Ultimate Guide To Dropbox Referrals

I've had a Dropbox account now for several years. It's been invaluable for sharing files with family and friends and it keeps important files of my synchronized between the several workstations that rule my life. A regular free account with Dropbox will give you 2 gigabytes. However, they also allow for referrals. For each user that you refer the service to, and they sign up, you receive an additional 250 megabytes of storage up to a maximum of 8 gigabytes. Of course, if you really like their service than you could also fork out $10/month for their 50GB service or $20/month for their 100GB service. Also, some people might not think of this as the most 'honest' thing to do. However, I introduced our sales team to the service over a year ago and I got them all 50GB accounts. So, if you like the service than you should seriously consider purchasing it. However, for the rest of us I have compiled a list of steps on how to upgrade your Dropbox to the maximum amount of GB in the fastest way possible. without further adieu:

• go to trashmail.net
• create free account (register)
• set up as many referrals as you need (click the add button over and over)
• the default # forwards (2) should be enough. Click SAVE!!
• double click each email name (first part) and copy it into a text file (notepad, etc)
• type @trashmail.net and copy/paste it to all the ones so you have a line separated list of emails ie:
                 jijaijsdf@trashmail.net
                 kjeafka@trashmail.net
                 ijafjlwe@trashmail.net
                 ...and so on and so forth...
• copy all the addresses we just made in your textfile
• log into your dropbox account
• click the account link at the top right of the page
• go to the "Referral Status" tab
• at bottom click "Invite More People To Join Dropbox"
• paste all the email addresses into the big text box at bottom labelled "or invite email addresses"
• click "Send Invites"
• check your email
• click each referral link in your email... open each one of them in their own tab
• go through each tab and type in a dummy first, last name and choose the SAME PASSWORD for each account (the same password will make it easier to remember)
• refresh your referal status page in your own dropbox account (will require you to re-login)
• all referrals should now have the status "joined"
• download and install Oracles Virtualbox HERE
• download an iso of Ubuntu (32bit) HERE
• in Virtualbox click "New", then "Next", enter a dummy name, select "Linux" as the OS, select "Ubuntu" if not already selected.
• click madly through all the next's and finishes
• TIP: on my workstation I found that I could go through the process the fastest if I created 4 at a time... depending on your processor and memory you may be able to create more or less
• now that you have 4 (or some number) of VM's created click on each one in sequence and select "Start"
• click "Next" and then select your ubuntu .iso. Click "Next" and "Finish"
• drag the one you just did to some other area of your screen so that when you finish you'll have them all spread out and easily accessible (this is because you'll be going back and forth between them several times while things are downloading, installing, etc)
• do the same thing with the next 3
• now you have all 4 (or x) VM's in front of you. Click "Try Ubuntu" for each of them. This is important because we don't want to install the OS... we just want to boot from the ISO and then later discard them.
• once Ubuntu loads you will want to do this for each VM you have in front of you:
• open firefox
• go to dropbox.com
• click "Download Dropbox"
• select the 32bit Ubuntu .deb
• click "Save File" when prompted
• doubleclick the .deb file directly from the Firefox Downloads window
• click "Install" in the Package Installer when it pops up
• wait for Dropbox's "Update Information" window to pop up, click "Start Dropbox"
• Click "OK" on the next window that pops up telling you you have to download their daemon. At this point it will take about a minute for the daemon to download. This is a good opportunity to move to the next VM in sequence.
• Eventually Dropbox will start up and ask you if you already have an account. Select "I already have a Dropbox account"
• Enter one of the @trashmail.net accounts with the password you used with all the accounts
• Click "Forward", then click "Skip Tour", then click "Finish".
• At this point you should be 250MB richer
• Click the X button at the top right of the VirtualBox VM window to close the VM. Select "Power Off" and click "OK" 
• Once you have ensured that you have the additional space from a referral you can right-click the VM listed in the main Virtual Box list box and select "Delete"

There you have it. Without a doubt the absolute fastest way to beef up your Dropbox account to the maximum amount of gigabytes through the referral process! They're always increasing the limit so enjoy!
    
  

TikTok And LunaTik / Griffin Slap-Style: Multi-Touch iPod Nano Watch Kits

Several days ago I came across a great design for a watch housing that accepts an iPod Nano into the face. It's refreshing to a design such as this which effectively extends the functionality of an already useful piece of technology. I may not have considered the iPod Nano for purchase but I must say that after seeing this watch strap / housing I would definitely put it up for consideration.




You can view the original video / website here.

Now that's not the only iPod Nano watch kit accessory out. Griffin, a well known iPod accessory manufacturer, has a watch kit referred to as a slap-style watch. It's made of silicone with a memory metal strap and works just like old slap bracelets of the 90's:



They're both great ideas and I'm looking forward to seeing new and interesting designs in the future. If you come across any please feel free to post your thoughts in the comments section.

Printing From 64-bit Windows 7 To 32-bit Windows Server

Having recently installed Windows 7 (64-bit) on my work-workstation I ran into the issue of not being able to add printers hosted by 32-bit Windows Servers (most notably, Windows Server 2003). Eventually I figured out how to do it and thought that I would post my methods here so that others can avoid the headache that consumed me. So here is my method of printing from Windows 7 64-bit to a 32-bit Windows print server (should be the same for 64-bit Vista):

• ensure you have the proper printer driver installed on your Windows 7 box (if using HP printers see blurb at bottom)
• goto printers and devices, add new printer
• select local printer
• use existing port (LPT1)
• select proper print driver
• click next throughout rest of process
• name the printer how you'd like it to be displayed.
• let it install...
• select "do not share"
• when finished, right click and select "Printer Properties"
• goto ports tab, click "Add port..."
• select "Local Port" and then click "New Port..."
• type in the exact network address for the printer. ie: \printserver01\hplaserj
• click OK, then click close
• ensure the new port is selected and click Apply, then close
• test printer. If it doesn't work than you may have an incorrect or incompatible print driver installed

Also, if you're trying to connect to HP printers I have found the HP Universal PCL6 driver to work remarkably well. You can download them HERE and select it when at the step: select proper print driver.

How To Get 8 Gigabytes Of Online Storage With Dropbox For FREE - THE FASTEST WAY POSSIBLE

I've had a Dropbox account now for several years. It's been invaluable for sharing files with family and friends and it keeps important files of my synchronized between the several workstations that rule my life. A regular free account with Dropbox will give you 2 gigabytes. However, they also allow for referrals. For each user that you refer the service to, and they sign up, you receive an additional 250 megabytes of storage up to a maximum of 8 gigabytes. Of course, if you really like their service than you could also fork out $10/month for their 50GB service or $20/month for their 100GB service. Also, some people might not think of this as the most 'honest' thing to do. However, I introduced our sales team to the service over a year ago and I got them all 50GB accounts. So, if you like the service than you should seriously consider purchasing it. However, for the rest of us I have compiled a list of steps on how to upgrade your Dropbox to 8GB the fastest way possible. without further adieu:

• go to trashmail.net
• create free account (register)
• set up as many referrals as you need (click the add button over and over)
• the default # forwards (2) should be enough. Click SAVE!!
• double click each email name (first part) and copy it into a text file (notepad, etc)
• type @trashmail.net and copy/paste it to all the ones so you have a line separated list of emails ie:
                 jijaijsdf@trashmail.net
                 kjeafka@trashmail.net
                 ijafjlwe@trashmail.net
                 ...and so on and so forth...
• copy all the addresses we just made in your textfile
• log into your dropbox account
• click the account link at the top right of the page
• go to the "Referral Status" tab
• at bottom click "Invite More People To Join Dropbox"
• paste all the email addresses into the big text box at bottom labelled "or invite email addresses"
• click "Send Invites"
• check your email
• click each referral link in your email... open each one of them in their own tab
• go through each tab and type in a dummy first, last name and choose the SAME PASSWORD for each account (the same password will make it easier to remember)
• refresh your referal status page in your own dropbox account (will require you to re-login)
• all referrals should now have the status "joined"
• download and install Oracles Virtualbox HERE
• download an iso of Ubuntu (32bit) HERE
• in Virtualbox click "New", then "Next", enter a dummy name, select "Linux" as the OS, select "Ubuntu" if not already selected.
• click madly through all the next's and finishes
• TIP: on my workstation I found that I could go through the process the fastest if I created 4 at a time... depending on your processor and memory you may be able to create more or less
• now that you have 4 (or some number) of VM's created click on each one in sequence and select "Start"
• click "Next" and then select your ubuntu .iso. Click "Next" and "Finish"
• drag the one you just did to some other area of your screen so that when you finish you'll have them all spread out and easily accessible (this is because you'll be going back and forth between them several times while things are downloading, installing, etc)
• do the same thing with the next 3
• now you have all 4 (or x) VM's in front of you. Click "Try Ubuntu" for each of them. This is important because we don't want to install the OS... we just want to boot from the ISO and then later discard them.
• once Ubuntu loads you will want to do this for each VM you have in front of you:
• open firefox
• go to dropbox.com
• click "Download Dropbox"
• select the 32bit Ubuntu .deb
• click "Save File" when prompted
• doubleclick the .deb file directly from the Firefox Downloads window
• click "Install" in the Package Installer when it pops up
• wait for Dropbox's "Update Information" window to pop up, click "Start Dropbox"
• Click "OK" on the next window that pops up telling you you have to download their daemon. At this point it will take about a minute for the daemon to download. This is a good opportunity to move to the next VM in sequence.
• Eventually Dropbox will start up and ask you if you already have an account. Select "I already have a Dropbox account"
• Enter one of the @trashmail.net accounts with the password you used with all the accounts
• Click "Forward", then click "Skip Tour", then click "Finish".
• At this point you should be 250MB richer
• Click the X button at the top right of the VirtualBox VM window to close the VM. Select "Power Off" and click "OK" 
• Once you have ensured that you have the additional space from a referral you can right-click the VM listed in the main Virtual Box list box and select "Delete"

There you have it. Without a doubt the absolute fastest way to beef up your Dropbox account to 8 gigabytes! Enjoy!
    
    

Enabling the Windows 7 Telnet Client

About a week ago I decided to install Windows 7 Ultimate on my work-workstation. The reason being that there was a nice little Hyper-V Snap-In that was only available for Windows 7 / Server 2008. Yes, it was finally time to turn in XP.

Fast forward to today: I was looking into some mail NDR's being delivered to my Administrator account. To figure out who was to blame I opened a command-prompt and tried to launch the Windows telnet client to connect to their mail-server and interpret their EHLO response. However, the response I received was this:

'telnet' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file.

Well, it turns out that by default the telnet client is not installed. However, it only takes a few steps in order to make it available and the installation disc is not needed. Those steps are:

1. Open the Control Panel (through start menu or Run Command: control)
2. Open the Programs and Features item
3. Select "Turn Windows features on or off" item on the left-hand side of the window
4. Check the Telnet client box
5. Click OK

Once that's completed you will need to reboot and will have access to the Windows Telnet client once more.

Finally Moved To Green Power Thanks To Bullfrog Power

Today we received an email informing us that we are now running on Bullfrog green electricity. In case you haven't heard of Bullfrog Power you should go check out their website here.

A quick explanation about how this works. Basically, it's quite expensive to transition to green / renewable power. Investment in PV panels would require a large up-front cost, a solar hot-water system would be somewhat less, and a wind power setup would likely cost the most (I'm just guessing). So, for the 99% of us that do not have the capital to fund such a venture there is an alternative.

Bullfrog invests heavily in green electricity generation: wind and low-impact hydro. In their own words:

"Bullfrog's green electricity comes exclusively from wind and low-impact hydro facilities that meet or exceed Environment Canada's EcoLogoM standard for renewable electricity."

How it works is Bullfrog monitors your electricity consumption and injects the amount of electricity you use back into your local electrical power grid. In my case this would be Bullfrog injecting power in the Nova Scotia power grid.

After reading that you might counter, "If that's the case than aren't you still in essence working off of Nova Scotia's dirty coal electricity?" The answer is, most likely, however, because Bullfrog injects green electricity back into my local grid my local power producer's production goes down. They don't have to burn as much coal because they're receiving energy from another source. Now, a single household may not make a significant impact on their local producers production... but a hundred homes? A thousand? It's easy to see how this could really make an impact.

Billing works nearly the same as before. We'll still be receiving our regular power bill from our regular energy producer and on top of that we'll be receiving a bill from Bullfrog Power. However, the additional cost is very minimal. Our bi-monthly power bills are in the range of $80 (somewhere in the range of 500-600 kWh). In our area Bullfrog Power charges 2 cents per kWh. A simple calculation reveals that we'll be receiving a bill from Bullfrog for 10-12 dollars, a small pittance for moving to renewable power.

For more information check out http://www.bullfrogpower.com or Google for renewable energy alternatives in your locale.


Update 1: Thanks to Bullfrog Power for the clarification. Currently they do not invest directly in Nova Scotia so all power injected into the NS grid is sourced from wind and low-impact hydro facilities in New Brunswick and PEI. Thanks for the comment and keep up the great work!

How to move Ubuntu's Window Buttons Back To The Right

With the beta release of Ubuntu 10.04 the window buttons (maximize, minimize, and close) were moved, very OS X-like, to the left hand side. I do own a Macbook, however Ubuntu is my OS of choice at home and I work mainly with various Microsoft OS's in my day job so it's fair to say I am quite used to having these buttons on the right hand side.

Luckily, as with any other aspect of a Linux operating system, you can easily put these buttons back to the right-hand side if you like. The easiest way of accomplishing this is through gconf-editor or rather the Gnome Configuration Editor.

To launch the editor:

• Press Alt-F2 (this will bring up a run-menu)
• type in: gconf-editor and press enter or click run

Now you will see the Gnome Configuration Editor load on screen. To navigate to the proper configuration entry:

• expand apps
• then expand metacity
• then click on general

In the right hand list you should see an entry called: button_layout. Double-clicking this entry will open up a screen and allow you to modify its value. Do this and enter the following string in the value text box:

menu:maximize,minimize,close

Once completed click OK.

Immediately you should see the window buttons move to the right side of every window.

You should also note that you can change the order of the button_layout values if you so choose. Customization is just one of the many benefits of a Linux OS.

Good luck!