Need to share some files with co-workers but don’t have a network share handy? Sure, there are all sorts of ways to make large files available, but few are as easy as Jake. Jake lets you share files from your own PC to others that you invite via a Google Talk or Jabber instant messaging account.
First, the bad news: Jake is in a somewhat early beta, and the Web site does everything except unleash rabid weasels to dissuade you from using the software. But I’ve tried it, and found it to be quite stable and useful for file sharing. It’s cool because you don’t have to use any sort of file server — the files you share are served right from your own PC. Jake keeps a log (complete with a timeline view) so you can see the sync history and manage changes to your sharing folder. And it’s cross-platform: It works with Windows, Linux, and OS X.
The software is free and, according to the Web site, will remain that way. This is a cool program to keep an eye on, and I’ll be sure to update you when it leaves beta.
