Learn more about Cloud Home !

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One of the newer buzzwords in the online world is cloud computing. The word “cloud” refers to the Internet, with a network of computers from around the world combining to store data files on remote servers and transmit them to individual users.

Thankfully, there are actually a number of devices that let you have your own personal Home Cloud. The move to cloud computing isn't just for businesses. At CES, home network giants D-Link and Netgear are showing a range of equipment that leverage cloud services to give consumers more access to and control over home networks--and network content--from mobile devices.

But with cloud computing, the Internet has matured way beyond its origins, where text files were shared amongst a small group of scientists. Today, you can stream the latest Lady Gaga album or an HD movie rental, share vacation photos or a PowerPoint presentation files, back up your computer, create a single family calendar that can be accessed by everyone in the home, and even run word processing software from a web browser without having to install the application on your hard drive.

All you need is a web browser to upload, download, and access your files and run browser-based apps.

But the cloud isn't confined to just your PC or Mac. Cloud-based files and apps can be accessed from mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, as well as media devices in your home such as Internet-connected HDTVs, Blu-ray Disc players, and dedicated media-streaming set-top boxes like the Apple TV or Roku.

You might be a cloud computing pro without realizing it if you've been using a Web-based e-mail service like Gmail--where all your messages are stored in the cloud on Google's servers. While it's possible to download messages to an e-mail program on your computer (such as Outlook), it's not a requirement. In fact, the cloud-based Gmail provides many of the same functions of a desktop application within your web browser, such as filtering messages, adding them to folders, labeling them, and more. And because your e-mail is stored in the cloud, you can access your e-mail from any Internet-connect computer, smartphone, or mobile device with a web browser.

Amazon's Cloud Drive is an example of the growing category of cloud-based storage lockers. With Cloud Drive, you can store music, videos, photos, and document files on Amazon's secure servers, and then access them via a web browser to upload or download files from any computer. 

With a cloud-based storage locker such as Cloud Drive, you'll be secure in the knowledge that your most important files are backed up and will be accessible even if your home computer crashes, or is lost or stolen. Additionally, with MP3 files stored on the Cloud Drive, you can play your stored music from any Internet-connected computer (as well as Android-powered mobile devices) using the Amazon Cloud Player.