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Google tests searches that include Calendar, Drive in results
Google has been testing an expanded search that includes Gmail results ever since August, and it’s been enough of a hit that the company is swinging for the fences with an expanded test. The new version lets Gmail members find Calendar appointments and Drive files through the autocomplete results in the search box. Visit the main Google page and the results won’t be quite as broad, but they’ll include both the previous trial’s Gmail infromation as well as Drive — thankfully, tucked to the side rather than dominating the main page. Any individual, English-literate Google fans can join the new trial to get early access and find that long lost spreadsheet in the cloud.
Public Cloudee beta blows in with desktop uploader, new web interface, iPhone 5 optimization
Boxee already has its fingers in quite a few video streaming pies, and now the company has launched the Cloudee service into public beta to let your store and share your own movies. The iPhone or iPod app allows clips to be uploaded and shared with a select group of pals, while permitting commenting and liking in a similar fashion to Google+. The company has also introduced desktop uploading software for Windows or Mac computers, along with a website so your can manage videos “with more than just your thumbs.” In addition, the app is now optimized for iOS 6 and the iPhone 5, and lets you share footage with contacts and publish using Facebook or Twitter. All videos are now private by default and users will enjoy unlimited space to stock videos until Cloudee emerges from beta — at which point, Boxee may require an upgrade to its premium service to add additional content. So, if you’re interested in crossing the video sharing bridge while avoiding the trolls, check the source to see how to sign up.
Google Drive SDK version 2 supports Android and iOS apps, common file tasks
Virtually every corner of the Google universe is being touched at Google I/O, and that now includes Google Drive. A version 2 update to the Drive SDK gives Android and iOS developers the option of building the cloud storage into their mobile apps, whether it’s downloads, uploads or on-the-spot edits. The programming interface has likewise been expanded as a whole to handle everyday file duties, such as conversions, copying and revision handling. Web-only users are taken care of with support for embedded shares and opening Google documents in any given software that will take the exportable formats. The updated Drive SDK is ready to go, with a flood of apps either coming or already here — if you want to hop on the bandwagon, just take a peek at the source link.
MPAA may let Megaupload users retrieve non-infringing files, does it for the Armed Forces
Megaupload’s still immersed in hot water, but there are signs the legal temperature could be cooling… slightly. Don’t breathe a sigh of relief just yet though, as a significant portion of that confiscated cache of cloud-stored files remains somewhat indefinitely under lock and key. A minor reprieve may be on the way, however, owing to a much more “sympathetic” MPAA which has asked the court to consider releasing non-illegally obtained content to previous users. And lest your evil eye be trained too heavily upon the Hollywood group behind the shutdown, the association’s made it quite clear that, under the site’s TOS, users were never guaranteed continued access to uploaded content anyway.
The change of heart comes in response to a motion filed by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, on behalf of a member of the U.S. military, petitioning the return of personal, non-IP infringing files. According to the now-defunct site’s founder Kim Dotcom, that group of “legitimate” users comprised nearly 16,000 accounts utilized primarily to share photos and video with far away family and friends. Of course, should this retrieval request be granted, a requisite procedure will need to be put in place to filter out copyrighted media — a system that’s sure to pose countless headaches for those involved. Nothing’s yet been decided so, for now, the fate of your lost files rests firmly in the court’s hands. Such are the perils of the cloud.
Microsoft SkyDrive impressions: a look at features and functionality
You may remember a certain, somewhat anticipated cloud service finally coming in to land in recent days. That wasn’t the only news in nebular computing last week, however: perhaps in anticipation of Google’s long-rumored Drive service, Microsoft made some updates to the Windows Phone app for its own offering, SkyDrive. This comes not long after the release of desktop SkyDrive applications for Windows and OSX, all suggesting that Redmond’s hoping to cut itself as large a slice of the cloud-storage pie as it can, preferably while others are still taking their seats at the table. We spent some time with the latest quiver of tools from Microsoft, to see how they’ve progressed.
Sony PlayMemories Online Launching May 25th With 5GB of Cloud Storage (video)
Sony has announced that it will be launching its new Sony PlayMemories photo sharing service next month, providing cloud storage for Sony cameras. The new PlayMemories photo sharing service will offer users with 5GB of free storage space for photographs and video, that can be uploaded to the cloud storage facility from any Sony camera or camcorder.
Media can also be uploaded from Sony smartphones and tablets using the new “PlayMemories Home” software which is available for both Windows and Mac systems. once uploaded the media can then be shared online, or viewed via a Sony Bravia TV or digital photo frame if desired, and sync photos and video with your PSP and PS Vita consoles.
Initially the new PlayMemories photo sharing service will be available in 6 countries, starting with UK, Japan, U.S., Canada, Germany, and France on May 25th.
Google Drive preview: an in-depth look at features and functionality
It’s been a long time in the making, but the once-mythical cloud storage service known to all as Google Drive is real, and it made its official debut today — and even though Goog’s taken plenty of time to make it available to the masses, our impatience certainly got the worst of us, and we immediately started digging through the new service. So what does this online storage option entail? Will it make you delete your Dropbox and SkyDrive accounts and jump for joy? Or has Google simply waited too long to start playing the game? Read on to find out our first impressions.
LogMeIn branches out from its remote desktop roots, intros Cubby cloud sharing service
Ready for yet another option in world of cloud storage services? LogMeIn today announced it’s ready to get in on the remote storage action with its own offering, built atop its Gravity Data Service, dubbed Cubby. Currently in beta, Cubby allots you 5GB of storage in the cloud, while allowing you to turn your Mac, PC and any folders into “virtual cubbies.” You’ll be able to sync selected data between your choice of devices and even share access (read-only if needed) to specific cubbies for collaborative efforts — and although the service is free, there’s no limit on how much data you can move between your machines. Better yet, iDevices and Androids are also supported via LogMeIn’s free Cubby apps. If you’ve been looking for another option aside from the likes of Pogoplug and Dropbox, you can request an invite to the service by hitting up the source link below. If you’d like more details in the meantime, check out the press release after the break.
IDrive Connect offers Google Docs access via virtual folder on your Windows machine
Box OneCloud Brings Cloud Storage To The iPad
Box has today announced new features for its OneCloud app which has now be integrated with iPad applications to enable users to be able to store import files within the cloud.
The Box OneCloud app, will showcase over 30 applications designed to work with the Box service, and Box will be rolling out integration with four “premier” apps including Quickoffice, Adobe Echosign, Nuance PaperPort Notes, and PDF Expert.
The premier Box application partners will include technology in their applications that will update content instantly on Box storage servers. Box has now also opened up their Box framework for developers to include the new storage functionality within their applications and expand Box growth.
The Box OneCloud is now available to download on iOS today, with an Android app currently being developed for release in the near future. Box has included a button in its main application that once pressed will indicate to you what other applications on your ipad support Box.
Source: Slashgear
Megaupload users’ data to be kept another two weeks, EFF to help folks retrieve it
Megaupload’s digital doors may have been closed due to the presence of pirated materials, but there’s still the matter of all that legal content residing on its servers. Naturally, folks want their files back, but now that the government’s gotten what it needs, the hosting companies no longer need to keep the data around because Megaupload’s no longer paying them to do so. Carpathia Hosting and Cogent Communications, however, have decided to preserve the data for another two weeks while a deal is brokered with the DOJ for its release. In the meantime, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)has teamed up with Carpathia to create a website that puts folks in touch with EFF attorneys so users can try to retrieve their data. No word as to what legal wrangling the EFF can do to make it happen, but those affected can get the wheels of justice started at the source below.
In the wake of Megaupload crackdown, fear forces similar sites to shutter sharing services?
The Feds put the smackdown on Megauploadand its whole executive team last week, charging the them with criminal charges for copyright infringement and racketeering in addition to conspiracy to commit copyright infringement and money laundering. As a result, it appears that several other cloud locker companies have curbed their sharing ways to avoid similar DOJ entanglements. FileSonic and Fileserve have eliminated file sharing from their service menus, and Uploaded.to is no longer available to those of us in the US. Naturally, none of these companies have said that Megaupload’s legal problems are the reason for the changes, but the timing suggests it’s more than mere coincidence. Disagree? Feel free to speculate about the possibilities in the comments below, and let us know if any other online storage services have made similar moves while you’re at it.
A closer look at AcerCloud (video)
Acer unveiled so much hardware this week that it’s easy to forget it also teased a cloud-based storage service. In brief, AcerCloud, allows you to remotely access whatever’s on your Acer laptop, even if it’s asleep or in hibernation mode, and even if you’re not connected to the same WiFi network. Storage is unlimited, and you can upload music, photos, videos and documents. Also, it’s free.
So how does this work, if not over WiFi? Whenever possible, AcerCloud will try to create a peer-to-peer connection between your laptop and phone, but when that fails a security token inside the laptop allows the cloud service to play matchmaker between the notebook and the app, which is of course tied to your account. At launch, there will be separate mobile applications for music, photos, et cetera. It will be Android-only, though Acer reps tell us they intend to to create versions for Windows Phone and even iOS (assuming Apple approves it). They also say they’re considering developing a file manager where you can access all your content, and not just music or pictures. For now, at least, the discrete apps are intuitively designed, and the best part is that you can play back media inside of them. Good news for anyone not satisfied with their Android phone’s native music player.
Expect this to start rolling out in North America and China in the second quarter, followed by a worldwide release sometime in Q4. It’ll also become an eventual staple on Acer PCs, including things like all-in-ones, but in the beginning it will be exclusive to Acer’s Ultrabooks. Until Q2 rolls around, though, you can head past the break for a short demo of the music app. We hope you’re not too sick of Lady Gaga
Western Digital’s My Book Live Duo marries RAID and cloud storage, bytes everywhere celebrate
Not only is it the chunkiest My Book we’ve ever seen, but it possesses the otherworldly ability to live in the here and now and the hereafter. Analogies aside, the new My Book Live Duo is hailed as such: “a personal cloud storage system that combines the benefits of shared storage and remote access with double-safe backup or increased capacity of a dual-drive system with RAID.” It’s compatible with Mac and PC systems (and yes, Time Machinesupport is thrown in for good measure), and you’ll find a pair of drives within the casing alongside an 800MHz CPU and an Ethernet port. WD’s hawking these in 4TB (2 x 2TB) and 6TB (2 x 3TB) capacities, and if you weren’t already sold, the units ship with support for the company’s WD2go remote access platform — something that’s accessible via the web, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch or Android. Finally, there’s a DLNA-certified media streaming badge, and it’s available as we speak at select US retailers for $399.99 (4TB) / $499.99 (6TB).
Pogoplug lets Drobo into its Cloud, offers 10GB of ‘public’ storage to sweeten the deal
Do you use a Drobo for your RAID storage needs? Wish you could access that data from wherever your travels take you? Well then, wish no more! Today the company has a announced a partnership with Pogoplug aimed at getting your Drobo hooked up to the cloud. So long as you’ve got an internet connection, you’ll now be able to use Pogoplug software to privately access your data and multimedia from wherever you may be. Better yet, Cloud Engines is also throwing in 10GB of free off-site storage on its recently minted — and Dropbox-like — Pogoplug Cloud service. Curious for info on getting started? You’ll find details in the press release after the break along with a cringe-inducing “demo” video reminiscent of The Office to further explain it all.
Pogoplug Cloud offers 5GB of free mobile storage, a home for your Beatles collection
Is that 2GB of free storage from Dropbox just not enough to house all of your mobile music habits? Don’t fret, as Pogoplug Cloud now offers 5GB of secure space for all your storage, sharing and streaming needs. The service offers Dropbox-esque folder sharing and automatic uploads for all those vacation pictures without time lost to manual syncing. If that’s not enough extra space for your coveted Jericho episodes (and the Season 3 comics), you can spring from the 50GB and 100GB paid plans at $9.95 and $19.95 per month. You’ll also be able to post your cloud activity, should you so desire, to Facebook, Twitter or Google+ via native smartphone apps. All of the aforementioned services are available now via the coverage link below — after you install the free Android or iOS app, of course.
Apple reportedly trying to add movie streaming to its iCloud
Apple’s iCloud may have only just launched but according to rumors reported by the LA Times and Wall Street Journal, it’s already negotiating with Hollywood to add movies to the service (funny how things have changed in five years.) The timing is particularly curious because Apple, along with Disney, is one of the notable holdouts from the movie studio-backed Ultraviolet scheme with similar buy once / stream anywhere aspirations that just hit the streets this week. However, according to “people familiar with the matter” it could allow Ultraviolet access on iThings via app, while also bringing its usual media lock-in magic by also throwing in streaming copies of any flicks purchased on iTunes, but only on its own hardware. Recently activated streaming of purchased TV shows to the Apple TV shows the cloud’s potential, but we’ll have to wait for deals to be signed before that North Carolina datacenterputs Hollywood’s best on its to-do list.
Apple iCloud and iWork beta for iOS hands-on
We’ve had a few weeks to get accustomed to iOS 5 and Mac OS X Lion, but one headlining feature has been notably inaccessible since it was unveiled earlier this summer. During his WWDC keynote, Steve Jobs touted iCloud as a service that will sync many of your Apple devices, for free. Macs, iPhones, iPads, and even Windows computers can synchronize documents, contacts, calendar appointments, and other data. You’ll also be able to back up your iOS devices remotely, use an Apple-hosted email account, and store your music in the cloud. Well, this week Apple finally lit up its cloud-based service for developers, letting some of us take a sneak peek at the new service.
Apple also announced pricing, confirming that you’ll be able to add annual subscriptions with 10GB ($20), 20GB ($40), or 50GB ($100) of storage ‘atop your free 5GB account. We took our five gig account for a spin, creating documents in Pages, spreadsheets in Numbers, and presentations in Keynote, then accessing them from the iCloud web interface to download Microsoft Office and PDF versions. We also tried our luck at iOS data syncing and the soon-to-be-controversial Photo Stream, so jump past the break for our full iCloud hands-on.
PlayStation Vita title 'Ruin' connects to PS3 for continuous client gameplay, we give it a swing (video)
Cross-platform gaming is a wonderful idea, but Sony’s showing off something even more impressive at E3 this year — a game that you can starting playing on either PS3 or the PlayStation Vita handheld and immediately transfer to another console. Ruin leverages cloud storage to save your entire hack-and-slash RPG game, right down to the positions and actions of every nearby enemy and the structures you’ve destroyed. Then, a second or eight after you hit load on another machine, you’re right back in the very same fight. Resuming on console or handheld and picking up exactly where you left off — yep, it’s a bona fide continuous client, and we had to give it a try. So, off to Sony’s E3 2011 booth we went, to seek out developer Idol Minds.
With both Vita and PS3 connected to a local router, it was both as simple and as mind-blowing as you’d expect — simply save on one (no matter what you’re doing), load on the other, and everything (save certain scripted animations) loads exceptionally quickly. In fact, Idol Minds VP Jeff Litchford said that while show floor conditions necessitated the local router, Ruin‘s cloud resume functionality would even work over 3G, as the save files are actually fairly small, on the order of 250KB. He couldn’t tell us whether you’ll have to purchase two copies of the game to make the magic happen (we’re hoping not), but he did have some good news on the cloud storage front: it won’t cost a thing to save your game data, not even a subscription to PlayStation Plus.
Microsoft details SkyDrive integration with Windows Phone Mango (video)
We already knew Windows Phone Mango would include SkyDrive functionality, but Microsoft has now released a few more details on some of the cloud storage features we can expect to see when the update rolls out, later this year. With the update, SkyDrive users will be able to share their stored photos via text message, e-mail or IM, and to upload their videos to the cloud with the touch of a button. They’ll also be able to browse, share and edit uploaded MS Office documents directly from their handhelds, while searching through their entire SkyDrive via the Office Hub. Storage limits remain capped at 25GB, though Microsoft says we should expect to see more cloud-based features roll out in the near future (including a revamped, HTML5-based SkyDrive web interface), so more changes may very well be on the horizon. Soar past the break for some demo videos from Redmond, along with a hands-on clip from WinRumors.
