Google steps into the Cloud Storage Business: Watch out Dropbox, Box.com, etc

[TotallyOz]

Google has stepped into the cloud storage business with its Google drive. It is free for the first 5G and it works very similar to Dropbox. I love Dropbox but always willing to try something new from Google.

You have to go to your e-mail and then request more info. I got my e-mail that the drive was ready in less than 24 hours. I have been testing it and so far like it a great deal.

[Guest EXPAT]

I am just not comfortable with any cloud storage at all. I don't know how I'll ever be made comfortable either. I know all the words these companies say on security but I also know they all stretch the truth. For now I'll use my airport extreme backup. That seems to be good enough.

[Guest Hoover42]

I am just not comfortable with any cloud storage at all.

I use TrueCrypt to create an encrypted drive to hold sensitive data, then upload that encrypted drive file along with other non-sensitive files all up to the cloud.

http://www.truecrypt.org/

[Guest EXPAT]

I use TrueCrypt to create an encrypted drive to hold sensitive data, then upload that encrypted drive file along with other non-sensitive files all up to the cloud.

http://www.truecrypt.org/

Interesting. I will look into that. I'm an iCloud user but I only use it for my calendar and contacts right now, but I have 20GB of free storage that I haven't used at all yet.

[Guest FourAces]

Interesting. I will look into that. I'm an iCloud user but I only use it for my calendar and contacts right now, but I have 20GB of free storage that I haven't used at all yet.

Aside from maybe photos and music what else would you use iCloud for anyway? You already are putting your mosre personal info in the cloud but in your other post don't "trust" the security. All respect what you're saying is kind of confusing.

[TotallyOz]

I have tons of files and tons of photos that I like to have access on with multiple computers. I like "moving" them into dropbox and going somewhere and my laptop has the latest copy ready for me to edit and use. I use it all the time but I don't have majorly sensitive information or government secrets on any disk.

[Guest Hoover42]

Interesting. I will look into that. I'm an iCloud user but I only use it for my calendar and contacts right now, but I have 20GB of free storage that I haven't used at all yet.

The nice thing about TrueCrypt is that once you create the encrypted drive and "mount" it, it just looks like another drive on your machine. You can drag files into and out of it and open files from there just like you can from any other normal drive. When you've finished, you unmount the drive and the file can then be moved or copied anywhere. Attempting to open the encrypted drive file in any editor will just show apparently random data.

[TotallyOz]

OK Hoover. I like what I see. Can you explain how you encrypt the files and THEN move them to the Icloud? Do they show up on your computers as just like a folder? And, if so, then when you want to change this, you can download it but you need the password to view and change it?

[Guest EXPAT]

I have a lot of documents that are either word based or powerpoint or PDF based that I would never want on a shared drive. They have confidential information that I have password protected. That stuff I would never put on a cloud. My contacts and calendar is basically unique to me anyway and I doubt that would be wanted by anyone unless I were a CEO or something. But so far having that stuff in the cloud really works because it keeps all of my Apple devices synced with the same information and updates instantly which I love.

[JKane]

I signed up for google's drive, and was tempted by Microsoft's SkyDrive as I started to play with Win8 the last couple of weeks, but really Dropbox gives me the space I need, is available on everything, and I already have my stuff on it.

I trust Google (or Microsoft) with my email, from personal to work to naughty, so why wouldn't I trust them to apply the same standards to files I keep in a repository instead of emailing to myself or others?

[Guest Hoover42]

OK Hoover. I like what I see. Can you explain how you encrypt the files and THEN move them to the Icloud? Do they show up on your computers as just like a folder? And, if so, then when you want to change this, you can download it but you need the password to view and change it?

Yes, the TrueCrypt volume (file) is a single encrypted file the contents of which can only be read when mounted (opened) by TrueCrypt using the correct password. Once the volume is mounted, a new drive shows up on your system that can be used like any other drive.

Here's how you get started:

0. Download and install TrueCrypt.

1. Open TrueCrypt and click Create a Volume.

Accept all the defaults,choose a size and location for the volume, and choose a good password. If you want the new volume to be in the cloud, create the volume in your cloud folder (i.e Dropbox folder, Google Drive folder, Skydrive, etc.)

2. Step through the prompts and Click Format when you see it.

This will create a single volume in the specified location.

2. Click Exit when you see it and after you've seen the volume created message box.

This will take you back to the main TrueCrypt screen.

3. Select an empty drive letter in the main TrueCrypt screen

4. Click Select File and navigate to and then double-click the file created in step 2.

This will return you to the main TrueCrypt screen and you'll see your file next to the selected drive letter.

5. Click the Mount button and enter the password for the file created in step 2 and click the OK button.

This will make the newly created TrueCrypt volume show up in your list of available drives in your file explorer.

6. Click the Exit button

You can now use the new drive like any normal drive. Every file that goes into the TrueCrypt volume will be encrypted when written and decrypted when read; you never have to manually encrypt or decrypt files in the volume, and any program can work with those files. The files can only be read if the volume has been mounted by TrueCrypt and the correct password has been specified.

When you're done with your edits, go back into TrueCrypt, select the drive with the mounted volume and click Dismount.

If you have TrueCrypt installed on another machine, you can mount the volume on that machine by going into TrueCrypt and mounting the volume as I've shown.

If the volume is in the cloud, it will be synchronized after the volume is dismounted.

Hope that helps!

p.s. I'll try to put together a YouTube video showing this process.

[TotallyOz]

Thank you sir for great great intro. It is much appreciated!

[eeyore]

This thread has been very informative. I've been using iDisk for cloud backup of certain files. It is working well for me but for some reason Apple is discontinuing this service in June, so I'm looking around for an alternative. Don't know why Apple is dumping this.

[Guest EXPAT]

iDisk is being replaced with iCloud services.

[Guest Hoover42]

Thank you sir for great great intro. It is much appreciated!

You're welcome!

I made a short YouTube video showing the steps; feel free to send me a PM and I'll respond with the link.

[TotallyOz]

Dropbox just upgraded its plans to larger amounts and my 100G plan was move to 200G free of charge. You don't normally get twice the amount for the same product but this was a pleasant surprise.

http://www.digitaltrends.com/web/dropbox-doubles-cloud-storage-for-pro/

[TotallyOz]

Google now allows 10G files for sharing! This is a great new feature for those of us that share large files online!

http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/28/tech/web/gmail-google-drive/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

[AdamSmith]

My most valuable business asset is my customer and prospect list. I entrust that to salesforce.com with religious conviction. F500 companies now use salesforce.com, and if the company screws up one time, its credibility and future are shot. They invest countless $$$ in multiply redundant data centers, secure database partitioning, etc., etc., etc. How could I ever believe that my laptop and memory sticks and local backup devices hold any candle to the industrial-strength infrastructure that salesforce has built?