Instant message with your team, share audio, video and photos, create a chatroom with no computer programming knowledge or to turn your PC into a file sharing service, are a few of the interesting online collaboration tools and web services I have selected this week for you.

Photo credit: Andres Rodriguez

These, the online collaboration tools I selected for you:

1. Adobe Share: Web-based service allows you to upload and share your documents online
2. BitWise IM: Free instant messaging software allows you to communicate online
3. ChatMaker: Type a name, share the URL and click go to create your free online chatroom
4. CSpace: Chat, transfer files and remote desktop with a simple interface
5. Velvet Puffin: Collaborate with people from other IM networks all in one place sharing files, images and videos
6. BigFilez: Send big files up to 500MB to anyone with an email address
7. HFS: Turn your computer into a server and share any file online
8. 4Shared: Store text, audio, video, photos and other files, and share them with other people

Here more details:

Online Collaboration Technologies - New Tools And Web Services

1. Adobe Share
   
   Adobe Share is a web-based service that allows you to upload and share files. You can distribute the URL for the file to a selected number of users, post the link for the URL on a website, or embed the code for previewing the file in a web page. You have the option to allow recipients to invite others to view your shared files or limit access to only the specified recipients. Requires an Adobe ID.
   https://share.adobe.com/





2. BitWise IM
   
   BitWise IM is a free instant messaging software for Windows, Mac and Linux that anyone can use to communicate online. It allows you send text-messages, share files with no size limit, offering the possibility to pause and resume sharing, whiteboard with one or more people, have audio-conferences, save the conversation history and more. BitWise IM is completely free to download and use.
   http://www.bitwiseim.com/





3. ChatMaker
   
   ChatMaker is an online service that enables you to create online chatrooms. It is really fast and easy to use: make up a name for your chat, copy and paste the URL to anyone you want and click go. Chatrooms can be stopped at anytime and they support an unlimited number of people. It is free to use with no registration is required.
   http://www.chatmaker.net/





4. CSpace
   
   CSpace is a free open-source downloadable software for Windows and Linux that you can use to chat, transfer files and remote desktop. From its clean and simple interface, you can browse your contacts through a contact list and, when you right click a name, you can choose whether to start a chat with that person, send files in P2P mode using Drag&Drop, and also remote desktop. It is free to download and use.
   http://www.cspace.in/





5. Velvet Puffin
   
   VelvetPuffin is a new collaboration tool that allows you to collaborate with people, all in one place. You can invite people from other IM networks, as Yahoo!, MSN, AOL, and ICQ, to chat, share files, photos, videos(from your PC or video services like YouTube, Google Video & Metacafe ), make polls and more. It is completely web-based and you can download a small plugin for Win, Mac and mobiel phones. Free
   http://www.velvetpuffin.com/





6. BigFilez
   
   BigFilez is a free web service that you can use to send any file up to 500 MB to anyone. There are several uploading methods that you can choose: you can normally browse for files using the normal "Form Upload", select files clicking the plus sign and get previewed in real time how big they are with the "Flash Upload", or just provide the file's URL with the "URL Upload". Then you just have to type the recipients' email, and click upload. Free, no registration needed.
   http://bigfilez.com/





7. HFS
   
   HFS (HTTP File Server) is a freeware application that makes it simple to run a server to share files from your computer over the web. All you have to do is run the application on the computer with files you want to share and pick the files or directories that you want to allow access to. In addition, you can even upload files to your HFS server from elsewhere, just by typing your computer's IP address. Windows only.
   http://rejetto.com/hfs/





8. 4Shared
   
   4Shared is an online data storage system that you can use to store your text, audio, video, photo, and other files and share them with others. You can invite anyone to see and edit your files, upload their files in your folders, even if they're not registered users. The free version gives you 1GB of free storage or you can check the other plans here.
   http://www.4shared.com/

Originally written by Robin Good and Nico Canali De Rossi for Master New Media and first published on February 3rd 2008 as "Online Collaboration Technologies - New Tools And Web Services - Sharewood Picnic Feb03 08"