Introducing: Google Drive

[Lady Rhonwyn]

Hm, that's true. I guess I wouldn't have to email myself .apk files all the time so I can install them on my phone.

I got a nice folder "Android" on my dropbox that contains some .apk files Works like a charm

[Zalis]

I don't see the point of any of these services.

But that could be because my internet is atrocious.

Yeah. Like others have said: "doing work," basically. It means I don't really need a thumb drive when I want to move something between my work or home computer, as one example. So, if I get some spare time at work to doodle something on my tablet, I can have it at home without worrying about its e-mail-ability.

Ah, this explains why Skydrive gave me a free upgrade from 7GB to 25GB yesterday. Google Drive still says 'not ready' here, but I'll take a look when it's up and running.

I doubt either of these will lure me away from SpiderOak and Wuala, both superior when it comes to security. Let's hope Google and MS will force other file-storing services to increase their free space.

Oh, I appear to already have a 7GB Skydrive account, thanks to my Hotmail junk address. So, do I need to go use 4GB of space to have the option of upgrading to 25? Currently, the only options to upgrade are for a cost.

[Art]

Well, the download is now here!

I just got the email - so trying it out firsthand now!

-Art

[Zalis]

Still no e-mail here. Maybe the U.S. release is lagging behind.

As of 1:19 EDT, it's available for me.

[The Praetorian]

Oh, I appear to already have a 7GB Skydrive account, thanks to my Hotmail junk address. So, do I need to go use 4GB of space to have the option of upgrading to 25? Currently, the only options to upgrade are for a cost.

You get an automatic free upgrade if you had 4GB of used space in the old situation, and the possibility to upgrade to 25GB for free if you've used your skydrive before this weeks update.

If you haven't used Skydrive before you're stuck with the 7GB.

[Lady Rhonwyn]

Still no e-mail here. Maybe the U.S. release is lagging behind.

As of 1:19 EDT, it's available for me.

Haven't gotten my email yet..

And I apparently did use my skydrive before the update, because I could upgrade it to 25gb... Can't remember I ever did use it, but I did log in once (hey, there's this option "skydrive" in the menu....)

[Art]

I've now got a ridiculous amount of space via various providers. 25 gig from Skydrive, 50 gig from Box.net, 5 gig from Google Drive, 2 gig from Dropbox and an unknown amount from Picasa and Facebook (I use SanDisk Memory Zone which let's me access all of these at once).

When you take into account the size of Windows 7 I've more space online than I do on my laptop.

-Art

[MixedVariety]

Folks might want to be careful what they upload to these services:

When you upload or otherwise submit content to our Services, you give Google (and those we work with) a worldwide license to use, host, store, reproduce, modify, create derivative works (such as those resulting from translations, adaptations or other changes we make so that your content works better with our Services), communicate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute such content.

From Google's terms of service. Other cloud providers seem to be less invasive. Still there is also this:

And what about someone else, such as law enforcement, trying to access your stuff? With a computer in your home, you'd have to be served a warrant for legal access to your hard drive. But with remote storage, you may not know whether a subpoena or warrant has been served on the cloud service provider, depending on what the company says it will do in the terms of service.

[RD]

Ho ho ho Like I said, not sure if I'd trust Google with my files.

[The Praetorian]

Folks might want to be careful what they upload to these services: [...] From Google's terms of service. Other cloud providers seem to be less invasive.

Not really, Dropbox, Skydrive and ICloud are pretty much the same or even worse. The Verge has a nice article on privacy: Is Google Drive worse for privacy than iCloud, Skydrive, and Dropbox?

Still there is also this:

That's why I like SpiderOak for anything sensitive.

Complete Privacy Guaranteed

• SpiderOak never stores or knows a user's password or the plaintext encryption keys which means not even SpiderOak employees can access the data
• Our zero-knowledge privacy approach means we can never betray the trust of our users

And if you really want extra security there's always TrueCrypt and BoxCryptor.