Cloud storage and that syncing feeling

What do I want with yet another cloud back-up and syncing service?

Well free space for a start. Storage space for sharing my media, be it books, images, music and films etc. And then there is the ability to sync data across my apps and devices.

My main workhorse is Dropbox but I get a little nervous when something works this well and I become dependent. Especially when I haven’t paid for the service. It’s always a good idea to have a backup plan for your back up plan.

Available on iOS, Android, Mac, Windows and Linux, Copy is the new kid on the block but originates from decent stock. Launched by Barracuda Networks, many will know them from their high end data protection and backup solutions. It functions in a very similar way to Dropbox apart from they are offering a huge amount of free space to early signups. 15GB free. Or 20GB if you sign up via a referral link like this one.. https://copy.com?r=PNPi1t Both me and you get an extra 5Gb if you use that link. Very attractive indeed when you think that Dropbox offers only 2GB to new sign ups and after using the service since it was launched I have now accrued a whole 16GB! Quite laughable really when I have a 64GB USB drive on me at all times. Understandably Dropbox is not wanting freeloaders like me and wants people to be paying to upgrade their service. Many of my friends have and find it invaluable.

Interesting that after only two days of using Copy I have amassed over 100GB of free space. Just through sharing the referral link. This to me has already become super useful. All I need now is for IFTTT to get plugged into Copy and I can start auto backing up all kinds of online spaces and content. At the time of writing this there is as yet not much integration with third party apps and platforms but that is surely to come. It has to. Once you have signed up to Copy and downloaded the app you are assigned a folder. Much in the same way that Dropbox works, that folder then will stay continuously synced to ‘the cloud’. Great for keeping files synced between home and work for example. You can also sync folders between yourself and others that you wish to collaborate with. Can Copy compete with Dropbox and it’s millions of users? Well, with Copy giving 5GB of extra free space to both the referrer and referred, Dropbox’s free 500mb now looks a bit weak. For me it will be all about the integration with apps like DayOne, Write Room etc.. in the meantime it doesn’t take long to bag a chunk of free online storage. You click the link.. Sign up.. And after you verify your email address you need to download the Copy app on either mobile or Mac or PC. Enjoy.  And who knows. With apparent storage costs falling, how long might it be till start ups are offering terabytes of free storage on sign up? After all, YouSendIt, now called HighTail now offers unlimited cloud storage for $15.99/month.

I will add as a footnote. I have no idea how secure any of these places are and as a result will only ever back up my sensitive or personal data to encrypted drives. For all we know, all this lovely free storage space could have been made possible by some shady American organisation.

If this kind of thing really bothers you then JottaCloud from Norway offers you an NSA free cloud storage solution. All you have to do is get your data there without it passing through any suspect servers on route. Or perhaps trust in the cloud traffic encryption software nCryptedCloud. Either way.. As mind-blowing and  amazing this place the internet is, it’s getting to be quite treacherous when it comes to looking after your data.