Authors J.A. Konrath, Blake Crouch, Lee Goldberg, J. Carson Black, and Scott Nicholson are running up a lovely promotion for their combined 5-book “Ultimate Thriller Box Set” by giving away 10 Kindle Fires and other prizes. The promotion is called Big Kindle Boogie, and you can find out more at http://bigkindleboogie.blogspot.com/.

Digging around online, all the buzz revolves around the FREE KINDLE FIRES and the PRIZES, but I can’t seem to find out anything about the contents of this “Ultimate Thriller Box Set.” Can’t even find the titles of the stories involved. Are they a secret? It certainly is suspenseful.

What really is thrilling is finally seeing someone promote the Kindle Fire over the i-pad. But I wonder if there is an actual “box” involved in this “box set”? I”m guessing that these are e-books, since they’re giving away Kindle Fires and all, so I wouldn’t get my hopes up for a physical box.

Here’s the official press release:

WIN A KINDLE FIRE IN THE BIG KINDLE BOOGIE

10 Free Kindle Fires, 75 free ebooks, $300 in gift cards, a $500 library donation! Entries for 10 free Kindle Fires are already underway at http://bigkindleboogie.blogspot.com and gift cards are bing randomly awarded on Twitter for those who tweet about the Big Kindle Boogie.

On Feb. 1-2, bestselling thriller authors J.A. Konrath, Blake Crouch, J. Carson Black, Lee Goldberg, and Scott Nicholson are making 75 Kindle books free on Amazon. They are also making a $500 donation to the local library of one Kindle Fire winner. They are also releasing the five-book Ultimate Thriller Box Set for free during the event. Contest is international, no purchase necessary. You can also join the Facebook party at http://www.facebook.com/BigKindleBoogie.

Three easy ways to enter:

• Use the entry counters at http://bigkindleboogie.blogspot.com
• You can also enter manually by tweeting to be eligible for Kindle Fires and Amazon gift cards: 10 free Kindle Fires. 75 free ebooks. http://bit.ly/xWOoKN #bigkindleboogie RT to enter for a Fire!
• You can email bigkindleboogie@yahoo.com ONCE PER DAY with “Boogie entry” as subject line

Everything free, everything fun. Good luck!

So spread the word and best of luck!

What is Small Business Saturday?

I was surprised to learn that the idea to support local, independently owned and operated businesses over the holiday season was created by one of the biggest, nameless, faceless businesses of all time.

In November 2010, American Express promoted Small Business Saturday – a companion to  Black Friday and Cyber Monday, in which people were encouraged to patronize local brick-and-mortar stores instead of the mega-franchises.

This is clearly a Sign of the Apocalypse. But I think it’s a great idea. (Small Business Saturday, not the Apocalypse. No, wait. On second thought, they’re both pretty good ideas.) Actually, the idea behind Small Business Saturday isn’t altruistic. Small businesses take credit cards too, and American Express gets their cut whether you buy from a megastore or from an author who uses paypal or square to take credit cards at book signings/readings.

The Smallest Business is One Person

I’d actually suggest taking this concept a tiny step further. If you’re choosing to indulge in the post-thanksgiving consumerist binge, consider supporting products and services directly from local providers. I mean buying art directly from the artist. Not from a business. Not even from a small local business, but from PEOPLE.

Buy directly from the people who actually make the product or perform the service. 

It isn’t hard to find artists and crafters who live and work in your city: musicians, authors, salons, woodworkers, etc. Although they may not have a storefront. You may have to catch them at public appearances, or possibly through their websites. Finding them can be more fun than scouring the soul-crushing Mall of America.

I think this kind of gift is more thoughtful and meaningful to not just the gifter and the giftee, but also to your local artists. And it beats the hell out of a gift card to the mega-store.

I’ll take this opportunity to point out some independent artists from the Minneapolis area who are worth raving about. Want to make your gift extra-extra-special for no extra charge? Ask the artist to sign a personalized “Merry Christmas to…” for the recipient.

Minneapolis Musicians

Track down these great bands at a local show and buy the CD direct from the musician or through their websites.

• All The Pretty Horses have a CD release party on 2 Dec, along with Hastings 3000
• Check out the Phantom Tails/Fort Wilson Riot split vinyl release party on 3 Dec, and get two band releases for the price of one!
• Mark Mallman always has something going on.
• Mayda, Dosh, STNNNG, Tapes-n-Tapes, POS, Gay Witch Abortion, No Bird Sing, Haley Bonar, Peter Wolf Crier, and about a billion more to choose from. If all else fails, download Jagged Spiral’s album Days From Evil for free, burn it to a CD and say you paid for it.
• City Pages has an entire directory of Minneapolis bands.
• Check out vita.mn for local shows.

Minneapolis Authors

These authors have the occasional local reading/appearance, or contact them through their websites:

• Michael Merriam – Speculative Fiction, Paranormal Romance
• Abra Staffin Wiebe – Speculative Fiction, Steampunk and Fantasy
• Dana Baird – Young Adult Fiction
• Terry Faust – Speculative Fiction and Sci-Fi
• Christopher Valen – Crime
• Conrad Zero – Dark Fiction. Duh.
• Check out Magers and Quinn, Once Upon A Crime, Dreamhaven Books, and Uncle Hugo’s for more local author events, readings and recommendations.
• City Pages lists reading events here.

Minneapolis Artists

Musicians and authors are the company I keep, so it’s harder for me to list other local artists by name. But finding them for yourself can be half the fun.

• Anna Lee has some great fashion designs.
• Julia Leigh gives fun dance lessons, which would make a unique gift!
• Again, local news sources and search engines are your friend

Happy Consumering!

One thing that Buy Nothing Day and Small Business Saturday have in common is taking your money back from the fat-cats. You should consider where your money goes all the time, not just for one weekend of the year. Where does your money go if you buy at Walmart? Who knows? But if you buy from a local human being, you know. And there’s the added incentive that you are helping to improve the art in your community by supporting local artists.

If you know of more local artists people can support directly, list them in the comments.

And remember: consumerism is not the spirit of the holiday, and neither is giving each other gift cards.

 Yours Darkly,

Nothing? That's Exactly What I Wanted!

Friends, Food and Firearms Make Great Gifts for Dark Fiction Authors

Many dark fiction authors are Nihilists and/or Buddhists, which makes gift-buying notoriously difficult.  What do you buy for someone who’s let go of material concerns and doesn’t want anything at all?

But don’t worry. I’ve compiled a short list of sure-fire gifts that will have the dark fiction author in your life smirking broadly. (They never smile. True.)

1 – A Thesaurus

As we all know, a thesaurus is the resultant offspring of a Magical Liopleurodon and a Balrog of Morgoth. Thesauri only eat live mammals, and they eat a lot. The City of Minneapolis bans walking thesauri during daylight hours, which makes them perfect companions for our dark fiction friends here in flyover-land.

I got one, and while I don’t see why a thesaurus is a MUST for authors in general, but I can tell you their temperament is a perfect match for dark fiction authors. They make very loyal pets, and they’re a great inspiration for story material.

Added Benefit: Having a thesaurus also keeps stalker fans and agents from visiting.

2 – Unicorn Meat

Even dark fiction authors have to eat. And where else can you get a full day’s supply of sparkles AND magic? Radiant Farms Canned Unicorn Meat is sure to hit the spot, and give any dark fiction author a boost of energy during those late-night manuscript revisions.

My thesaurus LOVES unicorn meat, but as I said, it only eats live mammals, which makes unicorn meat an extremely rare treat at my house.  Which is a good thing, because cleanup is a bitch.

3 – Mossberg 590A1 Tactical Shotgun

Dark fiction authors have manuscripts to defend. They got mouths to feed. And keeping unruly agents, stalker fans, unicorns and thesauri in line cannot be left to standard-issue armament.

Hence, the Mossberg 590A1 Tactical Shotgun:

Perfect for keeping unruly Agents, Stalkers, Unicorns and Thesauri in line.

9 shot. 12 gauge. An aluminum stock that does more positions than the Kama Sutra. And it comes in Dark-Fiction-Author-Black.

I highly recommend Glaser Safety Slugs for indoor use.

Comments?

It’s a short list, I know, but beyond friends, food, and firearms, there’s not much to pique the interest of your average dark fiction author.

If you know of other great gifts for authors of dark fiction, be sure to drop your suggestions in the comments below.

Most authors have blogs, and most bloggers know about problogger.net. It’s a great resource to help you build a better blog.

I’ve been following Darren Rowse over at ProBlogger.com for years now, and I have to admit that his 31 Days To Build A Better Blog e-book / workbook is well worth buying. This handy, concentrated source of blog-tastic info should be the first stop for authors looking to increase their traffic, networking and conversion rates on their blog.

I purchased last year’s edition of 31 Days to Build A Better Blog, and just the few changes I implemented from that book throughout 2011 have helped my blog traffic and subscriber count grow significantly. I can’t contribute all the traffic growth to Darren Rowse, but I know that 31DBBB helped. I didn’t think twice about buying the 2012 edition, which was just released.

Over the next several weeks I’ll work with the updated version of 31DBBB and work a little harder to implement the tips there. My goal is to double my existing traffic and subscription rates, just in time for the end of the world on 21 Dec 2012.

This video game trailer is amazing. Its actually heart-wrenching. It’s better than most movie trailers.

Most astonishing of all, it’s also very violent and disturbing.

It’s a trailer for a zombie shooter video game called Dead Island, by company Deep Silver. Looks like a cross between Far Cry and Left 4 Dead.

I’ve never seen a trailer for a shoot-em-up game that made me want to cry. Don’t know if the game can live up to the trailer, but nice work.

Apple iCloud vs. Amazon Cloud Player vs. Google Music Beta

Online music storage is the future that replaces MP3 players, just like MP3 players replaced CD players, just like CD players replaced cassette players. The beauty of accessing your music where ever you go on whatever device you have available might just launch a renaissance of music appreciation. Or not. At the very least, it keeps your music backed up for you, and there’s some free options, so you should at least check them out.

PCMag.com has a great article describing the differences between Amazon, Apple and Google’s online music players.

I’m in on the Google Music Beta and I’ve been choking my internet connection with about 60GB of music that’s been uploading for the last two days. People complain about how long it takes for the initial upload, but seriously, 60GB is a preposterous amount of data. People are quick to dismiss data size because hard drive space is so cheap but seriously, it would take you MONTHS of listening for 24 hours a day just to play through all that music. And once its up on the cloud, it only needs to sync changes.

Too bad it took so long for online music storage to get popular – mp3tunes.com has been doing online music storage for YEARS. Sadly, their business model doesn’t work. 2GB is not enough space for all my music. And paying for more space is not reasonable. If I was going to pay for storage, I’d pay for generic online file storage like Dropbox or SugarSync that works for all my data files, docs and pictures, not just music.

Ah, music storage in the cloud. Ah, no DRM. Ah, no Apple or Itunes involved. Life is good. My nest step is to pick up a 4G phone so I have access to my entire music library almost anywhere. Can I get a Hell Yeah?

Google prepares for world domination with new product lines.

Sure Google is Evil but so is my ex. But just because they’re evil doesn’t mean they aren’t attractive. Buzz on the web indicates Google is poised to shake some pillars just in time for the end of the world in 2012.

Project Tungsten

Mobiledia reports that Google is nearly finished with a “Smarthome” platform code-named Project Tungsten.  This is straight out of every damned future-movie we’ve ever watched. You pull up the driveway and the door unlocks, the lights turn on, (to a preset level dependent on time of day and ambient light intensity) the stereo pulls up your favorite playlist, and your android-enabled kitchen mixes you an unnecessarily strong Iron Butterfly.

Just add a holographic model in a French-maid outfit, and we’re all set. Except we will need a new vision of what the new future living quarters will look like.

Google Music Player

Finally. I’ve been waiting for someone…anyone to come out with a decent music player and online storage system  so I can tell Microsoft and Apple both to suck it.

I would have bet money on Amazon’s new cloud storage, or maybe Dropbox or Sugarsync, but I never thought our musical savior would be Google. Lifehacker.com gives a sneak peak of Google’s new cloud music player.  Store 20,000 songs in the cloud, and access them through the android smartphone app. Yet another way to suck both your phone batteries and your data plan minutes dry, but it trounces carrying two devices or suffering with I-tunes.

By invite only, so make sure to get on the list.

Google Voice

I was grandfathered into Google Voice a few years ago when they bought Grand Central, so this service isn’t very *new* and I’m surprised that Google really hasn’t bothered to promote the “One Number To Rule Them All” but I think it’s a damned miracle. One number rings all your phones at once, or you can set rules based on time of day or the incoming number. For example, if anyone from my Family group calls between 8AM and 5PM, then forward to these phones. If my student loan officer calls at any time,  dump it directly to voicemail.

Custom messages means you can leave a “Hi There! I sure am sorry I missed your call!” for your mom and your sweetie, while unlisted numbers get the generic “Leave  a message, but don’t hold your breath.”

Messages left for you get translated into text and e-mailed to you, meaning you can actually get your voicemail messages during meetings with your ringer turned off, AND messages are now stored forever in your e-mail, AND searchable via text.

I could keep going, but QED. Google Voice rocks, and the reason I add this to the list is because Microsoft just announced plans to purchase the mega-online phone mogul, Skype. This action alone will call attention to Google Voice as an option, and  so they won’t even have to promote it, and it may force Google’s hand and make them fess up as to their big plans for such an awesome and underrated service.

Regardless, I predict that you’ll be hearing more about Google Voice in the near future.

Google TV

And if that wasn’t enough, Google TV should just about clench it.

Evil is the new Good

So Google’s got your personal communication device, your entertainment center and your house in their digital pocket. Oh yes, and they are sifting through your contact list so they got all that, too.  I’m just going to send them my credit card now and get it over with. Who am I kidding? They probably already have it.

When you add it up, it really does look like Google is going to take over the world. Maybe it should. Google may not be able to run for President of the United States of America, but it could certainly take a position as a world-dominating authority. Google knows all our secrets (Well, except maybe China)  so it wouldn’t be a difficult task.

Come on Google, you’ve already botched your Don’t Be Evil slogan, and Be Evil, but just evil enough to make your online experience better isn’t going to cut it.

If you don’t step up and take over the world, I’ve got Cthulhu on speed-dial. Wait a minute, does Cthulhu own controlling stock in Google? That would explain a lot.

Click the image to go to Malwarebytes.org

True, there’s nothing exciting about computer security programs, but you don’t use them because they’re exciting. You use them to PREVENT exciting. Losing your manuscripts to malware (short for ‘malicious software’) is very exciting, and it’s exactly what you’re trying to avoid by loading programs like Malwarebytes AntiMalware.

I know, the name is awful. But the program is FREE for personal use, and I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Malwarebytes (along with an antivirus scan) is my standard “PC Tune-up” if someone complains that their computer is Slow or exhibiting strange behavior.

What is Malware?

You might say, “But Zero, I have an awesome antivirus program! Why do I need anything else?” It’s important to understand that AntiVirus programs protect against Viruses. Malware is a larger category.

You can read the full definition of Malware on wikipedia.org. Note that Malware includes rootkits, trojan horses, worms, backdoors, and specific kinds of viruses intended to allow others to gain access to your computer. Your antivirus program isn’t looking for all these things. Some antivirus programs (McAfee, Symantec, etc.) add malware detection as an option, but MalwareBytes is still a good ‘second opinion’ for any existing security software.

How to Use Malwarebytes AntiMalware

Using Malwarebytes AntiMalware is simple.

1 – Download/install

Go to malwarebytes.org. Download the free version, and install.

2 – Update the program.

Use the “update” button, and repeat updates until you get the message that you have the latest version. Some version updates require a complete uninstall/reinstall of the program and a reboot of the computer.

Malwarebytes gets new updates often, sometimes several times a day, so if you have to re-run the scan, make sure to check for updates again.

3 – Run a full scan of the local drives.

This could take some time, especially if you have larger/multiple drives or a slower system. If you are in a hurry, close down everything else running on the system and raise the priority level of the scan using Task Manager.

The first time Malwarebytes runs it always finds something. Don’t be disturbed if you see cookies, or Potentially Unwanted Settings listed.

4 – Remove All Selected.

If you like, browse through the list of malware found during the scan. This info is saved in the Log section for future reference, so there’s no need to write it down.

Click the “Remove All Selected” button. This will delete/uninstall the listed malware programs and settings.

5 – Repeat as Necessary

This is important: If AntiMalware found anything odd, especially anything like a trojan horse, malware, rootkit or anything fishy, repeat this process from step 2 -  “update the program” and keep repeating steps 2-5 until the scan comes back clean.

Repeat scanning until you see this message.

Problems?

There are several problems you can run into:

• Malwarebytes AntiMalware won’t install, run or update
• It shuts down and completely disappears during a scan
• The same malware keeps showing up over and over in scans, despite being ‘removed’.

In these cases, you probably need to start your computer in Safe Mode with Networking and repeat the steps. If you don’t know how to do that, call your techy-friend. You know the one. Or call me, I have reasonable rates – you just have to come to one of my book signings, act like a deranged stalker fan, and buy at least one of my books while raving about how great it’s going to be. Not that you weren’t going to do that anyway.

Or you can check Malwarebytes awesome support forums. Check to see if someone else had a problem like yours, and what they did to solve it. Or post your issue and it won’t take long for someone to reply with steps to take to resolve your problem.

Extra Credit

If you like Malwarebytes AntiMalware, please consider purchasing the paid version from their online store. The paid version acts more like an anti-virus application. It starts up with your operating system and runs in the system tray, actively monitoring for malware, and actively updating itself in the background so you are always up to date with the latest protection. The free version only launches/updates/runs manually.

Paying for Malwarebytes AntiMalware not only supports a high-quality application, it also gives Malwarebytes programmers money so they can buy my latest novel. So you’re really helping us both out.

The Great Software For Great Authors Series

As both an I.T. guy and a writer, I get exposed to many different computer programs that are useful not only to computer users, but authors in particular.  So I created the Great Software for Great Authors series, where I discuss software that can help authors in their quest to be more organized, efficient and successful.

So here’s the disclaimer. I’ve used all the software listed in this series, and found it useful enough to give it a hearty recommendation for my fellow authors, as well as the Conrad Zero Ubercool Seal of Approval. I’m not related in any way to the software companies I endorse, and they have not paid me for my recommendation. There may be affiliate links in this blog post and website which provide a token fee to me if people buy the software after clicking through from my links, but this is my recommendation only and not an advertisement.

I love to hear from other authors. If you agree/disagree with my opinion or have an alternative recommendations, please post them in the comments section.

Electronic Arts and Visceral Release New Chapter of Horror Sci-Fi Adventure

You start Dead Space 2 wearing a straitjacket. You couldn’t wield a weapon if you had one. Wanna live? Then mash the RUN key and run for your f**ing life, while hideous monsters called necromorphs chase you down, each of them eager to take your body apart in high definition. Good luck.

Dead Space 2 adds to the list of Electronic Arts (EA) Games I’ve raved about (namely Mass Effect and Dragon Age) that make EA the MGM of Video Games. These are more than just video games, they make you feel like the lead character in a movie. The level of detail in every aspect of the gameplay is sick. In a good way.

I just completed the game, and the folks at Visceral should be proud. They really did their homework. Check out this article from Wired that covers their disturbing analysis of anatomy. The writers spin an intriguing story, and the game designers know the tricks of pacing and timing. The musical score would give Howard Shore goosebumps, and I was pleased to hear Russian Circles contributing some audio kick-ass to the soundtrack. Dead Space 2 has an engaging plot, puzzles, environments, characters, conflicts and complications that distract you from the horror, and then… Well, let’s just hope you have a change of underwear handy.

Those familiar with shooters like Doom 3 are in for a surprise. There’s no pause button here. Browse through your inventory for too long, and your body parts are likely to become inventory for something else. Ammo and weapons are scarce, so you can’t just shoot at everything that moves. You eventually inherit a plasma cutter that’s about as dangerous as large Swingline Stapler. You’ll scavenge for clips to reload it, and you better make every shot count. No spray-and-pray here, Choirboy.

No more gentle deaths, either. No more, “Oh I’m floating up into the sky, looking down at my body! How peaceful! Is there a tunnel?” Trust me, watching yourself get pummeled, crushed, dismembered, skewered, decapitated by necromorphs or chopped in half by an airlock is not for the squeamish. One screwup, and you’ll get a lesson in internal anatomy: yours.

And just see if you can make it through a mini-game of running a drill press into your own eye. You need a steady hand for this one. In fact, you probably won’t get it right the first time, and even if you get it right and “win” it still looks painful.

Instead of downplaying the gruesomeness of the game, EA and Visceral Games embrace the horror. Check out www.yourmomhatesthis.com to see Moms’ reactions to this game. Marketing Genius.

More of the Same?

I won’t lie, Dead Space 2 is simply an extended version of the original Dead Space with a multiplayer option and some general improvements. You play the same character, Issac Clarke, and your story picks up several months after the end of events in Dead Space 1. I recognized plenty of graphics textures and sounds from the original game, as well as many of the monsters and weapons. Health monitor, stasis, suits, stores, benches, power nodes, upgrades and more are all straight out of the first game.

But this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The original game was top-notch, and 2 is as good if not better. It’s safe to say that if Dead Space didn’t put you in the loony bin, you need Dead Space 2.

So What’s New?

Multi-horror… er, I mean Multi-player

Dead Space 2 adds in the ability to play with/against others online. I dig the occasional multi-player mayhem, but I certainly did not buy Dead Space 2 to play with/against others. The multiplayer option of Dead Space 2 seems like an afterthought to compete with L4D2 or cave in to fanboy demands, very similar to the way F.E.A.R. handled it.

I’d gladly trade in the multiplayer component of Dead Space 2 for pretty much anything else. More content in the single-player version, or a reduced price. Maybe they could sell the multiplayer component as a separate add-on for people who actually want it?

Zero G x 360

Dead Space 1 had a short section of Zero Gravity, but all you could do was jump straight across the room. In Dead Space 2, you have micro-thrusters built into your suit, so you can maneuver around in zero gravity. The controls are intuitive and you can press “Z” to reorient yourself to the floor. Zero G is unsettling all by its self, but when you add in 3-D 0-G puzzles, traps, necromorphs and a fricking countdown timer that shows how much air you have left before you DIE… well, the results are uberharrowing.

No time for posing, gotta go decapitate some necromorphs.

Story 2.0

The story from Dead Space 1 continues in the single-player version of Dead Space 2. You wake up in an insane asylum long after the events on board the USG Ishimura, and you have no memory what’s happened since then. The military wants you dead for reasons unknown. Religious zealots want you alive for reasons to horrible to mention. There really isn’t anyone to trust, not even yourself, since your exposure to the artifact has left you with hallucination scenes of your dead girlfriend that are possibly the most frightening part of the game.

Oh, and let’s not forget the necromorphs. Lots and lots of necromorphs, who want everything dead. Including you.

Especially you.

Weapons of Gross Destruction

There’s your old friends the line gun and plasma cutter, the assault rifle (my primary weapon), and the force rifle and flamethrower which are made for swarms of necromorphettes.  But one of the new kids on the block is the Javelin gun, which pins bad guys right to the wall. Gotta love that rag-doll physics engine. Use the line gun to sever creatures legs to slow them down, or their arms to limit their attacks, or their heads to limit their lifespan.

Ah yes, and you stomp on corpses to loot them, crushing them into bloody bits. Genius.  And the sound is spot on. [Editor's Note: How do you know this?]

In fact, anything you can pick up is a weapon: chairs, magazines, plants, debris… What the hell are all these long, metal spikes laying around for? Heh. And just when you thought it couldn’t get any more disgusting, use your telekinesis power to pick up and hurl body parts as weapons.

Breadcrumbs 2.0

Never thought I’d be comfortable playing an RPG without a map, but the stellar ‘breadcrumbs’ feature from Dead Space made me a believer. Just press a button, and a line on the floor shows you which way to go. No more getting lost or turned around. No more pulling up maps that take you out of the game.

In Dead Space 2, the breadcrumbs feature gets an upgrade. Now you can also use it to find the nearest store, game save location or upgrades bench.

Opportunities for Improvement

Weapons Improvement Matrix

I like the idea of using power nodes to upgrade your equipment, but whoever thought up the weapons improvement matrix should be shot with their own line gun. Power nodes aren’t handed out like Pez, you gotta work for them. Plugging power nodes into a matrix where they don’t actually increase weapon stats is a poor return-on-investment. While you can reallocate your power nodes, it’s still frustrating to have to pick some arbitrary upgrade path just to improve the features you want. Please. Either one upgrade per power node, or make them cheaper/more available.

EA Download Manager = Way Too Little, Way Too Late

Dead Space 2 comes bundled with an optional utility called “EA Download Manager”. Beware. This is simply a poor knockoff of Steam, a utility created by Valve that was released over a year ago and is Far Far Superior:

• Steam works with almost all game companies. EA Download Manager connects you to the EA store, which only sells EA Games. You can actually buy Dead Space 2 through Steam, but you can’t buy Blade Kitten through EA Download Manager. Nyah.
• Steam software keeps your installation media and keys in the cloud, and keeps your game software updated in the background. EA Download Manager only updates EA Games. Supposedly. It didn’t show Dead Space 2 after I installed it, even though that’s the game it came bundled with. WTF?
• Steam offers in-game voice chat and a picture uploader.
• Steam offers social networking. You can find your friends and see what they’re playing, and the lobby feature lets you gang up and hang out ‘backstage’ to make sure everything is working before launching into the game.
• Steam tracks stats and achievements.
• Steam did it first, and does it better.

Business 101 – if you want people to switch to your product, you have to offer something the existing competition DOES NOT OFFER. No one wants to run two gaming clients in the background, and no one’s going to ditch all their existing Steam friends, achievements, and purchased games just so they can run your limited knockoff.

The only thing EA Download Manager might be useful for is updating your EA game software. But shouldn’t this ability should be left built into the game? Don’t separate a necessary component from the game, connect it to your online store and call it a fucking feature.

Usability vs Piracy

The video game industry is still struggling to strike a balance between PC game accessibility and protection against piracy. Obviously, the game makers can’t just leave the game unlocked, but they also can’t have you calling in to their office with a note signed by your mother each time you want to play. Dead Space 2 hits you up for e-mail, username and password each time you start up. Yes, even to play the single-player version. Annoying, but you can cancel past that if you just want to play the single-player version.

Sadly, if that’s what it takes to make the game companies comfortable releasing games to the PC market, then I won’t bitch too loudly about it. Of course, these copy protection schemes doesn’t stop people from breaking the games and dropping them on torrents. Yes, I could probably get Dead Space 2 for free, but I don’t want game companies to drop the PC market for the console market. Notice that Red Dead Redemption is NOT available for PC, which is a shame. The way I see it, my money goes to a good cause, and is also a vote to keep game companies interested in the PC market.

Executive Summary: UberHorror + UberAdventure = UberAwesome

Dead Space 2 is a disgustingly gruesomely horrific masterpiece sure to give you paranoia, high blood pressure, a nervous tic, seizures, a heart attack, and (if you survive all that) post-traumatic stress disorder. In other words, bloody awesome fun, and worthy of the Conrad Zero UberCool Seal of Approval.

Backup your Bestsellers and Synchronize your Screenplays Automagically

If you’re a writer, then I’ll bet your stomach ties in a knot every time you hear of a hard-drive failure or a virus that corrupts data. You put lots of time into writing that epic saga, and you know how much work you stand to lose if it’s lost forever and you are forced to start over.

You know you have to back up your data.

If you use multiple computers to access your writing files, the problem gets bigger. No one knows when the Muse may give chase, and you may find yourself using several different computers (Home, Work, Laptop, Mobile, Etc…) even on the same day. You need the current version of your manuscript accessible, no matter where you are, and no matter which computer you’re on. You could lose hours of work because you started working on (or saved over) the wrong version of your novel-in-progress. I know, because I’ve done it. It’s no fun comparing two Word documents side by side, trying to figure out which one has the most current edits.

Sometimes a backup isn’t good enough. You need something that keeps files both backed up, and up to date on all your computers.

You need your data synchronized.

Automatic for the Authors

The key is automation. If you automate the process of backup/sync, then you don’t have to think about it anymore. I don’t have room in my brain for all the massive plots and deep characters I try to write about, much less file-backup routines.  Thankfully, there are many softwares and services available to work in the background and keep things backed up automagically.

For years, I’ve used Microsoft’s amazingly underrated Mesh technology to keep my data backed up and synced across multiple computers. However, in spring of 2011, Microsoft Mesh will no longer support the Windows XP operating system, so I no longer support Microsoft Mesh. If all your computers are running Windows Vista or newer you should check it out.

If you only need a backup solution, you might check with your internet service provider. Some ISP’s offer free online backup utilities. (I know Qwest offers 2 GB of free online storage for their customers.) This might be all you need, especially if you only use one computer. Pro users looking for data security and encryption should check out Carbonite. But these are just backup solutions. If you need to sync files between multiple computers, there’s a better way. In fact, there’s several better ways, but I’m going to tell you about the two most popular.

SugarSync vs Dropbox

There are many companies out there providing online file backup/storage/sharing services: Mozy.com, Box.net, Amazon’s S3, and even bizarre products like Pogoplug abound, but the two big names currently tossed around online regarding file sync are SugarSync and Dropbox. Dropbox is getting rave reviews, but I tested them both extensively and found that SugarSync was better in many ways.

Website Info

Trying to find info about Dropbox on the Dropbox website was not only frustrating, but actually impossible. The Dropbox.com website is nothing but a funnel, with all paths leading eventually to a useless video that tells you what Dropbox does. I already know what it does, that’s why I went there. I wanted to know about file size limits, bandwidth limits, versioning, supported platforms and more, but all I could find was that condescending video.

Do you know where I finally found info on Dropbox? On SugarSync.com! Click on the product comparison chart to see SugarSync vs. all their competition, including Dropbox.

FREE Storage Space

The pricing and storage limits of Dropbox and SugarSync shift around more than the time changes in a Jagged Spiral song, but they both offer a limited amount of FREE storage, and I know that FREE should be well within most author’s budgets. Currently, SugarSync offers 5GB for free, vs Dropbox’s 2GB. For many authors, this might be more than enough. But if you need more space and have a couple bucks a month to spare,  you get more space for less money on SugarSync.

Pricing

Here’s how the pricing stacks up as of Feb 2011:

Sugarsync:

• 5GB = Free
• 30GB = $4.99 / mo or $49.99 /year
• 60GB = $9.99 /mo or $99.99 /year
• 100GB = $14.99 /mo or $149.99 /year
• 250GB = $24.99 /mo or  $249.99 /year

Dropbox:

• 2GB = Free
• 50GB = $9.99 /mo
• 100GB = $19.99 /mo

This storage and pricing will probably change in the next thirty seconds, but the price per GB of storage will only decrease over time as hard drive space becomes less expensive.

File Selection

Screenshot of SugarSync in action. Note the little green check marks that let my know my files are synced.

Another difference between the two programs is that SugarSync will let you add any folder from your computer to the sync, while Dropbox has one and only one folder for sync. SugarSync’s interface for adding folders to your sync is clunky, but I prefer it over the One-Sync-Folder-To-Rule-Them-All mentality of Dropbox.

SugarSync adds a context menu to Windows Right-Click, but it’s close to worthless. Both programs put an icon in the system tray, so you can get at the programs that way, but I’m afraid we’ll just have to wait for a better interface that really integrates into the operating system.

Once these programs are set, they both work the same way. The status of any file or folder is shown by an overlay on the corresponding icon.

Online Access

Once your files are synced up to SugarSync or Dropbox, you can access them through the internet, via the respective websites. Just login and you can browse through your files, download, upload, delete and manage your filesharing with others.

File Sharing

Both SugarSync and Dropbox let you share your data from the online storage with others.

Both Dropbox and SugarSync allow you to share folders, and folders can only be shared with other users, meaning the person you share a folder with has to create a Dropbox/SugarSync account to view the files in the folder.

SugarSync users can choose whether the share-ees can read-only or if they can modify the files within the folder. This allows for fully collaborative projects, which works great for authors who want to share manuscripts with co-authors, editors, agents, or pre-readers.

SugarSync also allows you to share a single file from your online storage out to the world. Dropbox does not have this ability. Sharing a single file in SugarSync creates a link that you can distribute via e-mail or posting to the web with their handy “Post to Facebook” and “Post to Twitter” buttons. Then others can download the file using that link. The people you share with can only download the file, and the link remains active until you disable it.

Versioning

SugarSync retains the last five versions of all your files, meaning the last 4 changed versions of that file are kept on SugarSync’s website. So if you deleted all that backstory in a drunken rage and saved the changes… guess what? You can still get your old file back!

Dropbox stores versions differently. They save unlimited versions of your file, no matter how many changes you make, but versions are deleted after they become thirty days old. So if you don’t change your file for thirty days, all the revisions are gone. Dropbox offers a “Pack Rat” service which keeps ALL revisions of your files. The Pack Rat service can only be added to a paid account, and it isn’t clear from their lame website if there is an extra charge for this.

Depending on what kind of work you do, you might prefer Dropbox’s versioning system over SugarSync. As a writer, I think SugarSync uses a better method of storing versions. If a file got wrecked last time you saved it, you won’t find out until the next time you open it. But that could be months later. In that case, SugarSync would save your ass, but Dropbox would not, unless you added their optional “pack rat” service.

Support

I tested the support for Dropbox and SugarSync by approaching each with the same simple question:

“Does file versioning use up my storage space? For example, if I have a 1 MB file that has 4 revisions, do those 4 revisions use up 4 MB of my storage?“

SugarSync: Checking their website help, I couldn’t find the answer. Handy e-mail and chat buttons at the top of the page got me through to a tech support chat session easily. The chat window showed 2 customers ahead of me and an estimated wait time of 8 minutes. I waited 14 minutes until an agent came online. The agent was quick to answer my question – versioning does NOT use up storage space.

Dropbox: I took the same question to Dropbox’s help site, and quickly found the answer – versions and deleted items do not count against your storage capacity. Pretending I did not find the answer, I looked for a way to contact a tech support agent. It wasn’t easy, but I did find a form to submit my question. I received a polite and accurate reply two hours later, which verified the info I found. Dropbox also does not count saved file versions against your storage.

The Upshot

The online storage wars are still playing out. Storage space keeps increasing and prices keep decreasing, which means this post might be out of date by the time you read it.  But this is a war where the consumers win.

My recommendation should be obvious – SugarSync has more space for less money with way more features.  The only two reasons you might want to go with Dropbox is that it supports the Linux operating system (SugarSync doesn’t) and Dropbox’s “Pack Rat” feature might interest some authors who want to keep every change they ever made.

But there’s no reason you can’t load both on your computer and get 7GB of free storage space! Try them both and see which service works best for you.  You’re crazy not to take advantage of at least one of them. Get your writings synced up to the cloud, and ditch that sick feeling in your stomach when you hear about hard drive failures and laptop theft.

The Great Software For Great Authors Series

As both an I.T. guy and a writer, I get exposed to many different computer programs that are useful not only to computer users, but authors in particular.  So I created the Great Software for Great Authors series, where I discuss software that can help authors in their quest to be more organized, efficient and successful.

So here’s the disclaimer. I’ve used all the software listed in this series, and found it useful enough to give it a hearty recommendation for my fellow authors, as well as the Conrad Zero Ubercool Seal of Approval. I’m not related in any way to the software companies I endorse, and they have not paid me for my recommendation. There may be affiliate links in this blog post and website which provide a token fee to me if people buy the software after clicking through from my links, but this is my recommendation only and not an advertisement.

I love to hear from other authors. If you agree/disagree with my opinion or have an alternative recommendations, please post them in the comments section.