editing features, including multilanguage support (boosted by … Read more

ALSong is an innovative music player that lets users view lyrics to thousands of songs as they play. Although the program's design could be better, its unique features still make it worthwhile.

ALSong's interface is fairly intuitive (it's set up much as any media player is), but we didn't love that several of its features open in different modules. The media player opens in one window, the playlist in another, the lyrics viewer in yet another--things get cluttered pretty quickly. We were also irritated by the small text used throughout the program; anyone whose vision isn'… Read more

The distinction between home and work computers is getting blurrier than ever, thanks to trends like flexible hours and telecommuting. Keeping critical business contacts and other data manually synchronized between two or more computers is a challenge under the best conditions, and it's all too easy to let things slide. A number of handy tools can do that tedious job for you and never miss an update. Wisco's SynchPst is just such a utility. It synchronizes personal folders in Microsoft Outlook, which use the .pst file format. You can select single or multiple folders or subfolders to synchronize, … Read more

File Synchronizer is a simple utility that allows users to synchronize the contents of files or drives. It's not the most intuitive program we've ever used, but it does seem to work effectively.

The program loses points for its interface, which is virtually impossible to figure out without consulting the online Help file. All of the program's features are organized in a column down the middle of the interface, which divides the two volumes that are going to be synchronized. Once we'd reviewed the Help file, it was easy enough to choose the two folders we … Read more

Pimero Free Edition is a sleek personal organizer that allows users to keep track of appointments, tasks, and more. The program's attractive design and intuitive use make it a great choice for this type of program.

Pimero's interface is among the best we've seen, with a modern, sophisticated design. The program's major functions are organized into tabs, including sections for the calendar, tasks, notes, and contacts. The calendar offers multiple customizable views, as well as reminders and a search feature. Tasks can be organized with settings for priority, deadline, and percentage complete. The program doesn't … Read more

Dropbox was one of the companies that I was shocked to see didn't have an iPhone app when the App Store launched last summer. The service seems like it would mesh perfectly with the iPhone. After all, one of Dropbox's competitors, Soonr, launched its iPhone sync app in January. Unfortunately, Dropbox was MIA from our favorite mobile device for a long time. However, on Tuesday Dropbox released version 1.0 of its iPhone app. So, how does it stack up? Is it worth the wait?

This iPhone app is a great addition to Dropbox's offering. If you … Read more

Speaking Clock Deluxe is a customizable clock that can alert users to the time in a variety of ways. The clock's various features and simple interface make it an appealing choice.

The program's interface is fairly intuitive, although some features that seemed like they would be accessible in the Settings menu could actually only be accessed by right-clicking on the program in the system tray. No matter; that's about as complicated as the program got. Although there were some aspects of the text-to-speech features that weren't intuitive, the built-in Help file explained everything clearly. The interface … Read more

Mozilla just released Weave Sync 0.4.0, but the reality is that it will take a long time before we need a 1.0 of Weave. Weave Sync coordinates your Firefox bookmarks, browser history, saved passwords, and tabs across your various Firefox installations: desktop, laptop, Netbook, and mobile.

The problem with this vision is that today it's largely unnecessary. For a variety of reasons (some very good, some not so good), Mozilla's mobile Firefox--codenamed "Fennec"--runs on Windows Mobile (version 6 and up) devices...and that's it.

While some new moves from Google may … Read more