Easily Share Files Between your Mobile Phones and Computers

Your digital data – like files, photos, documents, music, ebooks and videos – are spread across devices. If you're trying to share files between your computers and your mobile devices, you can save a lot of time if you follow the tips below.

The guide explains how you can easily and quickly exchange files and other data between your computers, mobile phones and tablets: E-mail Files The popular and most obvious solution for sharing files across devices is email. Send a file to yourself from one device and then download that email attachment on the other device. Usually, there are file size threshold limits on most e-mail servers. It can also be incredibly time consuming to e-mail big files back and forth, so keep that in mind. You can use e-mail to share files, but it only works best for the smaller ones. Use an External Drive for File Sharing A lot of people look at external hard drives as safe places to keep their data in case their computer crashes, but external drives can also be used to share files between computers within your home network. This way, you can keep everything in one central location, so that you don’t have to burden your computer or mobile devices with huge data files. Share Files in the Cloud You may use file storage services like Dropbox, Google Drive or SkyDrive to transfer files from one device to another via the cloud. Whether you use Dropbox, Google Drive, SkyDrive, or another cloud storage service, you can drop the file into the cloud storage folder on your computer and open the associated app on your phone. This will give you access to the file without having to transfer it to your phone manually or take up any of your phone’s internal storage. Then there are web-based apps to help you move files between your computers and phones. There’s ge.tt where you can upload files from the browser and download them on any other device. JustBeamIt is another web-based file transfer service where there are no limits as the file content is streamed directly from the source to the destination and not stored on third-party servers. Google Keep - You can write, or paste, text inside Google Keep and it instantly becomes available on all the other devices. Google Keep is web-based but they also have an Android app.

-->

Hopper and MoPad are other good web-based alternatives that can again be used for sending links and text snippets across devices.

AirDroid is one of the most convenient. Install the AirDroid app and you’ll be able to access your phone from a web browser, giving you the ability to copy files back and forth. You can also set up Windows networking or create an FTP server to allow your phone to access your PC’s storage.

SuperBeam is another useful app for transferring files between Android devices. Select file(s) inside any file manager app and choose SuperBeam from the Android sharing menu. It will generate a QR code that you can scan with SuperBeam on your other device and the file transfer will happen automatically. If the two Android devices are not connected to the same Wi-Fi network, SuperBeam will transfer files using Wi-Fi Direct mode.

Mac OS users can consider installing Droid NAS, an app that will make your Android phone /tablet appear in Finder and you can then easily browse or transfer files over Wi-Fi.

Apple does not provide access to the iOS file system except for the media gallery. You can use the excellent Documents app to transfer documents, photos and other files from the computer to your iPad and iPhone over the Wi-Fi network. The Documents app can be mounted as a network drive on your computer and files can be moved across iOS devices via drag-n-drop. The app also has a built-in browser to help you download and store web files including file types that aren’t supported by the default Safari browser.

iOS doesn’t support Bluetooth based file transfer so if you are to transfer photos or videos from the camera roll of your iPhone to an iPad, Dropbox is probably a good choice. For single files, web apps like ge.tt and DropCanvas.com are perfect for the job.

Mobile apps like Bump and Hoccer that let you exchange files between Android and iOS devices, or between your computer and your mobile device, with simple gestures. In the case of Bump, select a file on your mobile phone, tap the space bar of your computer with the phone and the file will instantly become available in the computer’s browser. For Hoccer, you can place your two phones side by side and drag a picture from one phone to another.

No matter which method you use to share files, you can save a lot of time if you're trying to share files between your computers and your mobile devices.

---------

Cloud Computing Security Risks

Cloud computing is becoming more and more popular today and is ever increasing in popularity with large companies as they share valuable resources in a cost effective way. At the same time, leaks and thefts are occurring with increased frequency.

Cloud computing is a paradigm rapidly being embraced by government and industry as a solution for cost-savings, scalability, and collaboration. Cloud computing offers real alternatives to IT departments for improved flexibility and lower cost.

The technology is of course not without its flaws. One of the main issues is security. Cloud computing and web services run on a network structure so they are open to network type attacks. One of these attacks is the distributed denial of service attacks.

According to analyst firm Gartner, cloud computing is fraught with security risks. Customers must demand transparency, avoiding vendors that refuse to provide detailed information on security programs. Ask questions related to the qualifications of policy makers, architects, coders and operators; risk-control processes and technical mechanisms; and the level of testing that's been done to verify that service and control processes are functioning as intended, and that vendors can identify unanticipated vulnerabilities.

The 3 main aspects of cloud computing are software as a service, platform as a service and infrastructure as a service. Here are seven of the specific security issues Gartner says customers should raise with vendors before selecting a cloud vendor:

Privileged user access. Sensitive data processed outside the enterprise brings with it an inherent level of risk, because outsourced services bypass the "physical, logical and personnel controls" IT shops exert over in-house programs. Get as much information as you can about the people who manage your data. "Ask providers to supply specific information on the hiring and oversight of privileged administrators, and the controls over their access," Regulatory compliance. Customers are ultimately responsible for the security and integrity of their own data, even when it is held by a service provider. Traditional service providers are subjected to external audits and security certifications. Cloud computing providers who refuse to undergo this scrutiny are "signaling that customers can only use them for the most trivial functions Data location. When you use the cloud, you probably won't know exactly where your data is hosted. In fact, you might not even know what country it will be stored in. Ask providers if they will commit to storing and processing data in specific jurisdictions, and whether they will make a contractual commitment to obey local privacy requirements on behalf of their customers. Data segregation. Data in the cloud is typically in a shared environment alongside data from other customers. Encryption is effective but isn't a cure-all. "Find out what is done to segregate data at rest. The cloud provider should provide evidence that encryption schemes were designed and tested by experienced specialists. Recovery. Even if you don't know where your data is, a cloud provider should tell you what will happen to your data and service in case of a disaster. Ask your provider if it has "the ability to do a complete restoration, and how long it will take. Investigative support.. Investigating inappropriate or illegal activity may be impossible in cloud computing.Cloud services are especially difficult to investigate, because logging and data for multiple customers may be co-located and may also be spread across an ever-changing set of hosts and data centers. If you cannot get a contractual commitment to support specific forms of investigation, along with evidence that the vendor has already successfully supported such activities, then your only safe assumption is that investigation and discovery requests will be impossible. Long-term viability. Ideally, your cloud computing provider will never go broke or get acquired and swallowed up by a larger company. But you must be sure your data will remain available even after such an event. "Ask potential providers how you would get your data back and if it would be in a format that you could import into a replacement application."

-->

Conclusion:

loud computing technology has been improved and network technology has also been

improved a real golden opportunity exists for the future. Each cloud solution must however be tailored to each company but they can all benefit from the numerous advantages the technology brings to the table.

By embracing a new ecosystem of cloud-based security solutions, businesses can safely extend their virtual security perimeter while still complying with privacy regulations.

Source: http://www.idi.ntnu.no/emner/tdt60/papers/Cloud_Computing_Security_Risk.pdf

Online data backup service - saves your files off-site..!

If you or your businesses are looking for a fail-safe way to store a variety of file types "in the cloud", it’s time to discover the multiple benefits of "Online backup services". This exciting new service is designed to give users superior data protection wherever they have access to an Internet connection. Online backup services make this safeguarding your data easier and more reliable.

Online data backup services provide an excellent way to avoid permanently losing your most important files, documents, music, photos, videos and more if your hard drive crashes or your computer is stolen or destroyed. With these services, you can easily access and download your data 24/7 from anywhere.

Because your data is stored off-site, if your computer crashes, is destroyed or stolen, your data is still safe on the service’s secured servers. There are several reasons for using an online data backup service, including not needing to burn CDs or DVDs of your data. By the time you’re done burning discs, you’ll probably have dozens lying around.

Having an external hard drive is an essential part of any backup plan, but using an off-site data backup service will keep your files safe if disaster strikes your home. These services are easy to use, and you won’t feel like you need an advanced degree in computer science to schedule your backups.

--> To help consumers learn everything that they will need to know about Their services, They've created a practical quick guide. Once individuals learned how effective, easy-to-use and reliable this cloud-based file storage service is, they’ll know that it’s the right choice for their online backup needs. Common pricing for online backup runs at about $55 a year for unlimited storage for one PC. Some services let you back up as many PCs as you want in an account, but charge you for storage space in 25GB increments. With several dozen services out there, by far the hardest part is deciding which online backup service to use, there are several items to consider when you’re looking for quality online computer backup services, such as how much space you require. Some services offer a variety of storage space allotments so you can pick the plan that best fits your needs. Others offer unlimited storage space for a monthly subscription or an annual price.

The next thing you’ll need to consider is what kinds of features and tools you want to have. Some services offer not only basic backup tools, but also tools for sharing, plus versioning and mobile access.

When you decide upon an online data backup service for your computer, it’s a good idea to create a total backup plan for your system.

The media streaming devices that connect to the cloud

-->

With the growth of cloud-based streaming video, there is a wealth of choice for media streaming devices that connect to your HDTV and serve up rented or purchased content as well as subscription sites and web videos. Here's a sampling:

Click this image to view large image

Other home entertainment devices can also connect to cloud-based media streaming services, including Internet-capable Blu-ray Disc players and HDTVs plus game consoles:

Click this image to view large image

Click this image to view large image

Cloud computing takes files off of your computer's hard drive and makes them accessible wherever you roam and have access to the Internet. However, if you want to share your music and video library with just the multiple computers and media streaming devices in your home, you can create your own personal cloud using a Network-Attached Storage device--also known as NAS.

A NAS device connects hard drive storage to your home or small business network and allows that data to be accessed by other computers and devices connected to that local area network (LAN). With a NAS device, you can store all your photos, movies, songs, and documents in a single centralized location and have them be visible on every computer as well as compatible WiFi enabled mobile phones and tablets, networked TVs and set-top boxes, and game consoles connected to your network.

Additionally, most NAS devices are actually computers themselves with an internal processor and RAM to complement the hard drive storage, as well as an operating system (such as Microsoft Windows Home Server). This allows the NAS to multitask in serving files to multiple devices at the same time while also backing up files from your computers.

NAS devices enable you to create your own cloud storage and provide remote access to files from the server in your home or small business over the Internet. This is a great way to allow far-flung family members to access home movies and photos and co-workers to collaborate on projects, as well as give yourself the ability to stream movies and music while traveling.

For example, Iomega's StorCenter NAS devices now offer a Personal Cloud feature that can be set up in minutes and doesn't require any additional Internet hosting. You can invite up to 250 remote users to securely access the Personal Cloud from a wide variety of devices--from PC, Mac and Linux computers to Apple iOS and Android smartphones and tablets.

While a NAS device serves multiple computers and connected devices over a local area network and can even be remotely accessed over the Internet, a new type of NAS device adds portable functionality. The Seagate GoFlex Satellite is a portable hard drive with an integrated battery, Wireless-N Wi-Fi, and a web server. This enables you to serve music, video, photo, and document files to up to three iPads simultaneously. While a free iPad app is available, other tablets as well as PCs and Macs can access files using a web browser.

What are some cloud-based music services and cloud-based video services?

-->

Cloud-based Music Services

There are several forms of cloud music services that offer different functionality depending on how you want to listen to music. One type of service operates like a storage locker, where you can store thousands of music files from your computers library and have them accessible on nearly any Internet-connected computer or mobile device.

Another is more akin to an Internet radio station that either plays curated mixes or randomized songs that are tailored to the sound of an artist or song that you select. Finally, a third type enables you to listen to as much music as you like on a computer or mobile device for a monthly subscription.

Some examples of music storage lockers include:

Amazon Cloud Player: As noted above, the Amazon Cloud Player allows you to store MP3 files on the Amazon Cloud Drive and then play them on any Internet-connected computer as well as select Android smartphones and tablets (running Android OS 1.6 and later). 

Google Music Beta: Similar to Amazon's cloud music offering, the Google Music Beta service allows you to upload MP3 files from your computer hard drive to its cloud-based storage locker, and you can then access the music via a web browser on any computer as well as on Android smartphones and tablets. Additionally, you can create playlists in a web browser on your computer and have it replicated on your Android device. Any changes you make while accessing the music are synced across devices. Currently, Google Music Beta is free, but is limited to uploading 20,000 song files and requires an invitation.

Here are some examples of personalized cloud-based Internet radio sites:

Pandora: One of the most well-known music streaming services, Pandora helps you discover new music by allowing you to create a personalized radio station that plays music that's similar to a selected artist or song. This free service can be accessed from your web browser and it's also available via dedicated apps for a wide range of mobile platforms, including iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, and WebOS. Additionally, the Pandora service is available on many Internet-connected HDTVs and media streaming set-top boxes.

8tracks: Calling itself "handcrafted Internet radio," 8tracks enabled users to create a mix by uploading MP3s (a minimum of 8 songs) and then sharing those mixes either publicly or just with friends. But you don't have to be a DJ. You can simply browse through mixes to discover new music and then follow your favorite 8tracks users.

Subscription-based cloud music services include Rhapsody and Napster, and both provide streaming capabilities via a web browser as well as dedicated apps for iPhone and iPod touch, Android devices, and BlackBerry smartphones. Monthly subscription rates range from $5 to $15 a month, depending on how many devices--in-home and mobile--you want to connect with the service.

In addition to mobile devices, Rhapsody can be accessed via the Sonos in-home streaming system and select Vizio HDTVs, while Napster can be streamed via the Xbox 360 plus Sonos. However, one downside of music subscription services is that you don't own the music--so once you cancel a subscription, your favorite music and playlists will be gone.

Cloud-based Video Services

The benefit of cloud-based video services -- instant gratification, no discs to return either to the video store or pop in the mail.

Amazon Instant Video: Choose from thousands of TV shows and movies to rent or buy from Amazon Instant Video, which will stream commercial free through your computer's web browser as well as a variety of home entertainment devices. Movies can either be rented for a period of 24 to 48 hours (depending on the title) or purchased, enabling you to watch it as many times as you want for as long as you want. Individual TV episodes can be purchased, or you can choose to buy a TV Pass that will give you access to all of the season's episodes.

In addition to streaming to a web browser on a PC or Mac, you can watch Amazon Instant Video titles instantly on your TV via compatible Internet-connected HDTVs from Sony, Samsung, and Vizio plus Blu-ray Disc players from Sony and Panasonic. Amazon Instant Video is also available on a variety of set-top boxes from Roku, TiVo, and Sony, plus the Google TV service available on the Logitech Revue and select Sony HDTVs and Blu-ray Disc players.

And if you're an Amazon Prime member, you'll also get access to free streaming of a selection of over 5,000 commercial-free movies and TV shows as part of your Amazon Prime membership.

Learn more about home entertainment devices compatible with Amazon Instant Video:

Apple iTunes: Purchase or rent movies and TV shows through Apple's iTunes software, which can be downloaded and viewed on PCs and Macs as well as iOS devices. With the latest version of the Apple TV, you can stream movie and TV show rentals directly to your HDTV.

Google TV: More of a platform than a video streaming service, Google TV allows you to search TV listings and a connected DVR as well as the web to watch streaming videos from favorite web sites. It also includes apps that provide direct connections to such streaming services as Netflix, NBA Game Time, Pandora, and Napster. Its available via the Logitech Revue set-top box as well as integrated into select Sony HDTVs and a Blu-ray player.

Hulu: This ad-supported library of TV shows and movies can be can be streamed to your web browser for free. However, its Hulu Plus paid subscription service (which also serves up ads) offers a larger selection plus HD video streams, and it can be accessed on Apple iOS devices, Roku set-top boxes, and a variety of Internet-connected HDTVs and Blu-ray players.

Netflix: Originally a DVD rental-by-mail service, Netflix allows subscribers to stream movies and TV episodes via select Internet-ready HDTVs, game consoles, set-stop boxes (like Apple TV, TiVo and Roku), and Blu-ray Disc players.

Vudu: Rent and purchase movies (some available in 1080p HD) and stream them to your computer, Boxee Box, Sony PlayStation 3, and select Internet-ready HDTVs.

YouTube: Video sharing site that allows you to post your own video creations, plus view clips from millions of other users. It's also begun to offer thousands of full-length movies for rental. YouTube is included on a wide variety of media streaming devices, however movie rentals are available only to computer web browsers.

How to back up computer to the cloud?

-->

You might back up your PC or Mac at home to an external hard drive, but an online backup solution ensures that your data is safely protected away from your home--and available to you if your home has been robbed or suffered an unfortunate catastrophe.

Some services such as Apple's MobileMe provide a small, pre-determined amount of storage (such as 20 GB), allowing you to select just your most important files to back up--such as just your photos or your work documents. Amazon's Cloud Drive provides 5 GB of free online storage space, but this can be increased up to 1000 GB (i.e., 1 TB) at $1 per GB for a year.

Other services provide more open-ended storage space, enabling you to back up your entire computer. These include SugarSync, Mozy, Backblaze, Carbonite, Crashplan, SOS Online Backup, and Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3). It can take several days, at minimum, to perform an initial backup over the Internet, as it will consist of hundreds of gigabytes. But after that's been completed, only files that have been added or modified will be uploaded incrementally to the servers. If you need to retrieve a file or folder, you can typically do this via a web browser interface. However, if you need to restore your entire computer, some services can send you a hard drive with your backup at an additional charge. Speaking of pricing, online backup services charge either subscription fee (monthly or annual) or by the amount of data uploaded.

The cloud has brought about a revolution in inexpensive storage, making backing up online inexpensive and fuss-free. But with so many choices out there, how can we narrow it down? Rather than directly recommending services, here are requirements to consider.

• Types of cloud storage available for workstations. Essentially, there are 2: dedicated backup services and cloud sync services.
• When it comes to choosing any kind of service, the first question to ask is what computing platforms are supported. Some cloud storage services offer clients not only for Mac and PC but for mobile devices like iPhones and Android phones, too.
• Consider security. Your data will be undoubtedly be stored encrypted but that doesn't amount to a hill of beans if the sign-on system is weak. If you choose a strong and unique password then this shoudn't be an issue, of course.

Learn more about Cloud Home !

-->

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.