Buzzword of The Day: The “Cloud”

It seems that everyone is talking about “cloud computing”; the cloud is constantly mentioned in mainstream media such as movies, commercials, and articles. 

So what exactly is the cloud and where did it come from?

Many people are unsure about the answer to these questions.  Today we will explain all that you need to know about cloud computing, and how it impacts your daily Internet activity.

In the simplest terms, cloud computing means storing and accessing data and programs over the Internet instead of your computer's hard drive.  This pool of computing resources includes servers, storage, applications, and voice services.

The “cloud” is essentially just a metaphor for the Internet: a gigantic server-farm infrastructure that’s accepting connections and throwing out information as it floats.

How is this more beneficial than just storing things on your computer hard drive? 

Since your files are connected through the Internet you don’t have to worry about any storage filling up and slowing down your computer, nor do you have to worry about losing those files due to computer mishaps. You also have the convenience of being able to access your saved content from nearly any Internet device.

Smartphone apps use cloud computing technology to let you store and access data that normally wouldn't fit on your handheld device. TIP Solutions, in fact, is about to roll out a cloud-based app service named CALLcheck that captures, in the cloud, information about who calls you when your mobile phone is off the cellular network.  Right now, this information is lost.  You can check out the CALLcheck cloud service here: www.callsnapapp.com

Looking for an easy and secure (and free) cloud-based storage service?  Download Dropbox. 

With Dropbox, users can drop any file into your own dedicated and personally made folders.  The file is then automatically uploaded to Dropbox's cloud-based service and made available to any other of the user's computers and devices that also have the Dropbox application installed.  These folders are able to easily synchronize into your own personal storage or shared with others.  You are also able to allow file collaborations, where other Dropbox users whom you approve are able to access and contribute to the contents within a folder. The service is free up until a set storage size, and for more capacity a paid subscription is required. 

oNotes

Technology allows individuals from around the world to share stories and experiences. It helps people stay connected through photos, videos, messages, and voce conversations. With all of this sensory communication, wouldn’t it be great to smell what people are showing or saying to us as well? oNotes, a company headquartered in France, hopes to extend the possibilities of communication by allowing individuals to communicate using scent!

Onotes created an iPhone app, oSnap, that allows users to tag photos with scents and send an oNote to whoever has access to the oPhone vaporizing device. This device is made up of two columns atop a base, which holds eight cartridges called oChips.  Each cartridge has four different smells, which can be combined to result in over 300,000 scents to choose from. Daniel Edwards, the co-inventor of oPhone, adds, “With the oPhone, people will be able to share with anyone, anywhere, not just words, images and sounds, but sensory experience itself.”

As a company that values the importance of mobile communication, we can definitely appreciate this inventive form of mobile messaging.

Everpurse: The New Must-Have Tech Accessory

There are endless amounts of smartphone applications that make our lives more convenient. Unfortunately, these applications constantly drain our phone’s battery.  Everpurse hopes to provide a stylish solution to this problem.

Everpurse is a Chicago based startup company that creates purses and wallets which charge smartphones. There are no wires, just a dock that connects to your device. The battery weighs only 6 ounces making it extremely portable. In the future, Everpurse hopes to create suite jackets and pants that charge smartphones in order to appeal to a male market as well!

Everpurse will allow you to take advantage of all your phone has to offer, doubling its battery life. You will no longer have to worry about your phone draining while texting, conversing, or checking Facebook. Check out https://everpurse.com for more information!