Q: I want to send a high-def home movie of a vacation to someone overseas so they can have it on their computer. At 7.5 GB, it is too big to e-mail. How can I do this?
A: You can always save it to a thumb drive and send it via regular mail. I've done this sometimes when sending a lot of data. There also are a few ways to do it over the web.
Here are two techniques that have worked for me:
• Use a file transfer service. Many are available, and I expect readers will contact me with suggestions and their favorites. I have come to favor Dropsend, at dropsend.com. It is only $5 per month and very easy to use at both ends. Dropsend will send the recipient an e-mail with a direct download link, and you are notified when the file is downloaded.
• Set up a Google Drive account (separate from your e-mail) and upload the file. Provide the recipient the password and login, and they can log in and download the file. But remember that the recipient will continue to have access to the account, so I strongly recommend doing this only if you're dealing with someone you know and trust.
Speaking of speakers
I very seldom recommend wireless speakers that sell for over $500 because you hit rapidly diminishing returns above $300. But the $799 Axiom Air Wireless Speaker breaks though that ceiling convincingly.
It uses drivers similar to those found in Axiom's award-winning bookshelf speakers, driven by 75 watts of clean power per channel. This means it can play loudly without effort or fill large rooms with undistorted, great-sounding music. It uses Wi-Fi instead of Bluetooth to preserve sound quality, and if no network is available, the speaker creates its own Wi-Fi hot spot. You also can use USB and line inputs. The Air can be ordered with built-in battery power, as well as with microphone inputs for use in karaoke or as a portable public address system. The finish can even be customized.
Experimenting with the Axiom Air showed me why it uses Wi-Fi instead of Bluetooth. The best speakers and audio systems reveal the shortcomings in electronics and recordings, and the Air is good enough to clearly reveal the differences between the compressed music on Bluetooth and uncompressed or high-resolution music files. I used AirPlay and Apple's Remote app to stream recordings from my computer's iTunes collection and was rewarded with very impressive sound. I have a tutorial on my website at tinyurl.com/axiomairplay to show you how to do this yourself.
