Google Drive... Arrives!

At long last, Google Drive is here.  Note, that currently, Google is rolling Google Drive out slowly, for users who are interested.  For Google Gmail users, you can go to:
https://drive.google.com

... and Google will inform you when they are all set for you to install the Google Drive software.

Here's a great comparison between Google Drive and Dropbox, the current leader in cloud syncing.  We love both -- and if you haven't signed up for Dropbox, check it out!

Note that if you have multiple google/gmail accounts, only one Google Drive account may be used on one computer at a time.  (You may disconnect one account to sync another google account -- but it is not recommended that you do this frequently).


Dropbox - Google Drive comparison:
http://lifehacker.com/5904731/desktop-file-syncing-faceoff-dropbox-vs-google-drive

Cloud Computing... As we wait for GDRIVE...

As we wait for Google's GDrive, we have been seeing articles about GDrive being a Dropbox killer.  We LOVE Dropbox as a way of syncing folders and files on multiple computers and the cloud.

We have been using Dropbox for more than a year.  It works great, is easy to set up -- and 2GB of synced space is free.  Check it out:

Always have your stuff when you need it with Dropbox. 2GB account is free! 
http://db.tt/R5i5ymR


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Microsoft's Skydrive offers 25GB, with 5GB of synced files.  

Google Gdrive -- coming at last?

The fabled Gdrive might finally be coming out.  Rumors are flying that at long last, Google will finally release its version of a useful cloud computing application.  Dropbox has been growing in popularity; and Apple has released its iCloud.  We look forward to Google's version, which is expected to be released the first week in April.  

According to Om Malik at GigaOm’s sources, we should see the long-awaited Google cloud storage service, Google Drive, next month.

He says that “sources familiar with the company’s plans” have marked the first week of April as the release period. Google Drive (or possibly GDrive) has been rumored for over half a decade, but has yet to materialize while services like Dropbox and Apple’s iCloud have flourished. A Google cloud storage service wouldn’t be anything revolutionary, it’s just surprising to many that it hasn’t happened yet.

Read more here:

http://www.webpronews.com/google-drive-launching-in-april-report-2012-03

Other links:

• http://gigaom.com/cloud/google-drive-finally-coming-this-april/
• http://www.businessinsider.com/googles-dropbox-killer-is-coming-in-april-2012-3

Bitcasa: Your hard-drive in the Cloud

Rumors of the Google Gdrive have recently heated up -- but in the meantime, other firms are coming up with useful products.  One product that looks interesting is Bitcasa -- which will put your hard-drive in the cloud, available where you have internet access!  It will be available in a beta version soon (free for a capped storage; $10/month for unlimited storage; there will also be a free version).  Sign up for the beta version here:
 
https://www.bitcasa.com/beta-signup?share=4435534

With Bitcasa, in concept anyway, users no longer have to worry about a single local hard-drive failure eating their data, since everything is mirrored on the Internet. Users also get all their data on all their devices, and every time you get a new computer, you just point it to your account and all your data appears on your local device. Whether it's actually there is another matter, but if Bitcasa is fast and smart enough, you'll never know nor care.

Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-19882_3-20105562-250/bitcasa-moves-your-hard-drive-to-the-cloud/#ixzz1XsURaHmv

Read more here:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-19882_3-20105562-250/bitcasa-moves-your-hard-drive-to-the-cloud/

Dropbox -- Great for File-Sharing

There is lots of talk about the "cloud" -- but one application we like a lot is Dropbox.  They offer a free account (2GB), and it is easy-to-use.  You can share a folder with others in a "Public" folder -- or just keep things to yourself.

By installing Dropbox on each of your computers you can:

• Save a file to all your computers at once.
• Start working on one computer, and continue working on another.
• Get to your photos, docs, and videos from anywhere.

Always have your stuff when you need it with @Dropbox. 2GB account is free!

Please check it out:
http://db.tt/R5i5ymR

Syncing Files with Syncplicity.com

We recently posted some info about cloud computing and syncing files across computers. Over the past several months, we've had a chance to fiddle around with various products and we have grown to like Syncplicity quite a bit. As with any new technology, there were a few idiosyncrasies that we had to get used to -- but we've now gotten the hang of the product and love having our files synced and backed up. We've now used Syncplicity for more than six months -- so feel free to contact us with any questions.

http://www.syncplicity.com/

• Creates an online directory / copy of the files you want.
• Files then get synced to your other PCs.
• Files get synced immediately -- even if Excel/Word is open (as long as the file is saved); no other product did this in our testing...
• Free version allows you to sync 2 PCs and 2GB of space.
• You can share files / directories with others.
• You can get more space by referring friends. (1 GB / friend up to 3GB for a total of 5GB free space).
• $99 per year for 50 GB of space.

Cloud Computing: Where is Google's GDrive?

Do you use more than one computer -- and then find yourself looking for your most recent work? In the past, we used to email ourselves the most recent versions of spreadsheets or document (so we could work on things at home, for instance)... Today, cloud computing and the ability to sync files is getting hot. Imagine working on a file -- and having the latest version getting synced on all of your computers -- automatically and almost instantly!!

We have been waiting for Google's GDrive -- but it has been slow in coming out. We have high hopes for Google's product based on the performance and features of gmail and google documents. In addition, recent chatter about Google's Chrome browser (syncing bookmarks -- and additional Google document features) -- have us hoping that GDrive is coming out real soon.

In the meantime, if you want to explore other Cloud Computing / file syncing options, here are some of the best out there currently. You can sync a few GBs worth of files with most of these services for free -- and then pay a fee (around $25-$100/year for most) for more storage.

• Syncplicity.com - our favorite; some good features. We'll describe Syncplicity more in another post.
• Live Mesh - mesh.com -- we like that this is backed by Microsoft. You can even use this to easily access your other pcs remotely.
• Dropbox: getdropbox.com
• SugarSync.com - tons of features
• Mozy.com -- a great tool to backup files on the internet automatically.

GDrive coming soon?

The past few months (years!) have seen rumors of Google's GDrive coming sometime soon. The past few days have seen more heated chatter about Google's "cloud computing" functionality coming online soon. Indeed, Google documents has some new functionality (just over the past few days) that hints of GDrive: the ability to upload ANY file type. You can even email certain document types and have them posted to your Google document folder.

It will be nice to have expanded online space by a huge company like Google. Some say that Google documents is slowly changing over to Google Drive (GDrive). Hmm...

We'll soon review some of the Cloud computing products out there -- and hope that GDrive is out there by the time we post that info!