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Tales from the crypt: A Dropbox recovery story

By Blog, Tips

Dropbox recovery of audio filesI recently received a panicked email from a reader of Dropbox In 30 Minutes who had a question about Dropbox recovery — specifically, recovering shared files:

My name is [redacted]. I have a small recording studio in my home. I have been mixing songs for a Gospel music CD for a client over a couple of weeks. Music is being recorded in various studios around town, and when files are completing they Dropbox them to me and I mix them.

One of the studio engineers sent the files to me one night then called the next morning and ask if he could erase the files on his computer because he needed the space to record a new project. By now you may have guests what comes next. Yep. Whatever rubbed him the wrong way about the producers or the singers or ????

In about 5 days those files where deleted from Dropbox. I never had a chance to download them. Is there anyway to retrieve files that were never downloaded at my end?

There is a lot of time and money and fantastic music to be lost here. The master has to be delivered on Monday. I hate to think that legal action would be an option. I’m not even sure who’s at fault.

Wow, this sounds pretty serious. As someone who once worked in the music industry, I know that losing studio recordings is a big deal. However, in this case, I don’t think it’s necessary to bring in the lawyers, as Dropbox recovery features would likely be available. Here is my response:

Sorry to hear about the problem you are having. If you have never accessed the deleted files, you can’t access them now. HOWEVER, the person who created them CAN recover them if it’s within a certain time period (30 days for free accounts, longer for paid accounts) AND he hasn’t permanently deleted them (most people don’t know how to do this, fortunately). He can then reshare them with you.

This is what I advise:

  1. Have your collaborator log on to the Dropbox website.
  2. He should click on Files > Deleted Files and find the folder with the music files.
  3. Click the file and select RESTORE

At that point, the files will resync to his or her computer. He can reshare them from the computer or from the Dropbox website. Even if he doesn’t have room on his computer to sync the restored files, they can still be shared from the Dropbox website. The links to share will be different than the old links from 5 days ago. IMMEDIATELY sync them and import them into your mixing program so they won’t be lost again!

Good luck with your project, and send me a link to a sample when they’re mixed and mastered!

There are a few morals to this story:

  1. If someone shares important files with you on Dropbox, sync them right away and create a backup. If the owner deletes them later, there is a strong chance no one will be able to recover them. The audio engineer above was lucky, as the deletion had just occurred and even free Dropbox accounts keep “deleted” files for 30 days (unless they are permanently deleted) and the other engineer could probably recover them. But I’ve talked with people who try to get deleted files from a shared Dropbox link months after the fact, and by the it’s too late. Dropbox recovery features simply won’t be available.
  2. If you deal with important work-related files, upgrade to Dropbox Professional, which includes a terabyte of storage space and extends the recovery period to 120 days.

For more tips about how to get the most out of Dropbox, check out Dropbox In 30 Minutes.

Video: How to recover a file or folder on Dropbox.com:

Crowdfunding Basics In 30 Minutes is a finalist in the Foreword INDIES competition

By News

i30 Media Corp., the publisher of IN 30 MINUTES guides, is pleased to announce Crowdfunding Basics In 30 Minutes has been named a finalist in the Foreword INDIES competition, in the Careers category.

The competition is run by Foreword Reviews, an established magazine that publishes reviews of independent books. The official announcement described how this year’s finalists were chosen:

More than 2,000 entries spread across 68 genres were submitted for consideration. The list of finalists was determined by Foreword’s editorial team. Winners are now being decided by a panel of judges across the country, reflecting Foreword’s readership of booksellers and librarians.

INDIES finalists are moved on to final judging by an expert panel of librarians and booksellers curated specifically for each genre and who will determine the books who will be named Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award winners. Winners in each genre—along with Editor’s Choice winners, and Foreword’s INDIE Publisher of the Year—will be announced on June 15, 2018.

About the finalist

In Crowdfunding Basics In 30 Minutes, author and crowdfunding expert Michael J. Epstein explains how to plan and execute a successful crowdfunding campaign. In a single sitting, readers can learn about the different types of crowdfunding projects that are possible, including entrepreneurial startups, creative or artistic projects, charities and community causes, individual support campaigns, and patronage funding. The book covers budgeting basics as well as goal-setting, not to mention the importance of preparing professional-looking campaign assets. Epstein cites his extensive experience organizing crowdfunding campaigns as well examples from some of the hundreds of other campaigns he has backed.

About IN 30 MINUTES guides

i30 Media Corp. is the publisher of In 30 Minutes guides – “Quick guides for a complex world.” Thousands of readers turn to the guides to understand mildly complex topics, ranging from genealogy to software. The tone is friendly and easy to understand, with step-by-step instructions and lots of examples. Top-selling titles include Google Drive & Docs In 30 Minutes, Twitter In 30 Minutes, and LinkedIn In 30 Minutes (which last year received an honorable mention in the Foreword INDIES competition). For more information about the series, visit in30minutes.com.

 

 

 

 

Making calls with your iPhone

By Tips

On any iPhone, tapping the green phone icon opens the Phone app. Owners of newer iPhones (including iPhone 7, iPhone 8, and iPhone X) can also use Peek with a light press on the Phone app icon on the Home screen to call favorite contacts.

Once the app is open, use Keypad to make calls on the fly, but you have other options, too:

  • Favorites shows a list of contacts you have marked as favorite (when editing a contact, scroll down and tap Add to favorites to place it on the list).
  • Recents will list the most recent incoming calls. Tap the name or number to call the person back.
  • Contacts brings up your contact list. If you have added Gmail, Yahoo, or Exchange/Outlook accounts to your iPhone, and enabled the associated contact lists to be shared, those will show up in Contacts, too.
  • Voicemail shows a list of recent voicemail messages. Tap Edit to delete specific messages.

After you have entered the number and pressed the phone icon to start the call, the screen will show other options:

Mute. Turns off the microphone. Tap the microphone icon again to turn it back on.

Keypad. Brings up the keypad, in case you are using an automated system that requires additional input.

Speakers. This creates a hands-free speakerphone, useful for driving, simultaneous typing, or other situations.

Add call. Lets you create a conference call by joining other numbers to the current call.

FaceTime. Switches to the FaceTime app, which can be an audio call or a video conference. The other party will need to have a FaceTime account for this to work.

Contacts. Displays saved contacts.

You can also press the Home button to do other things (check the weather, take pictures, play Battle Monkeys, etc.) while you talk. A green bar will appear at the top of the phone’s screen while a call is in progress; tap it to return to the phone interface.

Incoming and merged calls

By default, incoming phone calls will cause the phone to vibrate, make a ringing sound, and show the incoming number on the screen (or the name, if the number is already in your contact list). You can use the on-screen buttons to answer the phone or decline the call. You can also press the On/Off button to silence the call (the caller won’t know this; it will keep ringing on their end).

iPhone callsIf someone calls while you are already on the phone, you will hear a beep and the screen will display the following options:

  • End & Accept. Hang up the first call, and answer the second call.
  • Send to Voicemail. The second call will be sent to voicemail.
  • Hold & Accept. The first call will be put on hold while you talk to the second caller.

If you use Hold & Accept, you will be shown options to swap back or merge the calls.

Announcing Acid Reflux & Heartburn In 30 Minutes

By News

Newton, Mass., March 7 — Publisher i30 Media today launched Acid Reflux & Heartburn In 30 Minutes: A guide to acid reflux, heartburn, and GERD for patients and families (ISBN: 9781641880077). In the book, author, doctor, and Harvard Medical School Professor J. Thomas Lamont, M.D. uses plain-English explanations, case studies, and illustrations to explain the basics of heartburn and acid reflux, from causes to treatments. Topics include:

  • How the human stomach works
  • How reflux occurs
  • Heartburn symptoms
  • Modern methods to diagnose acid reflux
  • Trigger foods to avoid and acid reflux diets
  • Lifestyle changes for reflux control
  • Acid reflux pillow, bed, and sleeping tips
  • Antacids for heartburn relief, and other heartburn treatments
  • Acid reflux medicines, from acid blockers to PPIs
  • Surgical procedures to diagnose and treat acid reflux

The author also describes four cases involving heartburn and acid reflux. Through the stories of an obese patient, a new mother, a 64-year-old suffering from severe acid reflux, and a college student, readers will learn how heartburn and GERD impact the lives of ordinary people, the types of treatment that are available, and what the road to recovery looks like. While some patients experience heartburn and other acid reflux symptoms on a daily basis and despair that they will ever recover, there are in fact a range of acid reflux treatment options that can offer relief.

Acid Reflux & Heartburn In 30 Minutes is not a do-it-yourself guide—a doctor is needed to diagnose and treat serious cases of acid reflux and GERD. However, this guide can help readers understand what doctors are recommending and why. If you or a loved one has acid reflux, Acid Reflux & Heartburn In 30 Minutes can be an invaluable and expert resource to help you understand and deal with the condition.

More information about Acid Reflux & Heartburn In 30 Minutes as well as online ordering options can be found on the companion website, heartburn.in30minutes.com. The paperback retail price is $14.99 while the ebook edition is available on the Amazon Kindle and other devices for $9.99.

About the author

J. Thomas Lamont, M.D. received his medical degree in 1965 from the University of Rochester, and was intern, resident and chief resident in medicine at UCLA. Following a GI Fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital, he joined the faculty of Harvard Medical School in 1974. He currently serves as Interim Chief of the Division of Gastroenterology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and as Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.

About In 30 Minutes guides

i30 Media is the publisher of In 30 Minutes guides – “Quick guides for a complex world.” Thousands of readers turn to In 30 Minutes guides to understand mildly complex topics, ranging from genealogy to software. The tone is friendly and easy to understand, with step-by-step instructions and lots of examples. Top-selling titles include Google Drive & Docs In 30 Minutes, Twitter In 30 Minutes, and LinkedIn In 30 Minutes. For more information about the series, visit in30minutes.com

PUBLISHER CONTACT: info -at- in30minutes.com, +1 (617) 213-0811

How to create Amazon Marketing Services Product Display Ads for books

By Tips, Video

Last year, I wrote an article for the IBPA Independent magazine on how to use Amazon Marketing Services advertisements for books. It got a fantastic response. In fact, I am still interviewed and give presentations about this topic today. But I wanted to create an AMS tutorial on video that demonstrates how to make AMS Product Display ads for books.

AMS Product Display ads are an alternative to Google AdWords or Facebook targeted ads, and enable your books to show up product pages of other Amazon books. The video covers:

  1. Targeting shoppers viewing specific products or categories, or by interest.
  2. How to set cost-per-click (CPC) bids and daily budgets
  3. Advice about competing titles
  4. The importance of AMS headlines
  5. Scratchpads for headlines and AMS keywords

Setting up an Amazon Marketing Services Product Display ad requires an AMS account through Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) or Amazon Advantage. Scroll to 02:15 if you already have an account.