How To Send And Share Large Files With Friends And Family While Traveling
Most email providers limit attachment sizes to around 2-25 megabytes (MB), making sharing any appreciable amount of travel photos, documents, or videos pretty cumbersome without putting them online on sites like YouTube or Flickr. Sometimes though, you don’t want the world to see you dancing around drunk at a full moon party or spend an entire evening crafting multiple emails to send the travel videos of Ecuador you just took to mom.
There are a number of ways to send large files across the Internet – too many in fact – to easily make sense of all the offerings. These are a few bedrock applications that will save you hours from searching online on how to send that file that’s just over your email limit.
Compress Files To Squeeze Under The Limit
Email is still our most familiar file transporter and sometimes all those large files need is just some shrinkage. Both Windows and the Mac OS X operating system have compression tools built into them which can significantly reduce the size of many file types. In both cases, the easiest way to start is to move all the files you want to send into a single folder.
- Windows 7 – Compressing files and folders on Windows 7 is a easy as a right-click and selecting “Send To > Compressed Folder”.
- Mac OS X – Just as easy on a Mac; right-click the file or folder to be sent and select “Compress”.
In general when on flaky Internet connections at many a hostel, it’s a good idea to compress any large files you’ll be emailing or otherwise. That will save both you time in uploading and the recipient time in downloading.
Multi-Task With Skype
The versatile travel communication program Skype not only lets you make voice and video calls for free, it also gives you the ability to send files (of any size) to your contacts. Simply click on a contact and select ‘Send File’. Your file will be sent to that other Skype user, even while you’re chatting with them online.
- Another bonus of using Skype to send large files is that, like Skype chats and calls, the files you send are encrypted as they’re sent over the Internet.
Skype encryption is also notoriously difficult to crack (even by intrusive governments) and the program tends to get around local Internet censorship more often than not.
Sync And Share Files With Dropbox
Dropbox not only lets you share files with others up to 2 gigabytes (GB), it also makes it incredibly easy to sync your files across multiple devices. Documents, photos, and the rest are seamlessly maintained on your laptop, iPhone, and other gadgets by dragging files into the Dropbox folder the program creates on your desktop.
Dropbox also encrypts your data as it floats between you and home for free. (You can increase the 2GB file limit starting at about $10 per month.)
Send Files Up To 5GB With No Registration Required
The website File Dropper is as simple as a file sharing interface as you can get. Simply upload your files and once the process is complete, you’ll have a download link to email to friends and family. Recipients can then download the files at their convenience from the link that File Drooper provides for 30 days.
- File Dropper doesn’t encrypt files so best not to upload anything you really wouldn’t want in the wrong hands.
On top of the lack of encryption, File Dropper also doesn’t tell you exactly how long an upload has to go before completing; in most cases these deficiencies are worth the generous 5GB file limit.
Even More Ways To Send Annoyingly Large Files
As I mentioned earlier, there are what seems like endless ways to transfer large files when your email account just isn’t enough. Windows Live users can take advantage of 25G of storage on SkyDrive and Sizable Send lets you upload multiple files at once (up to 2GB each). Although sharing large files isn’t a problem most travelers look to solve when planning a trip, it’s worth having a good fallback in mind rather than staying up all night in a hotel lobby searching for ways to send a hefty Photoshop file.
[photos by: heather (world's largest filing cabinet), PYHOOYAH (squeezed head), ryantron. (multitasking)]
Fethiye’s Amyntas Lycian Rock Tombs
December 10, 2010 by Anil P.
Filed under Pictures and Video
Fethiye’s famous Lycian rock tombs were once filled with gold and riches fit for dead royalty – until they were looted sometime after their construction during the 4th century B.C. Now the site of the tombs, high on a mountain side overlooking the beach town of Fethiye, Turkey, sits perched atop a climb of several hundred steps waiting for visitors.
The view from below is much more impressive than tombs’ interior, which are about the width of an elevator. For 3 TL (~$2) you’ll pay for a good calf workout and this great view of Fethiye from above.
From there you can take (your legs) to new heights for an even better view from the ruins of Fethiye Castle. Those of you not afraid of a steep climb should head up to this prominent flag pole for the best possible view of Fethiye (and Calis beach in the distance) from the immediate area.
And yes, those are the same Lycian rock tombs, one of Fethiye’s most popular attractions, which I’m standing in front of on the foXnoMad Facebook fan page. I’ll have plenty to share from this coastal Turkish city which I’m basing myself out through the spring but for now you can see more of my pictures in my Fethiye gallery here.
What It’s Like To Travel In Northern Iraq
Traveling in north Iraq is akin to seeing a shark swimming in an aquarium. The semi-autonomous Kurdish region, which comprises primarily the cities of Duhok, Arbil, and Sulaymaniyah, is protected from the volatile south by a precarious border.
Iraq is certainly not a country that is, or should be, on most travelers list of places to visit. Having spent the past 5 days in the region with Wandering Earl, I’d like to give you a glimpse into the world within a war zone.
Confusion Of Visas
The northern Kurdish region is nearly completely autonomous; so much so that it issues its own visitor visas upon arrival at the Turkish border and Erbil International Airport. Good for 10 days, the stamps are completely separate from the business visas issued by the central Iraqi government. (Business visas are, for most nationals, the only way to enter the rest of Iraq.)
A Lack Of Basic Infrastructure Tourists Are Accustomed To
One of the first things most travelers would notice when making travel arrangements to the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq are the missing large hotels online. The prevalence of small and independent lodging options makes it nearly impossible to book online ahead of your stay. Most of the hotels in Arbil and Sulaymaniyah are of the one or two star variety and require some footwork in order to find one with a vacant room.
Also, much like everything else in northern Iraq, hotels are cash only. In fact, any trip into the Kurdish region will force you to carry enough cash to get you through your entire stay – there isn’t a single ATM within the borders of the Kurdish-run north.
Digital nomads should also be prepared to find wireless Internet very difficult to come by. Bumming a wi-fi signal is pretty tough when there aren’t many connections to be found in the first place.
“I Love George Bush”
The Kurdistan region as a whole has benefited greatly from the removal of Saddam Hussein and “I love George Bush” is a phrase almost always following the word “America” in northern Iraq. Northern Iraqis, in general, love America and are vocal about it.
- Strangely enough, despite there being very, very few foreign travelers in Iraq, nobody takes notice of people who are obviously from way out of town.
- Blending in within Iraq’s borders for any appreciable amount of time isn’t easy and the universal language English is hard to come by in northern Iraq. Kurdish and Arabic are most common with many people also knowing a fair amount of basic Turkish.
The sound of a foreign language or sighting a tourist, while exceptionally odd in this part of the world, is barely noticed by locals. Despite the attention one might expect to draw, no foreigners (including large Fijian UN workers) seem to draw any additional notice.
Eggshell Security
One might expect there to be armored vehicles, tanks, and military to be abundant within the cities of northern Iraq. The structure of security in the region, much like an eggshell (hard outside soft inside) suggests that the primary threats to Arbil, Sulaymaniyah, and Duhok are external. Safety is maintained by police forces in each city and evidence of instability is nowhere to be found – except when entering or leaving the Kurdish north.
- The airport is surrounded by a large buffer zone of about 2 kilometers where unofficial vehicles may not enter. Once within the secured perimeter however, the experience is not too much different than many other airports around the world.
Checkpoints between the cities of northern Iraq are frequent however and passports are routinely checked. As was in my case, Kurdish police and military seemed concerned with Arabs using foreign passports to move within Iraq. Cars, taxis, and other vehicles are routinely checked and tourists are questioned nearly at each stop.
The Important Northern Distinction
While there is a thrill of traveling to Iraq, it’s important to note how quickly and dramatically the security situation changes just beyond the southern Kurdistan regional border, right outside of Kirkuk. Although the north is no real safe haven (there are still attacks within the Kurdish borders), everyone Wandering Earl and I came across strongly told us it was extremely dangerous to head further south.
The Kurdish north, for all intents and purposes operates as a separate entity from the rest of Iraq. Situated in a volatile country and having strained relationships with both bordering Turkey and Iran, northern Iraq is strangely normal – even if all else suggests otherwise.
Change Your Travels Forever With The Ultimate Tech Guide For Travelers eBook
Let me teach you how to turn your laptop into the most powerful tool in your backpack and save hundreds of dollars in software and technology; while also providing you with your own personal computer engineer for your travels with The Ultimate Tech Guide For Travelers.
foXnoMad has always had a tech-edge and I want to give you a powerful guide to show you how become a tech-savvy traveling digital nomad to do all sorts of things with your laptop you never knew possible.
The Only Tech Guide That Comes With Your Own Personal Guide
In addition to saving you a minimum of $100 over the next year on gadgets, teaching you how to setup a complete offline backup system, providing you with ways to recover stolen laptops and more, you’ll also get 6 months of personal tech support from me. While I always provide advice for free to my readers, this goes another level and includes specific step-by-step guidance and prompt email support for every topic covered in The Ultimate Tech Guide For Travelers.
What’s In The Ultimate Tech Guide For Travelers?
These are just a few of the topics covered in The Ultimate Tech Guide For Travelers:
- Learn how to never pay full price for laptops again.
- Information on how to backup your data, travel photos, and files of any size to multiple locations without carrying heavy external drives.
- Over 120 hours of free language lessons.
- How to find and access wireless in more places than you can imagine.
- Tactics to protect your online accounts along with tools to booby trap your laptop from thieves.
- Turn the airlines’ tricks against them and save on ticket purchases.
6 Months Of Free Tech Support And A Year Of Updates
Purchasing The Ultimate Tech Guide For Travelers doesn’t get you an ebook that’s static throughout time, but access to a living guide that grows and expands with your suggestions, questions, and along with the pace of technology itself.
The Ultimate Tech Guide For Travelers is your ebook and you determine where it goes.
In addition to my personal support for everything discussed within the ebook, you’ll also get 1 year of free updates – and I plan on updating often – based on your feedback.
Special Bonuses With Your Purchase
There are few places you can get an ebook as useful as The Ultimate Tech Guide For Travelers and personal tech support for only $37. Along with the 6 months of personal support and year of free updates you’ll also learn how to:
- Save 30% on Apple purchases.
- Never pay for software again.
- Call mobile and landlines for free when traveling abroad – without a phone.
- Keep your digital photos safe and backed up, in multiple locations, without lifting a finger after the initial setup.
How To Purchase The Ultimate Tech Guide For Travelers
You can get you copy of my eBook, The Ultimate Tech Guide For Travelers for $37 by clicking the ‘buy now’ button below. (If you don’t have a Paypal account use the Google Checkout link.)
The Ultimate Tech Guide For Travelers is also available from Amazon.com in Kindle version as well as Barnes & Noble in Nook format.
Let This Be Our Guide
Before I was blogging my way around the world I was a full-time computer security consultant making and breaking systems for some of the biggest companies in the world. The Ultimate Tech Guide For Travelers is a blend of the best ways to use technology to make your travels easier and to save you money.
The copy you purchase is only the beginning, for $37 you’re getting an ebook with hacking secrets you didn’t know about, personal technical support for 6 months, and an ebook that will grow and expand on your terms.
I wouldn’t sell an ebook for any price, let alone $37, if I wasn’t sure it will be invaluable to you. Whether you’re headed on a 8 month RTW trip or simply want to make sure you never lose a digital picture again, The Ultimate Tech Guide For Travelers will save you money, time, and heartache so you can focus on traveling.
Happy hacking,
-Anil
