There’s a whole bunch of companies trying to make it easier to share large files with your friends, coworkers, etc over the Internet. Adesso is just the latest to visit PodTech’s offices with a new approach.
This one is named “Tubes” after those pneumatic tubes that they used to have in banks and hospitals. It’s an interesting system, worth checking out a demo of. Windows only right now, but they are working on a Mac version. Separately I have an interview with Steve Chazin, VP of marketing at Adesso, where we get more details. But the demo shows off the important parts
[podtech content=http://media1.podtech.net/media/2007/04/PID_010868/Podtech_Adesso_demo.flv&postURL=http://www.podtech.net/scobleshow/technology/1439/demo-of-adesso-tubes-secure-file-sendingsharingreplication&totalTime=443000&breadcrumb=27f05dcf-cdfb-42f5-8283-10e5095a417e]
Scobleizer 
I wonder how long before nobody remembers what pneumatic tubes were. I guess some banks still use them (but the mechanism is pretty well hidden). When the Costco opened in Fairfax Virginia (many years ago) they still had them, and you could look up and see the tubes running all over the store in “airplane hangar” interior that Costco is known for. I can’t remember when they stopped using them, but the tube infrastructure was still in place for years after they figured out how to do everything without pieces of paper.
A similar anachronism seems to be the notion that we keep files on our PC. A whole generation (20 years or so) of people have grown up with this silly concept so deeply ingrained that to them it makes perfect sense. This leads to a “problem” that must be solved which is: what if I move from one computer to another in my house, or need a work file at home, or a home file at work? What if I have a single file I want to share with a colleague but don’t want to share all my files?
Last night I watched some old movies on Google Video. I didn’t download them, just watched them online, streaming, on my overly complex home WiFi network. Unless Google Video closes, there is hardly ever a need to download those files again (as I have in the past). Other than plane trips, all I need is a bookmark to easily find them again. Check.
It’s a new world. No more need for paper copies of everything, and no more need for multiple copies of files all over the place. Centrally served electronic data. An old idea who’s time has finally come… again. Welcome back my friend.
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I wonder how long before nobody remembers what pneumatic tubes were. I guess some banks still use them (but the mechanism is pretty well hidden). When the Costco opened in Fairfax Virginia (many years ago) they still had them, and you could look up and see the tubes running all over the store in “airplane hangar” interior that Costco is known for. I can’t remember when they stopped using them, but the tube infrastructure was still in place for years after they figured out how to do everything without pieces of paper.
A similar anachronism seems to be the notion that we keep files on our PC. A whole generation (20 years or so) of people have grown up with this silly concept so deeply ingrained that to them it makes perfect sense. This leads to a “problem” that must be solved which is: what if I move from one computer to another in my house, or need a work file at home, or a home file at work? What if I have a single file I want to share with a colleague but don’t want to share all my files?
Last night I watched some old movies on Google Video. I didn’t download them, just watched them online, streaming, on my overly complex home WiFi network. Unless Google Video closes, there is hardly ever a need to download those files again (as I have in the past). Other than plane trips, all I need is a bookmark to easily find them again. Check.
It’s a new world. No more need for paper copies of everything, and no more need for multiple copies of files all over the place. Centrally served electronic data. An old idea who’s time has finally come… again. Welcome back my friend.
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Home Depot still uses tubes.
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Home Depot still uses tubes.
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Hi All, this is David Ingram from izimi. Its interesting that when we speak to people about izimi they dont often get it first time. We must get better at telling our story, eh? Tubes is great, but its still effectively P2P, you need client software at BOTH ends of the relationship. izimi is Peer to browser, your audience doesnt need to download ANYTHING, just see files that you have shared in a normal web browser. Thanks, and have fun. David. http://www.izimi.com
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Hi All, this is David Ingram from izimi. Its interesting that when we speak to people about izimi they dont often get it first time. We must get better at telling our story, eh? Tubes is great, but its still effectively P2P, you need client software at BOTH ends of the relationship. izimi is Peer to browser, your audience doesnt need to download ANYTHING, just see files that you have shared in a normal web browser. Thanks, and have fun. David. http://www.izimi.com
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Tubes is not P2P. If it was P2P both computers would need to be online to share the content. They replicate the data on their servers and sync content automatically so it’s available offline.
It’s also private instead of uploading your material onto a website like Izimi or YouTube.
And Izimi, while young, is already a hotbed for uploading copyrighted material to a public website. Like YouTube’s problems with this, but now Izimi is doing it with all file types.
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Tubes is not P2P. If it was P2P both computers would need to be online to share the content. They replicate the data on their servers and sync content automatically so it’s available offline.
It’s also private instead of uploading your material onto a website like Izimi or YouTube.
And Izimi, while young, is already a hotbed for uploading copyrighted material to a public website. Like YouTube’s problems with this, but now Izimi is doing it with all file types.
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Er, Reggie, i beg to differ on two counts: Tubes IS P2P in that BOTH parties must have the Tubes client (so they replicate on a server, but it requires a client at both peers, and that is the commonly understood characteristic of P2P). Unless i download some software I cant see the stuff you share on Tubes, so there is a very large distinction, you cant directly compare the two products like that, they are very different. Second error is… with izimi you dont UPLOAD anything to their servers, your content stays on your machine. all that is goes up to the servers is some meta data (tags, name, description, thumbnail if available, etc) that describes your shared content. As for the comment about copyright material, you could throw that at anyone, are you saying that there is not this problem on Tubes or any other P2P system, or for that matter on any of the other UGC sites. The key point is that the problem is managed and the legal aspects, such as DMCA, takedown notices, policing, etc, etc are all complied with. As in the real world, you can solve crime, but you damn sure can manage it. D.
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Er, Reggie, i beg to differ on two counts: Tubes IS P2P in that BOTH parties must have the Tubes client (so they replicate on a server, but it requires a client at both peers, and that is the commonly understood characteristic of P2P). Unless i download some software I cant see the stuff you share on Tubes, so there is a very large distinction, you cant directly compare the two products like that, they are very different. Second error is… with izimi you dont UPLOAD anything to their servers, your content stays on your machine. all that is goes up to the servers is some meta data (tags, name, description, thumbnail if available, etc) that describes your shared content. As for the comment about copyright material, you could throw that at anyone, are you saying that there is not this problem on Tubes or any other P2P system, or for that matter on any of the other UGC sites. The key point is that the problem is managed and the legal aspects, such as DMCA, takedown notices, policing, etc, etc are all complied with. As in the real world, you can solve crime, but you damn sure can manage it. D.
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