Stay Close to My File(s)

Have you ever experienced loosing important files? I accidentally spilled a glass of green tea onto my laptop when I did my research during my master degree. Bummer! Fortunately, I could retrieve all the files after I dried it up using a hairdryer and a fan. I always remind my self to back up, back up, and back up! since then.

But what if you really loose your files? A while ago, my bloke lost his laptop with all his PhD works in it. What a disaster! Well, anything may happen... You may also loose your external hard drive.

In the age of cloud computing, where computer-based activities can be done using solely on the internet, i can store my files online. Not only saving my files online, I can also create a document online then share it to my colleague, if  I need to.  As a constraint budget student, i use the free online storage provider, that will keep my wallet happy. Yes, it is completely free to use them, so no more excuses to always back up my data. Here is the online file storage list that I have used.

1. Dropbox
Free user will have 2GB of storage, and once you signed up [go to Dropbox], both of us will receive an additional 250MB. This referral system will give a free user up to 8GB of storage. What I like from Dropbox is the simplicity to save my files. Once I installed the application, I will get a specific folder in my computer. I only need to drag my files to this folder, and it will automatically synchronized to the cloud folder. I can retrieve the files by accessing my account in Dropbox website, or through other computers with an installed application, or even in my mobile phone. Feels like I have a virtual folder. Easy peasy!

2. SkyDrive
As a Hotmail user, I can use Microsoft's SkyDrive up to 25GB of free storage. The new University of South Australia (UniSA) student emails, which now will last forever for each registered student even after graduated from UniSA, are also entitled to 25Gb free storage. So if you haven't used one, just go to SkyDrive and use your student email's username and password. The files should be uploaded manually with a limited 50MB file size each. For files more than 50MB, you may use SkyDrive synced folder by installing Windows Live Mesh.    SkyDrive also enables to create Microsoft offices document online.

3. Use my emails
Anytime I finished working, I always send an email to myself and attach the files. For email-based storage, I use Yahoo and Gmail. Yahoo emails offers an unlimited mail storage, infinite capacity, since May 2007. Using Gmail, which is provided by Google, I can upload an individual file size up to 1 GB with a total of 7GB of free storage to share between emails. While Yahoo email do not provide free IMAP and POP3 so I can not synchronize it using Office Outlook, Gmail and Hotmail are more handy in Outlook. Dont forget to personalised your email setting so any email containing your important files will be stored in the designated folders in your email system.

Now I can stay close to my files. Once I saved my files in cloud computing, I can retrieve them from any computer in the globe [with the internet access, of course :) ]. Offering a convenience in a borderless working space!

All files stored in the internet-based storage above can be shared to your mates. Always remember to adjust and check the setting if the file is confidential.

I often need to share files to my friends. Usually after gathering for an event, we are very keen to share lots of snaps taken. Free online sharing provider that I use:

1. 4Shared  
I may upload up to 500Mb each and a total of 15GB storage capacity as a free user. I will get a link that can be shared to anyone anytime I upload a file. Important to remember, adjust the visibility setting if the file is confidential, go to setting-general-uncheck the box: allow the showing of my files to public search results and do not show related files on the download page.

2. MegaUpload
I use MegaUpload for my blog here if anyone want to send me a file via my blog.

3. Ifileit
Simply just go to the site above and register your account.

If you need more space for your files, you can always go for a premium account in any of the cloud-based file storage provider by paying an annual fee. Let's get the most out of the cloud computing era! Hope you find it useful.