CloudSync
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SugarSync sends its free cloud storage option out to pasture
Folks looking to squirrel away files in the cloud for free will no longer be able to look towards SugarSync. The outfit's gratis option has been retired, and existing users with freebie accounts will have until February 8th to access what they've stowed on the platform. TechCrunch reports that those who become paying customers can score discounts as hefty as 75 percent off in some instances. According to SugarSync CEO Mike Grossman, the change shores up the company's "solid financial position" and allows it to build out its service. "It's a necessary part of our evolution," the company's VP of Marketing Alan d'Escragnolle told Engadget. "This move will allow us to grow, expand and increase offerings that will help our users for work or play." The entry-level tier now starts at $7.49 per month (or $74.99 a year) for 60GB of space. If you'd still like to sample the cloud backup and syncing, you can try each plan with a free 30-day trial, or claim 5GB of storage at no cost for 90 days. Head to the second source link to peruse the pricing levels and sign up for a trial.
Plex Cloud Sync beta stores your media across multiple online services
As good as Plex Sync may be at keeping media libraries in harmony, it's not very helpful to mobile Plex users who can't always store or stream large files on their devices. After today, they won't have to worry. The company has just launched a beta version of Cloud Sync, which saves streaming-friendly content in third-party cloud storage services like Box, Dropbox and Google Drive. Any metadata carries over, and users can even spread their media across multiple providers; they can reserve one host for movies and another for photos, for instance. Cloud Sync is only available to PlexPass subscribers, but the required (and much faster) new Media Server release is available to everyone.
Plex shows off cloudSync, its new online digital movie locker, we go hands-on
Plex is developing an online content locker system that would enable users to watch videos on the road without the need to have a server left on at home. Plex cloudSync will work by hooking up to a storage service like Dropbox, letting you stream video anywhere you go without having to pull it from your domestic setup. Naturally, the digital locker would retain all of the Plex features you know and love, including using PlexSync to flag content that you want automatically formatted and saved on your mobile device. The company isn't in a position to launch the service just yet, but we got to see an early build in action here at CES.
Ubuntu One reaches Mac in beta, completes the cloud storage circle
For all of the many directions Ubuntu One's cloud storage has gone, it hasn't headed the Mac's way. Official clients have been the province of Linux devotees (naturally, Ubuntu is recommended) and their Windows friends across the aisle. A newly available Mac beta puts all three major desktop platforms on an even keel, very literally -- the OS X port is almost identical to what you'd get in Linux or Windows, including a few rough points where other interface concepts clash. Still, the Ubuntu One test build has a handy Mac-specific menu bar item, and it's one of the few cloud options that will natively support both the Ubuntu box in your den and the MacBook Pro in your bag. Grab your copy at the source link if you can deal with a few unfinished elements.
ASUS boasts about AiCloud features in new teaser (video)
Router, Rowter. However you say it, you probably need one, which is why ASUS is temping you toward buying one of its new AiCloud models. The new service is designed to unify your data across devices, letting you share and stream multimedia and documents from PCs to smartphones. You'll also be able to store files online, remote control your PC from your tablet and create single-click download links to share with your friends. ASUS is so excited about the project that it's released a new advert telling you all about it, which we've included for you after the break.
Microsoft gives a tease of Office for Windows Phone 8, talks up Office 2013 integration
Microsoft may have told us a lot about Windows Phone 8 in June, but it left out much of what the Office component's update would entail. Thankfully, Partner Group program lead John Jendrezak has volunteered to let us peek under the hood, including our first real glimpse of the new Office Hub. The app's connection to Office 2013 is more than the skin deep looks you see here: Office documents will sync more seamlessly from desktop to phone, and it's implied that the reading position sync from the desktop version will extend to the mobile realm as well. Many mysteries still remain as to what's exactly different in the more pocketable version of Office. There's more about the new work suite's communion with the cloud at the source link, however, so dig in if an offline Office feels like a prison.
SugarSync to ship with many Samsung mobile devices, make Galaxy S III a home away from home
Samsung and SugarSync are already cozy with each other, having struck a deal to put SugarSync's cloud file sharing on Samsung's AllShare Play-equipped TVs. That relationship just got a lot closer: SugarSync will now be a mainstay for Samsung's rather successful mobile devices. Starting with the Galaxy S III, any Samsung phone or tablet that supports AllShare Play will have SugarSync built-in, whether it's for looking at files and media from back home or just to upload the phone's own photos and videos for sharing later on. The service still offers a free 5GB of storage as a baseline and will scale up to 500GB if you're willing to fork over up to $40 a month. Between this and a Dropbox deal for most carriers, Samsung has the cloud largely sewn up on its handhelds -- if you can't access it, it probably doesn't exist.
Nokia Air promo surfaces, teases what could have been
In some alternate timeline, droves of Nokia fans are enjoying seamless cloud syncing on Symbian handsets. Here on Earth-One, however, we'll have to settle for watching a leaked preview of the syncing service that never was. The Nokia Air promo (after the break) promises a service that lets you "experience everywhere" by serving your devices from the ever-present cloud. "Apps don't require downloading, installing or updating," the narrator boasts, explaining that updates, notification, apps and other content are delivered directly from the cloud to all of your devices. Sound familiar? Don't get too excited though, between Nokia's commitment to Redmond and the ancient Engadget post we spied in the demo's feed, this project was probably scrapped.
Dropbox simplifies sharing with file viewer and folder links
Dropbox is one of those tools that makes our lives a lot easier around the Engadget compound and our various satellite lairs. So, it only makes sense that we'd get a little excited when the company updates and improves the file syncing service. Now, sharing is a bit simpler, with the ability to generate a public link for any file or folder and have it open in a web-based viewer. This can be accomplished both from the website and on the desktop by right clicking and selecting get link. Those using the beta version of the Dropbox desktop client have enjoyed some of these features for sometime, but now the full suite of file viewing and folder sharing options are standard issue for all. Check out the PR after the break.
Dropbox-for-Google Insync leaves beta, goes free and opens doors for business
Advertising itself as a cheaper Dropbox alternative with a better feature set, Insync has been in closed beta for the last 15 months. Now, they're finally ready to launch with a service that tightly integrates into Google Docs. It's "8x cheaper" than Dropbox, according to their marketing; in fact, the core service is now free, and customers who paid for the service during the beta period will be offered a refund or premium service credit. The only cost for basic membership is the cost of Google storage. Insync brings a number of novel features to the table, differentiating it from Dropbox's current service. For example, you can share individual files with more granularity -- not just as public links, but specifying read-write or read-only permissions. You can also revoke a sharing link, which isn't possible on Dropbox unless you move or delete the shared file. All your files live inside your Google Docs account, but that doesn't mean you're limited to the supported Google file types; any file can be synced over, as long as it's less than 10GB in size (assuming you have that much room in your storage allocation). You can nest sharing privileges so people have access to just part of a folder structure. You can also set re-sharing permissions, specifying whether those you share with can re-share that material or not. Share recipients are not charged against their storage quota. Insync supports multiple Google accounts and uses Google's storage system. Google starts with 1GB free storage, and then moves to 20GB for $5/year up to 16 TB for $4096/year. Dropbox's pricing rates includes 2GB free storage, and then jump to 50 GB paid storage at $10/month. Dropbox's 50 GB will cost you $120/year compared to Google's $20/year for 80 GB. That's $0.25 per GB per year for Google Docs versus $2 per GB per year for Dropbox. To use Insync, you sign in with your Google credentials and permit it to gain access to Google Docs. You then download and install the client software on your computer. From there, you launch, link the Google account to your machine, and you're ready to go. On OS X, all your Google Docs appear in a Finder window. In its current incarnation, Insync feels a lot like Dropbox, including its menu bar widget and small status indicators next to files (both Egnyte and Box.com use similar UI conventions for their respective cloud sync tools). If you're used to Dropbox, then you already know how to use Insync.
Cultured Code releases Things Cloud Sync beta
Of the many to-do apps available in the App Stores, one of the perennial favorites is Things from Cultured Code (US$9.99 for iPhone/iPod touch, $19.99 for iPad, $49.99 for Mac). While the cross-platform app has been lauded for its beautiful user interface and ease of use, there have been continuing complaints from users who want to be able to sync their to-do tasks between devices. Other apps, like Wunderlist (free) and OmniFocus, have had cloud syncing for a while, and today Cultured Code has finally taken the wraps off of an implementation of cloud sync. The beta is open only to registered beta users, so most Things users won't be able to get their hands on the service yet. The beta is meant to test the ability of the service to handle automatic cloud syncing. Rather than requiring the user to manually initiate a sync by tapping a button, Things will sync whenever you launch the app, switch from another app, or wake a device from a sleep state. Cultured Code notes that its sync solution features encrypted transmission of data, so your top secret to-do items can't be intercepted in the clear. We don't know for sure when the Cloud Sync service will actually become available to all users, and given the slow rate of development from Cultured Code in the past, it's almost a certainty that user complaints will continue for some time.
Android Honeycomb's music app extracted, brings cloud sync and streaming to phones
Those who are familiar with Android Honeycomb might have already come across its music player's cloud syncing feature, though previous attempts to port said app to phones hadn't been successful. Whatever it was that kept crashing the app back then, it seems to have fixed itself -- after xda-developers member WhiteWidows slapped the leaked app onto his rooted EVO 4G, the phone started to automagically sync his tunes to his Google account. The modder then swapped in an empty SD card, but he was still able to stream music straight from the cloud after checking the "Stream music" option in the app. Pretty neat, eh? That said, we do wonder if Google will be able to handle the exabytes worth of high-quality Justin Bieber and Spice Girl tracks.
