Wonderful File Sharing/Web Storage utility (Dropbox)

This is slightly off-topic so please forgive me beforehand.

I discovered a wonderful free web utility called "Dropbox" a few years ago. I would like to recommend it to you as a way to have access to your files from just about any computer.

Dropbox is an online backup/storage site that provides 2GB of online storage initially. You can earn more or you can pay for more storage. The best feature of Dropbox is that it creates a virtual folder on your computer that you simply drop files into and they are immediately available on any other computer where you've signed onto.

If you're on a PC, the folder is located in your "My Documents" folder. If you're on a Mac, it's located... You know? I don't even know where it's located because I just use the folder in my Mac's Finder window on the left side! Let's just say it's amazingly easy and transparent to use. I copy files I want to have at home into my Dropbox folder at work and it's there on my Mac at home. I also have access to all of the files on my iPod Touch/iPhone when I'm online. It's a very convenient way to back up files.

You can also share files with anyone that you wish by making folders inside your Dropbox folder shareable. You can also create public photo galleries by dropping photos into a Dropbox folder!

Anyway, I've used it for a long time. It has become invaluable and invisible to me. It's just a part of my PC and Mac that I rely on every day.

I would like to recommend it to you if you have a need for online backup and file access that's incredibly easy to use. If you sign up for a free 2GB account via the link below, then we will both get an additional 250MB of storage. So you'll start off with 2.25GB. I hope you sign up and hope you enjoy using it as much as I have.

Just sign up via this link: https://www.dropbox.com/referrals/NTY2OTAyOQ?src=global0

Here's a gallery I created of photos I took during my Summer vacation. I simply dropped this folder into the Photos folder and copied the link.

http://www.dropbox.com/gallery/66902/1/Our%20Summer%20Vacation%20-%20Quebec%20City%20-%201596101224888?h=927d17

Cheers.
Ambrose

Versatile charger

Having bought a lot of salvaged 18650VT and 18650V cells from Doctorbass on Endless-sphere.com, I needed a way to charge them individually so that I could then gang charge them as a pack. I didn't have an inexpensive way to do this so I looked around the web for one. I spotted this compact and relatively inexpensive unit on Meritline.com

http://www.meritline.com/universal-intelligent-battery-charger-for-ni-mh-lithium-ni-cd-and-others---p-58148.aspx

It purportedly charges all of these types of batteries: 16340, 14500, 18650, 17670,  9V, AA, AAA, D Ni-MH, Lithium, Ni-Cd Batteries and Others.

Here's the back view.

The front view.

Here's a shot of all the cell types that the charger supports.

It's not very powerful so it takes a while to charge a low cell, but I have more time than anything right now!

More as I find out if it really works or not!

Ambrose

World's most expensive bike phone mount!

I was looking around eBay.com and saw this and had to share...

This is a bike GPS mount that sells for $10,000.00!
http://goo.gl/RiTjM

Here's one that sure looks very similar to it for $3.94
http://goo.gl/YIDr1

I wonder what they offer for the additional $9,996.06?

Ambrose

No load speed of 85.4 kph! (53 mph!)

While I was checking out the Large Screen Cycle Analyst, I ran the e-bikekit.com rear 500W motor at WOT (wide open throttle) with the rear wheel lifted of the ground and saw the top speed of 85.4 kph!

For those of us in the USA, that is a no load speed of 53 Miles Per Hour!

That is an amazing no load speed for this type of motor. The motor was run at almost 81V!

Ambrose

Large Screen Cycle Analyst first pix

I plugged in the Large Screen Cycle Analyst today and it is quite beautiful and of course, quite large!

The screen is very bright and very easy to read. The functions work very well, although I haven't played with it to set it yet.

Here are some shots of it by itself on the handlebars and also one of it with the original DrainBrain!

 

Here's the son/father shot. The LSCA is on top and the original DrainBrain is under it. I will hook up both the next time to see how they compare in their readings.

More later,

Ambrose

Optibike shirt arrived!

I got home to a nice package from Optibike in Boulder Colorado. It's the shirt that I won for posting my picture on Facebook. Here's the shirt! Thanks Craig from Optibike for sending it to me!

Large Screen Cycle Analyst arrives!

A nice package was waiting for me when I got home from work today. The Large Screen Cycle Analyst arrived!

It feels wonderful in the hand and thoughtful touches abound. The switches on the front feel fantastic. They're large and easily pressed and give a tiny bit of a click when you press them. There's a foam strip around the bottom of the display.

The case is very solid and feels like it could take quite a beating.

The handle bar mount is very solidly made and has a quick release opening on it so that it can be moved or removed easily. There are 6 openings that can be used to add more wires to the case. There is a 1/4"x20 hold built into the LSCA so that it can easily mounted using a standard photographic tripod.

The cable in the back is nice and long and the CA connector is solidly connected.

I can't wait to mount it on my bike and go for a ride!

More later,
Ambrose

I won an Optibike...

Polo shirt today! :)

I was on Facebook and I had "Liked" Optibike for a while now. Craig in the marketing department put up a note saying that he'd give a polo shirt to the electric bike rider who put up the best picture to prove that they had ridden that day and I won! Of course, I don't ride an Optibike, but he didn't say that you had to ride an Opti!

Anyway, I'll post a pic of it when it arrives.

More later,
Ambrose