Cloud Computing

[Texas Proud]

To me it is one of those things that does bother me, but I also know that there is so much information that is on other people's servers that I do not have much if any privacy...

However, the term is a marketing term.... makes it sound like it is out there in space... but in reality it is on a computer somewhere....

Seems to me that we are going back to the past... I am sure there are a lot of people who worked with mainframes on a terminal... all data and programs were on the mainframe (now the cloud) and you could access it from any terminal (now any device) no matter where you were located...


It also seems to be a way for them to get more money from me.... heck, I am still using Office 95 at home.... why pay for an upgrade when I do not need one... but if I paid for renting a program, I will pay forever even if I do not use it much...

PS... Google is the evil empire I want to stay away from them as much as I can...

 

[Midpack]

PS... Google is the evil empire I want to stay away from them as much as I can...

All the big guys seem about the same to me, seeking growth and profits, but who are the "good guys" in your view?

 

[Texas Proud]

All the big guys seem about the same to me, seeking growth and profits, but who are the "good guys" in your view?

There are none.... just some worse than others....

At least others actually delete data on you after awhile... Google does not... ever... (FWIU)...

 

[Major Tom]

PS... Google is the evil empire I want to stay away from them as much as I can...

Seems like Google has gone from being perceived as cool nerdy and hip to being the new evil Goliath in a fairly short span of time.

 

[ERD50]

Seems like Google has gone from being perceived as cool nerdy and hip to being the new evil Goliath in a fairly short span of time.

Depends who you ask. I don't have any problem with them.

-ERD50

 

[FUEGO]

Depends who you ask. I don't have any problem with them.

+1

I would put a large number of companies on the "evil list" before google.

What's not to love about google? They come out with tons of innovative products, most of which are free. And in general they are easy to use and just work.

 

[molly]

I use the cloud for storing a lot of data. I encrypt all of my files. I am hoping the encryption gives them a higher level of protection.

I love the way I can update all our computers simultaneously using the cloud.

 

[Bestwifeever]

+1

I would put a large number of companies on the "evil list" before google.

What's not to love about google? They come out with tons of innovative products, most of which are free. And in general they are easy to use and just work.

And Google puts cool Google Doodles on the search page for special days, like this one for 11/30/2011, Mark Twain's birthday (more here: http://www.google.com/logos/):

 

[WanderALot]

I'm a big fan of TrueCrypt. You can use it to encrypt some or all of your hard drive or USB drive locally and if you want to store stuff in the cloud, just make a virtual encrypted drive and put your stuff on there before uploading it to the cloud. Any would be snoopers can't read the data without the password (and that's assuming they figure out that it's a TrueCrypt virtual drive in the first place since there are no identifying signatures in the file).

It works seamlessly and I like that it's open source, freeware and multiplatform.

TrueCrypt - Free Open-Source On-The-Fly Disk Encryption Software for Windows 7/Vista/XP, Mac OS X and Linux

I'd like to put all my pictures and video files online, but places like Facebook scare me because I don't want pictures of family online, even if its my private repository.

 

[Major Tom]

I agree with all the positive comments about Google - was just making an observation.

 

[Midpack]

Seems like Google has gone from being perceived as cool nerdy and hip to being the new evil Goliath in a fairly short span of time.

As I think about it, I can see how ripping off Apple might be seen as evil. The Android interface is clearly an iPhone ripoff and evidently they've already cloned Siri - like another MicroSoft (who also ripped off Apple for decades). I don't have an iPhone or an Android (or a Mac), so based on what I've read...but I can well understand why Apple has filed lawsuits.

 

[donheff]

As I think about it, I can see how ripping off Apple might be seen as evil. The Android interface is clearly an iPhone ripoff and evidently they've already cloned Siri - like another MicroSoft (who also ripped off Apple for decades). I don't have an iPhone or an Android (or a Mac), so based on what I've read...but I can well understand why Apple has filed lawsuits.

Cloned Siri? I got Google Voice Commands when I bought my phone two years ago - seems like Apple cloned VC. And ripping off an interface? Does that mean the first company to develop a cell phone should have been able to lock in the market for decades? Once a touch screen became possible the touch phone interface was an obvious development. Should the iPad be prohibited from adding a reading app because Amazon was first out with kindle? Android, Windows 8, bring the competition on.

 

[Midpack]

Cloned Siri? I got Google Voice Commands when I bought my phone two years ago - seems like Apple cloned VC. And ripping off an interface? Does that mean the first company to develop a cell phone should have been able to lock in the market for decades? Once a touch screen became possible the touch phone interface was an obvious development. Should the iPad be prohibited from adding a reading app because Amazon was first out with kindle? Android, Windows 8, bring the competition on.

Very hard to draw the line, I agree. The courts will decide what's patent infringement, I have no horse in the race.

Google certainly didn't invent voice commands. But SIRI is far, far beyond simple voice command, another integrated AI attempt. You might be surprised if you experienced SIRI.

 

[TromboneAl]

 

[rescueme]

Regardless of who "owns" the technology, I'm still amazed of what is new.

DW/me just upgraded our 6+ year old cell phones to Windows smart phones and can't get over the idea that you just hit a button, say "phone home" (or any other name in your phone list) and it actually starts a connection.

ET would certainly be impressed with today's technology (i.e. "Phone Home") ...