Copy: Free Cloud Storage for a Limited Time

Checkout Copy... And do it now.  Copy is awesome.  Sure, it isn't a new concept.  Sites like Dropbox have been around for a while.  But if you want 5GB of free storage, why not take it right?   They have a working client for Android, iOS, and PC (Linux, Mac, & Windows).  And seeing as how I use Android, Linux, and Windows this is a very tempting offer.

But for a limited time, 5GB isn't the only free storage you can get from Copy.  If you sign up for copy using this link: https://copy.com?r=UfAoUE

You will get your 5GB of free storage for signing up (which everyone gets).  But once you sign in to any of the client apps (Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android) you will get an extra 5GB of storage.  That's a total of 10GB of storage for doing nothing more than signing up and installing the app.

So far, I have used the app to sync pictures from my Android phone and my Nexus 7 tablet.  And once I installed the Windows client, any data within selected folders "automagically" syncs to my laptop too.  That means no more hooking my phone up to a USB cable to transfer pictures or data to/from my mobile devices.

The sign up process is extremely simple.  Basically, just your name, email address, and a password.  It takes less than a minute to sign up, a few moments to install the app and sign in.  That's less than 2 or 3 minutes for 10GB of free cloud storage.  It doesn't get any easier than that.

How sweet is that?

So drop by Copy using: https://copy.com?r=UfAoUE
Sign up and use the mobile app.  Worse case scenario, you get 10GB of free storage for future use.  Not too shaby!

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Android App: Box for Android

This week our Android App Pick of the Week is Box!  I'm sure you have heard of Box before.  Commonly referred to as Box.com it is a sweet service that allows you to store your data and files online or "in the cloud".  Cloud backup and online file storage has turned into big business these days.  As devices become even more mobile than ever before, so do we.  People are always on the go.  And a lot of us need access to certain files while we are out and about in life's adventures. That is what Box can do for us.

Sure, Box isn't the only service that gives us this type of file mobility.  But it is the one I prefer.  Basically, here is how it works.  You sign up for the service on their website at Box.com.  In return you get 5GB's of online storage for free.You are limited to uploading files 100 MB's or less with a free account.  You can upgrade you plan if you like for a monthly fee:
- 5GB's / max file size is 100 MB's = Free
- 25 GB's / max file size is 1 GB    =  $9.99 per month.
- 50 GB's / amx file size is 1 GB    =  $19.99 per month.

Earlier in the year, Box gave it's Android App user's 50 GB's of storage for life for free.  That's why I use them.  Using the app on both my phone and tablet make it a perfect way to share pictures and pdf files among several devices.  And the files are accessible on any PC that has an internet connection.  Always remember, the limitations of cloud storage services like these are based on your network speed and bandwidth.  Obviously,  a slower connection will mean longer upload times.  However, unless you are uploading crazy large files, it should work just fine for you.

The service and the app are free.
Visit: Google Play- Box App
Visit: Box.com for more information on the service itself and to sign up.

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Ubuntu One Cloud Storage Now for Windows too!

Ubuntu One is Canonical's answer to cloud storage and has been included within the last several Ubuntu releases.  Simply put, you sign up for your free 5GB account (that was previously only for Ubuntu users) and start syncing your files to "the cloud".

You can stash pretty much any kind of file you'd like on your Ubuntu One "Cloud" and that grants you the ability to access your files on the go from literally any internet connect computer or mobile device in the world.

My previous solution to cloud storage was Dropbox.  However, seeing as how I have multiple Ubuntu installs working across several VirtualBox machines on my Windows host, this may very well keep me from even messing with VirtualBox shared folders between guest and host.  And simply use Ubuntu One instead.  Not to mention, with access to Ubuntu One on Windows and Ubuntu, it is also available on iOS and Android devices.

Every user gets 5GB's of data for free and can purchase additional space should you need it.
Check out Ubuntu One at:http://ubuntuone.com/

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Google Music...What is it?

If you're a fan of digital music you have no doubt heard of Google's attempt to become a player in the music sector; Google Music.  How?  By making "cloud storage" available for storing a user's music collection.  That user could then you any Android device running Android 2.2 "Froyo" or higher.

So why would you want to use it?  Simple, if you have a music collection ranging from just a few songs to a huge library of music files, than you know what kind of pain it is to sync up your iPod or music player to make sure you have that music with you.  Personally, I have an iPod Touch that I despise plugging into my computer to sync with iTunes.  iTunes is cumbersome and slow (in my opinion).  With Google Music, simply point the Google Music Manager client to the folder(s) where you store your music locally on your computer and it will scan the directories and start uploading the music it finds to the "cloud".

With the music being stored on a server somewhere in a Google datacenter, you can then use any computer that has internet access, running Windows XP and up, Mac OS X 10.5+, or about any of the popular Linux distro's to then playback your music library.  If you have an Android phone or tablet that is running at least Android 2.2 "Froyo" than you also have access via the Google Music app for playback on those devices.

What are the drawbacks?  First and foremost, pricing.  Google has yet to release a pricing scheme for this service.  With Amazon currently offering a solution that ranges about $25 a year, and Apple is sure to have a solution on the way as well, Google hasn't drawn their line in the digital sand yet.  Secondly, in order to get the music from your computer to their storage servers you have to upload it.  If you have a huge library, this will obviously take some time.  Third, you are restricted to accessing your full library (once uploaded) to area's where you have internet access.  For smartphone user's this isn't such a big deal (you'll have to worry more about your data caps with your mobile provider).  However, for owner's off WiFi only tablets (like myself) I'll only be able to access my library from one of several places I commonly use for WiFi (I've yet to adopt any kind of MiFi access points).

So, if you have an extensive music collection or just a few songs you'd like to access from the office why not take a look at Google Music.  Right now the service is in Beta so it's an invite only basis.

Check it out: Google Music: http://music.google.com

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This Week In Techie News

This week in the news we have several stories that have hit pretty big.
- Apple Itunes and 'The Cloud' could it be?
-Skype Rules...Long Distance Sucks.
-Ubuntu 10.04 Alpha is now available.

First up, a few months ago Apple 'acquired' Lala (a streaming music service). This led to a whole bunch of speculation for Itunes user's. The most popular being that Itunes would support streaming audio now. According to an article over at AppleInsider word on the street is that Apple may instead take a 'cloud based storage' approach to user's Itunes library. Making it simple to use Lala's technology to upload a user's music/media library to their dedicated section in an online storage area devoted to Itunes users. This would allow that user to login to a 'web based Itunes' from any computer with an internet browser, and be able to playback that stored media.

Great idea, but a couple of things to think about. Most Itunes user's have a massive amount of media stored on their machines. This would essentially take a long time to backup online. Also, how would files not purchased via Itunes fair during this backup process? Food for thought. For more info, checkout this article.


Next up, Skype rules. Yep, we knew that. Skype is a fun program to use. It's versatile and cheap. For those who don't know, Skype offers a VOIP (Voice-Over-I-P) telephony service. You can make calls through Skype to other Skype user's free of charge. You can also setup a Skype-Out account which grants you access to voicemail features, calling to landlines and mobile phones, and several other handy features. Best of all, it's extremely cheap. Great for keeping in touch with family, and to use when traveling.

And according to this article at the Washington Post, Skype is the leading provider of over seas communications. And with many new cellphones utilizing Wifi networks as well as 3G Data networks, many people are able to use Skype's mobile offering to save money in the long run via their mobile phones. Great news for Skype, and it's users!


And finally this week, for all of the Linux fans out there. Ubuntu 10.04 Alpha is now available. So go check it out if you like: http://distrowatch.com/?newsid=05868

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