Filed under: Software
Martian SlingShot
I like my software from small independent Mac developers like I like my women: deceptively simple and easy to use.
That's exactly what SlingShot from Martian Technology is. This
little gem of an application allows you to keep two folders on different Macs (on the same local network) in sync,
using a schedule.Why would you want to do this? Well, perhaps you have a folder full of documents that two people in your house need to use, set up one Mac as the 'publisher' of that folder using SlingShot and the second Mac as a subscriber and you're all done. If Apple had developed this application they would have called it 'filecasting,' but luckily for us they didn't.
The software will set you back $29.99 but there is a demo that will allow you to publish and subscribe to one folder. Oh, and I suppose that since we have entered a brave new world full of Intel Macs I should mention that SlingShot is an Universal application so it will run natively on both PowerPC's and Intel Macs.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
John Gaskell said 10:15AM on 1-17-2006
Ha! You owe me a new keyboard!
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Tim said 10:16AM on 1-17-2006
That sounds great. But, using your example, if I make a change to the documents on the 'subscriber' machine wont they be overwritten with the copy that the broadcaster machine has?
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LD said 10:18AM on 1-17-2006
What a rip-off for something so very simple. Use rsync and cron and you get the same end result. Someone needs to simply slap a GUI on it.
This is way overpriced.
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Herv?ainct said 10:59AM on 1-17-2006
I recently decided to seriously analyze synchronizers, and found there are dozens and dozens.
Simply typing "synchronize" in MacUpdate doesn't find them all, nor in OSXApps, and in the end I found the PureMac page the most interesting: http://www.pure-mac.com/backup.html
Indeed you may have very different criteria for syncing or preparing backups.
Will your synchronizer detect that this file has been modified on both sides (many poor designs won't even detect the conflict, just replacing the oldest one with the most recent)?
Can you ask to be presented beforehand with an understandable list of what *is about to happen*, and not only log files when "too late"?
Will the log file be readable, not too short, not too long? (a 10-pages one with absolutely everything is, yes, unusable)
Will the scheduling involve the (outdated) cron, Apple's replacement for it, a separate system, how safe? How does it behave when you switch on or wakeup the mac too late?
How old is it, this nifty application? Maybe worth selecting one that's more than one year old, just to avoid infancy bugs.
Will the syncing also transport unix file attributes, old macintoshes' resource forks, won't you want to filter some files (would it be just the Finder's invisible ones, which otherwise will systematically conflict)?
What if in the end you'll want to perform, in fact, two syncs or backups (after all, why not also my prefs files, and my accounts folder...), will your application handle more than the one-at-a-time way?
Will you prefer open-source software, cross-platform utilities, independent cool developers, good old unix apps?
When you have answered all of this, you'll still find there are at least two or three that match. Out of 100, which is not bad ;-)
Herv?r>
(user of Synk)
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LD said 11:35AM on 1-17-2006
What's wrong with cron and why do you think it's outdated? Thousands of *nix admins would disagree.
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Ron Martinez said 11:59AM on 1-17-2006
Spare us the mysogyny and stick to Apple. We don't really care if you're afraid of women unless they're like an easy-to-use utility. And those of us with daughters, mothers, or sisters hate being obliged to burn energy on this stuff.
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Scott McNulty said 12:17PM on 1-17-2006
Ron, it was a joke. I'm not afraid of women (well, I'm sure there are some women I should be afraid of).
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Mac Diva said 2:09PM on 1-17-2006
Thanks for speaking up, Ron. One reason tech blogs have low readership by women is that we're disgusted by remarks such as Scott's.
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Scott McNulty said 2:40PM on 1-17-2006
I must point out, once again, that it was a joke. A joke which would not have been effective if I had followed it up with 'I respect women and only meant this as a silly little joke.'
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Ron Martinez said 3:23PM on 1-17-2006
Scott, your defense that this is just a joke is forcing me to respond again... I told you I didn't like having to burn up energy on this stuff. ; )
Maybe this will help. Think of a racially or ethnically derogatory joke you may have heard. Now imagine telling it at a speaking engagement where people of that racial or ethnic group are attendance to hear your thoughts about Apple.
This is analogous to the joke in your post. And pointing out that it's just a joke wouldn't make it magically okay. If this isn't clear enough, take your "easy-to-use" women joke and replace "women" with ethnic or racial group _______, in your next post on small developer software.
Scott, if nothing else, respect the dignity of readers who give you their precious time and attention. And please get back to doing what we enjoy here at TUAW!
Best,
Ron
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Scott McNulty said 3:40PM on 1-17-2006
Ron, I appreciate your comments and your readership, and since this is only one in over 900 posts I have written for TUAW have no fear that I am doing what you enjoy (I hope at least that you enjoy most of my posts).
We have both spent too much time on this one little throw away joke that I wrote in less than a minute, so I agree with you. Let's move on!
Oh, and once more I love women, though sadly most don't love me (wise cracks or not). ;)
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microChasm said 3:53PM on 1-17-2006
Why pay for this software when you can get the same thing for free without limitation.
Even though Microsoft just bought this company its still for free and works well from my standpoint and usage.
FolderShare for Mac and Windoz
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Dave said 3:57PM on 1-17-2006
I think everyone should lighten up and stop being so sensitive...geez. You all must spend half your time being offended by one thing or another if this little comment got your undies in such a bunch. Get over it.
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Ron Martinez said 4:46PM on 1-17-2006
"13. I think everyone should lighten up and stop being so sensitive...geez. You all must spend half your time being offended by one thing or another if this little comment got your undies in such a bunch. Get over it."
Dave, could say the same about you. Must be a lot of hours in your day to get offended about a comment about a comment. Unbunch your own undies, dude.
Ron
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Julie said 8:05PM on 1-17-2006
Though I appreciate the thought behind Ron's objections to Scott's joke, I have to come to his defense as a feminist and as a woman, and as Scott's friend. I do probably scare Scott, but he's never let that get in the way of being my friend, and I've never ever heard Scott say and have never ever seen Scott act in a manner I find offensive to women. Scott is one of the good guys.
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Joel S said 10:08PM on 1-17-2006
Once again I am amazed at the lack of good syncing software for the Mac OR the PC (that I know of). I am a user of both a laptop (for travel) and desktop (my main machine). I, like lots of other similar users I've spoken with, want the laptop contents to be IDENTICAL to those of the desktop. Not just FOLDERS synced, but iCal, Address Book, iTunes, and EVERYTHING ELSE.
Yet NOBODY makes a program that allows you to simply check off what you'd like synced:
_ sync iCal?
_ sync iPhoto?
_ sync your User folder?
etc. This is technically nothing particularly difficult, I'm sure, but even in 2006 we're supposed to get excited because a program allows us to sync a file folder.
What gives?
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Herv?ainct said 5:23AM on 1-18-2006
Joel S, I think iBackup does exactly what you describe (providing a default list of "your usual folders" to choose from at its first launch). Check the pureMac site I mentioned earlier.
May I take this opportunity to mention I too am shocked by the "like I like my women" issue (which I fear I already read on TUAW in the past). But I am more pessimistic than the previous posters. I think Scott has no intention to change or even think about it.
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Ohio Guy said 2:45PM on 1-18-2006
Scott..we love ya..it was funny. Leave it up to these Mac types to get all PC around here.
I bet Steve J laughed.
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