Dropbox offers up to 5GB of free space to anyone willing to go beta

Here's some good news for all you Dropboxers out there: the company is offering a bundle of free storage space to anyone who tries the beta version of its new Experimental software. It's really quite simple: just download the test program, upload a photo, and instantly get 500MB of free storage. Upload another photo or video, and an additional 500MB will magically appear at your doorstep. The idea is to test out the beta software's new photo and video uploader, which automatically pulls media from any camera, smartphone or SD card and drops it in the cloud. Free space is limited to 5GB per user, and there's an inherent risk to testing any unfinished product, but those willing to make the leap can find all the requisite materials and information at the source link, below.

Dropbox offers up to 5GB of free space to anyone willing to go beta originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Skype rolls out update for Windows with full HD video calling, group screen sharing

Skype rolled out its version 5.8 software update for Windows users today, and it brings with it a couple of fairly notable features. That includes full HD video calling (provided you have a suitable webcam and internet connection, of course), video calling to Facebook users (regardless of whether they have Skype installed or not), and group screen sharing, which will let folks share either their entire desktop or a single application with other participants on a conference call. That last feature is only available with Skype Premium, though. Other new features include a "push to talk" option that will let you set up a hotkey to trigger your microphone (for multiplayer gaming, for instance), the ability to hide offline Facebook contacts, and one possible fruit of the Microsoft acquisition: Bing toolbar integration.

Skype rolls out update for Windows with full HD video calling, group screen sharing originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft Kinect for Windows version 1.0 available today

Kinect
Today is the day fine folks -- Kinect for Windows is here. The official, and commercial, version 1.0 of the SDK just hit the interwebs along with the accompanying hardware for a price of $250, or $150 for qualified educational customers. The tool has picked up a number of new features since the last beta, including support for up to four Kinects being used simultaneously and near mode for monitoring motion from just 40cm away. The sensor itself seems mostly the same, but may not be compatible with its console cousin -- the device's product page states that it will only operate with software developed for Kinect for Windows. For more info and a complete list of improvements hit up the source link.

Microsoft Kinect for Windows version 1.0 available today originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Boxee desktop app being removed from servers tonight, get it while you can

Boxee 1.5
We knew that the Boxee desktop app's days were numbered, we just didn't realize how numbered. It was only the day after Christmas that we learned version 1.5 would be the last to ship for Linux, Windows and OS X. Now, with January coming to a close, its life is officially being snuffed out. Tonight, as you flip the calendar to February, Boxee will be busy purging its servers of the installable media center software. What that means, in case you hadn't figured it out, is that this is your last chance to download the official app for your desktop OS of choice as the company shifts focus to the Boxee Box and other streaming appliances. Of course, we're sure someone will pick up the torch and update the program, but as far as Boxee is concerned it has no desktop son.

Boxee desktop app being removed from servers tonight, get it while you can originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Windows 8 file management: You ask, Microsoft listens

After augmenting Windows 8 with some mobile-friendly features, it looks like file management is next to go under the knife. Not the sexiest part of an OS, granted, but one you'll use almost every day -- a fact not lost on Redmond. Based on newsgroup feedback, Windows 8 will sport a stack of tweaks hoping to make some of the more mundane tasks, well, less mundane. For example, if you copy duplicate files to a directory, it'll make decisions based on size, name and modified date to determine if it's the same file or not. For long copy jobs, error messages will be mercifully left until the end, allowing the rest to complete. Other simple touches include EXIF orientation data, which will be reflected in Explorer's preview, updates to the slightly contentious Ribbon, plus a bunch more user-driven goodies. We're reserving judgement until we get hands-on of course, but if you want to know more, there's a full rundown in the source after the break.

Windows 8 file management: You ask, Microsoft listens originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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