Create your own personal cloud! is a post from: Stuffworks.com

There are a bunch of cloud storage services available today and many of them are free however they don’t usually offer much space to use for storing photos, music or videos.

If storing a large number of files, music or photos, or if you need to store really large files such as movies or backups of programs and .ISO files; then setting up your own personal cloud storage may be just the thing you need.

The 2 easiest ways to get your own personal cloud storage service started are both fairly easy to setup.

1. Tonido – Open source cloud storage software for most Windows, Mac and Linux.
2. PogoPlug – Free for limited use or paid if you want extended features.

Both options use your computers HDD as the cloud storage so the amount of space you get on your cloud is limited only by the space you have on your computer.  Both options also offer a hardware device that you can plug into your home internet connection that allow you to plug in a USB hard drive that can be accessed from anywhere on any device.

There is a Tonido app available for both apple and android devices that allow you to access your personal cloud from anywhere.  You can also access your cloud from a computer by visiting your own personal tonido website.

PogoPlug also offers an app on both apple and android devices and with it you can stream music, movies and access documents from anywhere.

The biggest limitation to creating your own personal cloud is your internet connection speed.  If you have a slow internet speed at home, having your own personal cloud will be fairly slow so having a fast internet speed is recommended.

Both services offer similar features and plenty of expansion options so no matter which one you choose you will be able to access any of your shared files on any device, anytime.  You can even share selected files or folders with friends or family.

Check out both services and let us know your opinion about which one is better.

app Mobi Browser based XDK is a post from: Stuffworks.com

appMobi provides development tools and services that complete HTML5 as a mobile platform, bringing it on par with iOS and Android as a fully capable mobile platform. appMobi’s post-deployment cloud services include user authentication, in-app payments, rich media push messaging, user analytics and live app updates.

appMobi’s XDK (cross platform development kit) allows developers to use HTML5 technology to create fully functional mobile apps that run across different hardware platforms, including Android and iOs. Additionally, the XDK can render the exact same code as a ‘web app’ or an ‘enhanced’ web app that performs exactly the same as a native app. In August 2011, appMobi made the XDK available as a plugin for the Google Chrome browser, offering developers an extremely easy to use tool stack for HTML5.

By leveraging the high functionality and ubiquity of webkit-based browsers and advanced web standards such as HTML5 and CSS3, appMobi allows web developers to create mobile apps without the need to conquer the high learning curves of each platform’s development stack (Objective C, Cocoa Touch for Apple, C++ and Java for Android).

appMobi is available through the Google Chrome Web Store which requires Google Chrome to be installed, available here.

Ultimate iPhone Research App – Wolfram Alpha is a post from: Stuffworks.com

Since it went on sale, I have been using Wolfram Alpha for a couple of days and I have to say it is an awesome research app.  It has been one of the App Store’s most notoriously expensive apps and it just got a price cut. Wolfram Alpha, which debuted last October for the fairly jaw-dropping price of $49.99, now sells for just $1.99 .

In case the name doesn’t ring a bell, Wolfram Alpha made headlines last year as a supposed Google killer, a search engine that could perform “computational knowledge” tricks far beyond any other service.

In other words, as CNET’s Rafe Needleman put it, “Google finds links. Wolfram Alpha finds answers.” My own take: It’s a search engine for math geeks.

In any case, there was widespread glee when Wolfram Alpha got the app treatment–followed by considerable head-scratching and some outright rage over its price. The $50 sticker seemed particularly insulting considering that you could enjoy much of the same functionality in your iPhone’s Safari browser–for free.

According to a Wolfram Alpha blog post, the price cut is part of a “new focus on ubiquity” for the tool. And in an extremely wise marketing move, anyone who purchased the Wolfram Alpha app for $49.99 (or its one-time sale price of $19.99) can request a refund.

What do you think? Is the app suddenly looking a lot more attractive at $1.99? OK, that’s a given, but now that it’s reasonably priced, think you’ll buy it? Hit the comments and share your thoughts.

Free iPhone Apps – Legally (No Jailbreak Required) is a post from: Stuffworks.com

If you are addicted to the App Store then we have the perfect app for you!  App Sniper not only allows you to track which apps are on sale, but it also notifies you when apps you’re interested in have gone on sale for the price that you want to buy it for.

Many developers drop their prices for only a few days or, in extreme cases, only a few hours in order to get additional sales and reviews. With AppSniper you can be guaranteed that you will never miss those great opportunities to pick up quality software at bargain prices.

The best part is that AppSniper will pay for itself with the first snipe or sale item that you buy!

For only $0.99 it can save you hundreds of dollars on future app purchases.

Office² for iPhone and iPod Touch is a post from: Stuffworks.com

Byte Squared has released  a great new business and productivity app called Office², an office app for the iPhone and iPod touch that lets you edit Word documents and Excel spreadsheets in .doc and .xls formats. (Note that the app’s name is pronounced “Office Squared” )

Office² also provides integration with Google Docs, letting you edit Google Docs documents and spreadsheets from within the app. You can also access, move, and delete documents stored in Google Docs, iDisk and any WebDAV server.

The Office² word processor lets you view, create, edit and save documents in Word 97-2003 (.doc) format. It also supports character formatting, tables, images, searching of text within documents, undo and redo up to 100 undo levels, and auto-correction and auto-completion.

The Office² spreadsheet works with Excel 97-2003 (.xls) and handles multiple worksheets with unlimited rows and columns, searching and sorting of cells, cell formatting, cell types, and pane freezing among other spreadsheet necessities. Office² uses the iPhone’s touch screen effectively, letting you tap and drag to change row heights and column widths, and tap cells to compose formulas.

Additionally, Office² acts as a local file store, letting you store and view files of most types. Office² also integrates with Google Docs and MobileMe iDisk, giving you access to your valuable data, wherever you are.

Office² includes the following features:

WORD PROCESSOR FEATURES

• Word 97-2003 (.doc) compatability.
• Character formatting including bold, italic, underline, font face, size, color and highlight.
• Paragraph formatting including indent, left, right, center and distributed justification style.
• Bullets and numbering.
• Support for tables, and images.
• Full text search capability.
• Copy and paste.
• Undo and redo.
• Auto-correction and auto-capitalization.

SPREADSHEET FEATURES

• Excel 97-2003 (.xls) compatibility with support for multiple worksheets.
• Multiple cell types, including Numeric, Date, Time, Currency, Percentage and Text
• Cell formatting options, including bold, italic, text and background color, cell sizes and alignments.
• Merged cells, text wrapping and freeze panes.
• Copy/cut/paste operations.
• A range of functions, including date/time, math, statistical, string and trigonometric functions.
• Import/Export to and from desktop computer over wifi network.
• Tight integration with Google Docs, enabling direct editing of Google Docs spreadsheets.
• Access spreadsheet files stored in a MobileMe iDisk account or any other WebDAV-based server.

Twin Blades Review for iPhone and iPod Touch is a post from: Stuffworks.com

iPhone development company Bulkypix is coming up with some promising games for the iPhone and iPod touch.  Twin Blades is an addictive zombie shooting game in which your main object is to survive through different levels by either slashing or shooting zombies. The App Store has a ton of zombie shooting games but, Twin Blades offers an engaging and fast paced gameplay which gives it a fresh look.

Every kill earns you one heart and these can be used to buy weapon and character upgrades. Weapon upgrades feature different types of guns while character upgrades can be used to improve slash damage, amount of life, life storage and more.

The game supports local highscores and Open Feint, allowing you to share your highscores, unlock achievements and compare your performance with your friends.

Twin Blades is a fun, challenging and engrossing game that will keep you wanting for more!

Skee-Ball iPhone App – Review is a post from: Stuffworks.com

I love this game.  Skee-Ball has always been a favorite for my kids when we go to any arcade and this game brings all of the excitement to the palm of your hand with 3D graphics, great physics, and awesome prizes. A true American classic.  Everyone loves Skee-Ball! 

With a quick flick, roll the ball up the ramp and into one of the numbered holes for points, tickets, and unlockable achievements.

Win enough tickets and go on a shopping-spree for fun prizes like a set of vampire teeth, a Peruvian Flute Band CD, or even a custom ball to use in-game. Over 80 prizes in all.

Skee-Ball is easy to learn and easier to love: Play by simply flicking your finger across the screen or making a bowling motion. Tilt the iPhone/iPod touch to add spin. Simple to play, almost impossible to stop playing!

The NVIDIA PhysX engine delivers console-quality physics so the ball rolls and bounces hyper-realistically. Worldwide hi-scores let you see how your hoard of tickets compares to everyone else’s. The Plus+ Network lets you challenge friends with score tracking, achievements and leader-boards.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Skee-Ball is celebrating its 100th birthday, but has never felt more modern!