Sep 282012
 

Local alternatives to Dropbox are worth looking into for those concerned about the security risks of uploading data to a cloud storage provider. We recently profiled AeroFS, which integrates a Dropbox-style folder into your file system and syncs it across computers. While it works quite well, the service is still in a limited beta, does not yet enable mobile or Web-based access, and isnt the only useful approach to building a “personal cloud.”

Another approach a lot of users might find interesting makes every file on your desktop, including those in external hard drives, available to any other computer, smartphone, or tablet. Luckily, this is quite easy these days—even if youve never set up a server, typed a line of code, or learned what NAS stands for.

For the purposes of this article, well look at two services: Tonido and PocketCloud. We chose them because they are cross-platform on both desktop and mobile, friendly to non-techie types, and provide their core services for free without requiring any hardware other than your desktop. At the end, well also briefly discuss some other options for secure file sharing.

Tonido and PocketCloud both keep your data on your own machines, never uploading files to their own servers except in one limited case involving PocketCloud.

MOREHow to put all your data on the Web—without storing it in the cloud | Ars Technica.

 


Apr 182012
 

Google‘s foray into personal cloud storage, Google Drive, is about to launch next week, according to a report from The Next Web.

Citing a draft release from one of Google’s launch partners for the service, TNW claims the service will initially be free, giving out 5 GB of storage to every user.

The details on how, exactly, Google Drive will integrate with your PC are scarce; “desktop folder” integration on Mac and Windows machines is mentioned, but not explained.

The launch date could very well be real. In February 2012, a report (with screenshots) said the service is already live for some users, which usually means the official launch is coming soon.

SOURCE: Google Drive to Launch Next Week With 5 GB of Free Storage [REPORT].

 


Mar 282012
 

Considering how strong a leader Google is, when it comes to cloud-based productivity solutions Google Apps, its a little surprising that the company hasnt introduced a bona fide cloud storage service yet.

Google is expected to officially announce and launch an online storage service dubbed Google Drive, or GDrive, as soon as the first week of April, according to GigaOm and its sources.Credit: Google

Coincidentally, registration for Google I/O, Googles annual conference for developers in San Francisco, kicked off this morning. It would make sense, if Google waited until June to officially introduce Google Drive for added publicity and details, if it is going to be as big a venture as we might expect.

If the reports are true, Google is expected to kick off GDrive by offering 1GB of storage space for free, with fees for extra storage space thereafter.

READ MORE:

via Google Drive due as soon as April | Digital Media – CNET News.

Sep 162011
 

 

 

Hard drives are getting bigger and faster every year, but they’re just barely keeping pace with the rate at which our data are expanding. A new service called Bitcasa wants to be the last hard drive you ever need, by offering seamless and infinite (infinite!) cloud-based storage for all of your data.

Bitcasa is a simple concept: a little piece of software lives on your computer and creates a virtual drive by connecting to Bitcasa’s servers. Every time you save something to that drive, it goes off to live in the cloud, and you never run out of drive space. Bitcasa will figure out what files you use most often and keep them local for fast access, but in general, you’re simply not storing any data on your computer.

via New cloud service gives you ‘infinite’ HD space for $10/mo | DVICE.