 | |
| Developer(s) | Erez Pilosof |
|---|---|
| Initial release | June 22, 2010 |
| Operating system | Cross-platform |
| Available in | English |
| Website | http://www.libox.com/ |
LIBOX was afree platform that allowedusers to access andshare theirhigh definitionmedia collections, including video,photos andmusic, across various devices and with friends. LIBOX offered this service for free thanks to apatent pending combination ofpeer-to-peer,grid anddistributed computing technologies. LIBOX consisted of a downloadable desktop application that works on bothWindows PCs andMacs, and a web-based interface. The service was accessed by any Web browser and placed no limitations on the amount of media that can be added or the number of people with which it can beshared.[1]
LIBOX was founded in 2008 byErez Pilosof, who previously foundedWalla!, the first majorweb portal inIsrael. Pilosof created LIBOX to allow users to manage andshare media across all devices and keep its original high quality. He saw that as a consumer, trying to store your media on several different devices and in many different partial areasonline was becoming an annoyance; it "seemed very limited and tedious and problematic”[2] Pilosof created LIBOX as a way to provide a smooth and dependable way for people to enjoy his/her media anywhere.
The company started working on the patent-pending technology to power LIBOX in the Fall of 2008, released an Alpha version in October 2009 and launched aBeta version on June 22, 2010. The company has received funding from investors such as Evergreen Venture Partners and Rhodium to help grow the platform.[3]
LIBOX closed down in 2011.
The distributed LIBOX platform effectively creates privateclouds that communicate between devices andWeb browsers through a combination ofalgorithms, grids and peer-to-peer networking technologies. Files are not uploaded to an externalserver but streamed straight from the computer of the user that holds the file.[4] The mixture of technologies allows LIBOX to never limit how much media can be added to the platform, while keeping the service free for users. The LIBOX platform uses a single interface rendered inHTML across desktop, web and mobileapplications. The LIBOXmobile applications are expected to be made available in Summer 2010.
The platform allows users to “simply add a song to the Libox desktop application” making it “instantly available on a user’s smartphone and any other computer through a web browser.”[5] When it introduces native mobile applications, LIBOX will allow you to take a photo or record a song on a mobile device and automatically add it to your LIBOX library, accessible across your devices. Ultimately, itsyncs all of media regardless of “file formats, folders, settings” and allows users to not worry about "file quality loss or cloud storage capacity."[5]
LIBOX also allows users to share their media collection with other LIBOX users. The platform lets users create contact lists and instantly invite friends to enjoy their media. LIBOX uses the same technology to sync as it does to share it with friends.