Cloud storage is a convenient and quick way to store your data. It allows you to access your files from any device with an internet connection, it doesn't take up space in your PC or office, and there's a certain level of security to keep your data (mostly) safe.

However, the cloud — whether it be in the form of Dropbox, OneDrive, iCloud, Google Drive, AWS, or any other popular service — should never be your only form of data storage.

Proper data storage is a topic I've been covering since at least 2017, and the perils have not changed in the past eight years. That's despite cloud storage becoming more popular than ever.

According to Threadgold Consulting, personal cloud storage hit an estimated 2.3 billion users in 2025, up from approximately 1.1 billion users in 2014.

That's a big jump, and I'm sure that some of those 1.2 billion new users don't have a secondary backup in place. Relying solely on the cloud for your important data is a bad practice. Here's why, and what you can do to change it.

The risks of cloud storage — Lessons from recent data deletion stories

There have been several high-profile stories in recent weeks regarding data loss resulting from cloud storage providers, serving as a sober reminder to not rely solely on the cloud for your important data.

In June, a OneDrive user was locked out of a trove of photos and work built up over 30 years. They received no help from Microsoft support. According to the user:

"Microsoft suspended my account without warning, reason, or any legitimate recourse. I've submitted the compliance form 18 times—eighteen—and each time I get an automated response that leads nowhere. No human contact. No actual help. Just canned emails and radio silence."

Then came the story that a member of the LibreOffice — a free alternative to Microsoft Office — development team received a similar OneDrive ban that locked data. Microsoft's support was woeful, according to Kaganski, but the data was eventually restored.

OneDrive isn't the only cloud service that's received negative attention lately. On August 2, software engineer Abdelkader Boudih (aka Seuros) published a lengthy blog post detailing "a catastrophic internal mistake at AWS MENA" that locked up years of important data.

In an update, Boudih was finally able to retrieve their data "because one human being inside AWS decided to give a damn." Nevertheless, the community outpouring Boudih received — with countless AWS community members claiming they'd received similar treatment — didn't go unheard.

As Boudih states, "I'm continuing with my gem releases and projects. The difference? Double and triple backups." Although you might not be dealing with developer tools and complex projects, the risk of data loss when you rely solely on the cloud doesn't change.

While these stories have mainly touched on faulty suspensions and miserable customer support, your data could disappear for any number of reasons, including technical failures, breaches or other security failures, and accidental deletions.

How to safeguard your data — Best practices for cloud storage users

You wouldn't want an unknown entity controlling your PC's hard drive, so why do the same with the cloud? Yes, cloud storage is super convenient; I'm not saying it shouldn't be used. However, it shouldn't be treated as the end-all solution for PC storage.

First and foremost, you should have strong authentication enabled on your cloud service account. Multifactor authentication is a given, but you can go further with biometrics and authenticators. If your cloud service isn't providing strong encryption for your data, it's probably time to look for a different provider.

👉 Related: How I saved the internet on an SSD — Documents, survival guides, and entire websites to prepare for the apocalypse

Let's assume that you already have your data stored securely in a cloud provider's vault. Nothing has gone wrong so far, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't be proactive in setting up safeguards against data loss.

The 3-2-1 backup rule has been around for decades, and it remains a solid foundation for proper data retention.

The rule suggests that you have three copies of your data at any one time. These three copies should be stored on two different types of media or devices (like a hard drive, external SSD, or cloud service). And one copy of the data should be stored off-site.

If you're using Windows 10 or Windows 11, you can back up your PC's data automatically with relative ease using the built-in Backup and Restore tool. This feature makes regular and full backups of your PC's drive to an external hard drive, allowing for easy restores should something go wrong.

👉 Related: Best external solid-state drives

If you'd rather save specific files and folders rather than your entire PC, Windows 11's File History tool is a solid option that allows for automatic backups to an external SSD. With external storage backups handled, you can configure something like Microsoft's OneDrive to make the same backups in the cloud. Our guide on how to get started with the Windows 11 Backup app has a lot more information.

That hits the 3-2-1 rule's suggestion: you have a copy of your data on your PC, on an external drive, and in the cloud. It's on two different devices, and one of them (the cloud) is off-site. Adding extra redundancies, setting up your own NAS storage system, and storing data in additional off-site locations might be required to achieve peace of mind.

You can, of course, go a lot further than the 3-2-1 rule, especially if you're dealing with particularly sensitive data. The 3-2-1-1-0 rule has gained traction in the era of ransomware, adding an extra copy that's stored immutably (disconnected from any network) and with zero errors in the data.

Cloud storage is extremely convenient, but it doesn't come without some risks. Now, a software engineer and self-proclaimed open-source enthusiast is claiming to have lost 10 years' worth of data saved on the Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud.

In a lengthy blog post published on Seuros, the software engineer details "a catastrophic internal mistake at AWS MENA" that led to 20 days of support futility and, ultimately, no meaningful resolution.

Abdelkader Boudih, aka Seuros, lays out the background of the problem in the blog post (via Tom's Hardware). According to Boudih, the AWS deletion wiped out a trove of developer tools that were saved to the cloud in an attempt to get away from the chaos of their desktop.

Circuit breaker patterns for Ruby, time-based state machines, performance monitoring tools for Rails, an entire programming book written in their own style, electronics tutorials, Ruby developer lessons, and "years of unpublished work that could have helped thousands" were included in the wipe.

As Boudih states, this AWS deletion didn't just hurt the user but also any developers who use these tools.

Boudih explains that this wasn't a regular data loss, and that the tools and suggestions provided by AWS should have been safeguards. Boudih claims to have used multi-region replication, a dead man's switch for recovery, proper backup architectures (based on AWS suggestions), and segregated encryption keys.

The only thing Boudih didn't plan for was "AWS itself becoming the extinction event." Of course, no extinction event comes without some attempts to recover what was lost, which kicked off, as Boudih calls it, a "20-day support nightmare."

It all began with a simple verification request from AWS, which expired before Boudih could respond. The next form arrived and required ID and a copy of a utility bill, which Boudih sent in. AWS claimed the document was unreadable. The next day, Boudih's account was terminated.

The trail didn't end there, as Boudih attempted to find out if the data was still in existence. The penultimate message from support read, "Because the account verification wasn’t completed by this date, the resources on the account were terminated." The final message had AWS asking for feedback on the experience.

Despite jumping through all of the hoops set up by the AWS support team, Boudih says they received "zero straight answers" and "multiple requests for 5-star reviews" while their data hung in the balance.

Boudih is rightly upset, especially since AWS documentation states that there is a 90-day grace period between account closure and data deletion. After those 90 days, the account is closed forever, and all data is deleted. Considering Boudih never made it past 20 days, it seems like AWS is at least partly at fault here.

AWS ultimately blamed the account's destruction on an issue with a third-party payer, but Boudih outlines why that doesn't exactly make sense; billing could have been switched to a different card on file, or, at the very least, there could have been a suspension of service rather than complete deletion.

AWS responds to Boudih's claims, and an 'AWS insider' suggests a conspiracy

Having news that your cloud storage service is deleting user data isn't something that AWS wants. In response to the original reporting at Tom's Hardware, an AWS spokesperson reached out to offer a statement:

This is no doubt in response to Boudih's claims that an AWS insider had reached out shortly after the Seuros blog post began circulating publicly.

The insider suggested that AWS MENA (the second acronym stands for Middle East and North Africa) was "running some kind of proof of concept on 'dormant' and 'low-activity' accounts." It wasn't just Boudih's account that was affected.

It gets technical from this point on, but it basically boils down to the assumption that an AWS developer typed the wrong command and ended up deleting accounts that were still very much in use, like Boudih's.

There's no real proof that any of this happened, but Boudih points to the slow progress and ineffective feedback from support as explanations for a potential cover-up.

Another sober reminder that cloud storage is not as safe as you think it is

Lately, it seems that there have been more high-profile data loss stories than usual. In June, a OneDrive user was locked out of "30 years' worth of photos and work", receiving no help from Microsoft support.

More recently, a LibreOffice — an open-source competitor for Microsoft Office — developer had their Microsoft account locked after sharing some notes on bugs and fixes in an email. The developer eventually regained access to their account, but I don't expect they'll stick around for long.

This is your reminder not to put so much trust in cloud storage services. They're convenient, but they clearly come with some risks. Even in our tech-heavy 2025 world, a good ol' USB drive or external SSD is still the way to go, at least as a secondary backup.

Closing out the blog post, Boudih explains that they're developing a free tool that will help people get their data out of AWS: "My clients — representing over $400k/month in AWS billing — have already agreed to migrate to Oracle OCI, Azure, and Google Cloud."

Storing files in the cloud helps you keep backups of your files, sync data across devices, and have better peace of mind when it comes to images, documents, and videos. It can be an expensive endeavor to back up all your files, but it doesn't have to be costly or complicated.

A deal on pCloud saves you up to 70% on a lifetime of cloud storage, meaning you don't have to pay a subscription to back up your files. A limited edition 1TB plan reduces the entry cost of storage through pCloud.

What is the best cloud storage provider?

There's certainly no shortage of cloud storage options in 2025. Tech giants like Microsoft (OneDrive), Google (Google Drive), and Apple (iCloud) all have their own solutions. Amazon is another big player in the space, as is Dropbox.

There are also cloud storage options with specific focuses, such as backing up data that's also stored elsewhere.

pCloud is an attractive option for those who want to back up files they also have stored elsewhere or those who do not want to pay subscription fees to keep files on the cloud. The company offers several lifetime plans, which allow you to pay upfront for access to your files for up to 99 years.

pCloud also has several security features, such as using TLS/SSL encryption. Files stored through pCloud are kept in at least three server locations as well. Client-side encryption is another benefit of pCloud.

You can sync pCloud to devices running all major operating systems, including Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. The service also has browser extensions available and even has a Linux version.

Many people use multiple cloud storage providers to back up data. Adding another cloud service also prevents you from relying on a single company to keep your critical documents, images, and videos.

A recent story saw a user lose access to "30 years worth of photos and work" that was stored on OneDrive. While we don't know all the details of that story, and have not heard from Microsoft about the situation, it highlights the importance of having multiple copies of important files.

If you're on a mission to secure and back up your data, I'd also suggest picking up one of the best external SSDs.

Based on the promotional material for the current pCloud deal, you may assume that the company is based in the United States, but that's not the case. Instead, the 4th of July theme appears to be a way to celebrate the holiday with a deal available to people in the US.

pCloud is based in Switzerland, which I would argue is a good thing when it comes to data protection. Switzerland has strict laws surrounding digital security.

"Your files are protected by Swiss laws, which are the strictest for personal data, since our company is based in Switzerland," reads the company website.

You can choose if your data is stored in the United States (Dallas, Texas) or in the European Union (Luxembourg).

Keeping your files on the cloud allows you to sync content across devices, access your files anywhere, and have a backup of your data. Several big tech giants have cloud storage solutions, including Microsoft's OneDrive, Apple's iCloud, and Google Drive. But what if you don't want your files managed by one of those tech giants? What if you prefer paying a flat lifetime fee rather than a subscription? What if you want end-to-end encryption on your files? One solution that covers all those questions is pCloud, which has several deals at the moment, including a lifetime plan with 2TB of storage for $279.

Right now, you can save up to 70% off pCloud lifetime plans. The most affordable option is $199 for 1TB of storage, which is at a 70% discount. Spending a bit more will double your storage to 2TB for $279. If you need 10TB of storage, you can get a lifetime plan for $890 (58% off).

Desktop applications for pCloud are available on Windows, macOS, and Linux. You can also access the service on Android or iOS. The mobile pCloud apps support automatic uploading, much like other popular cloud storage applications.

Our colleagues at TechRadar reviewed pCloud earlier this year. The cloud storage service earned a 4 out of 5, receiving praise for its integration with social media, lifetime plan options, and media-focused features:

"pCloud is a straightforward application offering typical cloud storage services. The current pricing plans are very affordable, especially for lifetime subscriptions. However, the product is not as polished as some competitors, and 2TB of storage may not be enough by today's standards. Adding client-side encryption for $4.99 a month is reasonable, but it's disappointing that it and the 'Extended File History' feature are not included in all lifetime plans for free. Due to its great value and extensive features, we confidently recommend pCloud for personal use, but businesses may require more flexibility."

TechRadar also highlighted how pCloud's web interface handles media files. The service has built-in audio and video players, which aren't rare among cloud storage apps, but TechRadar enjoyed pCloud's implementation of the feature.

"While a web browser that can play media is hardly sensational, we noticed that during our tests that when we opened a file from an audiobook, the interface automatically created a playlist. There's also a dedicated audio section in the pCloud web interface where you can manage your albums and playlists."

Several encryption options are available through pCloud. The current bundles include pCloud Encryption at no additional cost. The company has a page breaking down the technical aspects of its encryption tech, but the end result is that you can have select files protected by end-to-end encryption. That means even pCloud does not have a key or a way to access those encrypted files. If you'd like, you can also have files left unencrypted, which enables certain functionality, such as generating thumbnails and playing media files in the cloud.

As well as backing up important Windows installations and making sure all your files have a redundant copy, there's nothing worse than losing photos and videos of sacred moments in your life. We're going to run you through how to configure a Synology Network Attached Storage to automatically backup media from your smartphone. It's really easy, and you have a few options available.

See at Amazon

Synchronizing clouds

The easiest way to configure the backup of photos and videos taken on your smartphone to your home NAS is to synchronize everything saved to popular clouds services like OneDrive and Google Drive. This is also the option you'll wish to go with should you already rely on a cloud service for storing files from a smartphone.

Synology allows you to have all this configured using just the Cloud Sync app. Simply follow the below instructions, and you'll have copies of photos and videos transferred across from popular cloud storage solutions.

1. Log into your NAS using your favorite web browser.
2. Download and install Cloud Sync (if not already installed) using the Package Center.
3. Open Cloud Sync.

4. Select the cloud storage service.
5. Log in using your credentials.

6. Configure how you wish the NAS to synchronize the files:
   • Local path: Where all the synchronized files will be stored.
   • Remote patch: The folder you wish to synchronize from the cloud service. ("Root" saves everything.)
   • Sync direction: Select how you wish for the NAS to synchronize with the service.
7. Click "Schedule settings" to control when the synchronization task runs.

And you're all set! You can use this to save just photos and video or all files, depending on what you have stored on the cloud server, as well as which root path you choose. You can even stack the scheduled tasks by connecting multiple cloud services, keeping all your data in a single location.

Saving from the phone

1. Download DS Cloud for Android or iOS.
2. Open the app and fill in your NAS details.
3. Select the server folder to sync.
4. Hit next.
5. Select the local folder to sync.
6. Hit next.
7. Configure the synchronization profile.
8. Hit OK.

Your smartphone should now begin synchronizing all selected files with the NAS unit, and by using the QuickConnect connection, you will be able to achieve this from anywhere with a network connection.

Related resources

• How to get started with the Synology DS218+
• How to back up Windows 10 to a Synology NAS
• 5 cool and creative ways to use NAS
• Best NAS for the Home in 2018

Network Attached Storage (NAS) companies like Synology are attempting to push more consumers away from cloud storage, in favor of local solutions that include setting up a unit in the home (or office) and throwing in a hard drive or two. Deciding whether or not a NAS or service provider is best for your needs depends on a number of factors. If the price is the only one you care about, a NAS wins by a country mile. But there are many other advantages and drawbacks to consider.

NAS vs. cloud: By the numbers

Synology NAS

Synology offers some affordable NAS solutions that can be set up for file storage and forgotten about (unless something goes horribly wrong with the unit). The DS218j is part of the latest generation (alongside the excellent DS218+, which was awarded a Windows Central Choice Award) and offers two bays for up to 24TB of storage capacity. The DS418j is a similar model but with four bays, allowing for a ridiculous amount of space to be made available with enough drives.

Up to 24TB is priced with the DS218+ in mind, running in RAID 1. The latter 24TB and 30TB pricing reflect the inclusion of the DS418J and the use of RAID 5. We do not include the price of electricity and a working internet connection to keep the NAS online in the figures above.

Microsoft OneDrive

Microsoft only offers one storage plan for OneDrive that hits 1TB or above. It's a shame since the OneDrive integration into Windows is actually very easy to use and makes for a pleasant experience with web and mobile platforms.

This single plan includes a full suite of Office apps too, which makes it compelling for anyone who needs to store some documents and get more done. That said, if you need more than 1TB of space, you will need to factor in additional cost for an external service (or NAS installation).

See Microsoft OneDrive plans

Google Drive

Google splits up its plans to cover different services and products, including Gmail, Photos, and Drive. A number of plans are available to suit various needs and requirements.

As you can see in the chart, Google Drive can become rather pricey.

See Google Drive plans

Amazon Drive

See Amazon Drive plans

Dropbox

Like Microsoft, Dropbox only offers a single plan that offers at least 1TB of space.

Due to what Microsoft offers in its own plan, if you're considering Dropbox I'd highly recommend giving OneDrive and Office 365 a look.

See Dropbox plans

Keep it local with a NAS

A NAS device is that little black box located somewhere in the home or office that acts as a file server. It can be a PC, too, depending on how you configure the OS and hardware. What these machines are capable of is storing data, transcoding media and even running services like Plex. Small units can be purchased from companies like Synology and QNAP.

The most important thing to remember about a NAS is that it's local and it's managed by yourself. That cuts out any third-parties and lowers the risk of your data being compromised. I'm sure you're aware of all the issues with cloud storage with celebrities having their accounts broken into and sensitive data obtained by malicious individuals. With a NAS, you aren't relying on a service or company to gain access to files, because it's all on your local unit.

Using a NAS can not only reduce costs over time, since you'll have no monthly subscription to pay out for, it also allows for future upgrades by replacing or adding more hard drives. The issue with this form of storage is the initial costs, which involve purchasing a diskless model, some hard drives, and accessories. There's also a steep learning curve, especially if you've never managed a NAS before.

Thankfully, companies like Synology are making it easier than ever to configure a NAS, but it's still not quite as straightforward as cloud storage. In the end, it's possible to create your very own cloud, which offers full control over backups, upgrades, storage capacity, and allowing others to use said storage.

Pros of NAS:

• Cheaper in the long run.
• Can be more secure.
• Physical access to stored files.
• Custom configurations and upgrades.
• LAN is quicker.

Cons of NAS:

• Learning curve.
• Expensive initial setup costs.
• Relies on internet service provider (IP changes, slow upload speeds).

Prepare for takeoff with cloud storage

Microsoft OneDrive, Dropbox, and Google Drive are all incredibly popular cloud services with millions of people relying on these companies for access and security. Setting up an account is easy, and getting started with any of these cloud storage solutions is even more straightforward. Simply pay a small sum up front, enter into an agreement, and you'll be able to get started.

While the initial cost of cloud storage is far lower than purchasing a NAS, there are no savings to be had in the long run. After paying out each month (or yearly) for cloud storage, you will reach a point where you overtake a NAS owner with the total overall cost since the subscription will cease to end unless you wish to no longer use the service. The cloud is truly magical, however, allowing one to access data wherever they may be, without having to keep a box running on electricity back at home.

There's also less of a barrier when it comes to transfer speeds. A NAS can perform great on a local network, but downloading big files from afar can be affected by slow ISP upload speeds. With a cloud service, you're taking advantage of super-fast connections and can usually max out the download speed. That said when working with documents and other smaller files, this isn't much of a factor.

The thing about cloud storage is you never really know where or how it's stored (unless the company reveals said information). An issue arises when you wish to leave the service and cancel a subscription. Does your data get destroyed? How does one obtain confirmation that it's gone? Unlike a NAS where physical access is granted, there are a few unknowns to consider when looking at (and using) cloud storage.

Pros of the cloud:

• Super-fast speeds
• Easy to use.
• Far cheaper initial costs.

Cons of the cloud:

• Can be rather costly over time.
• Rely on third-party to secure files.
• No physical access to stored data.
• No guarantee data is destroyed upon cancellation.

Related NAS and storage articles

• 5 cool and creative ways to use NAS
• How to pick the right NAS for a Plex server
• Best NAS for the Home in 2018
• Why you should buy a NAS
• Everything you need to know to build your own NAS
• 4 tips to keep in mind when shopping for NAS hard drives
• What you need to know when selecting a Synology NAS

OneDrive has been around for a while now, as has Amazon's own Drive cloud storage platform. Both are priced competitively and include some goodies alongside an annual subscription. Should you be looking at ways to store backup copies of documents, photos and videos, such services are invaluable for accessing said files from multiple devices. Question is: which do you go for? Microsoft or Amazon?

Community member vEEP pEEP took to our forum to ask that of other members.

One thing to note is Amazon offers 1 TB for $59.99, which comes with Prime Photos while Microsoft rolls in 1 TB of OneDrive with a $79.99 yearly Office 365 subscription. The latter appears more expensive, but you get more bang for the buck with a full Office suite.

But what if you're also considering Dropbox or even Google's own cloud platform? We ran the numbers and have a guide to provide some insight.

From the forum: OneDrive vs Amazon Drive

With multiple cloud storage solutions available it can prove rather troublesome keeping track exactly what files are stored on which service. Luckily, this is where the new official Otixo (www.otixo.com) app for Windows Phone comes into play. The app essentially opens up the vast world of online storage for consumers to access numerous services through a single gateway. Think of this are your one shop for all your cloud drive accounts.

The beauty of Otixo is how everything is kept safe through a single login. Much like LastPass (or similar services) for general accounts and security information, Otixo allows users to add multiple services to a single account. Simply log in, add accounts you wish to use and you’re good to go from supported hardware. So which cloud storage solutions are supported by Otixo?

Here’s a quick list:

• Dropbox
• Google Drive
• OneDrive
• Facebook
• SugarSync
• Picasa
• WebDAV
• FTP
• Cubby
• Huddle
• Alfresco
• Amazon S3
• OwnCloud
• Dump Truck
• FilesAnywhere
• CloudMe
• UbuntuOne
• Yandex
• MyDrive
• OnlineFileFolders
• GoDaddy Online
• Strato
• 4Shared
• Digital Bucket
• Cubby
• GMX.DE
• WEB.DE
• CloudSafe
• HiDrive
• Deutsche Telekom Media Center
• Bitcasa

As well as being able to access individual services and accounts, Otixo also supports copying/moving files from cloud to cloud without using up your data plans (all files transfer through web servers – not for those who wear tin foil helmets). Users can also search across all services with a single entry, which saves literally hours of crawling through login credentials and multiple interfaces.

Personal media is also available, including photos, documents, videos and music. This content can be loaded via the single app, regardless as to which service (or services) you’re accessing. Finally, files can be uploaded to any service connected to the Otixo account, streamlining the experience further.

You can download Otixo from the Windows Phone Store for free (the service does cost money, unfortunately). Thanks, Lance_WPCentral, for the tip!

Earlier today, Google slashed their cloud storage pricing for Google Drive to some insanely low numbers. How low? For just $1.99 a month you get 100GB of storage. If you want to get 100GB on OneDrive you’ll need to pony up $7.49 per month to do that. The pricing wars are now officially on for cloud storage and hopefully the only winners here will be us, the consumers. Let’s check out how some of the major cloud storage services stack up against one another for pricing.

We’ll compare OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, and Copy. You already have apps in the Windows Phone Store for OneDrive, Dropbox, Box and Copy. And we’ll see soon have excellent unofficial clients like Google Drive from Rudy Huyn and his new CloudSix initiative.

The pricing we highlight below is what the majority of you will pay as a normal consumer. We’ll ignore enterprise pricing and just look at options available to you today. For the free tier we’ll focus on what’s initially available on the onset. Most services, like OneDrive and Dropbox, offer additional free storage for referrals and other initiatives.

OneDrive

• 7GB – Free
• 50GB – $25/year or $4.49/month
• 100GB – $50/year or $7.49/month
• 200GB – $100/year or $11.49/month

Download OneDrive from the Windows Phone Store

Google Drive

• 15GB – Free
• 100GB – $1.99/month
• 1TB – $9.99/month
• 10TB – $99.99/month

CloudSix for Google Drive is an upcoming third-party app that will be available soon for Windows Phone. Google currently doesn’t offer an official app in the Windows Phone Store

Dropbox

• 2GB – Free
• 100GB – $99/year or $9.99/month
• 200GB – $199/year or $19.99/month
• 500GB – $499/year or $49.99/month

Download CloudSix for Dropbox from the Windows Phone Store.

Copy

• 15GB – Free
• 250GB – $99/year or $9.99/month
• 500GB – $149/year or $14.99/month

Copy actually does have an official app out for Windows Phone. You can grab Copy in the Windows Phone Store.

Box

• 10GB – Free
• 100GB – $10/month

Download the official Box app for Windows Phone in the Windows Phone Store. 

Your turn

We like polling you all and seeing what you think. Let us know which online storage service you’re using in the poll below. Be sure to let us know what you think about Google’s new aggressive pricing and whether or not OneDrive will respond with a comparable move.

Reading this in our mobile app? Head to IE to take the poll. m.wpcentral.com/cloud-storage-windows-phone

Microsoft recently launched OneDrive. It was a rebranding of SkyDrive that also introduced new features to the cloud-storage platform. OneDrive is mostly aimed at consumers, which is why today Microsoft announced OneDrive for Business and announced a plan that helps that battle companies like Box and Dropbox one-on-one.

Just like OneDrive came from SkyDrive, OneDrive for Business comes from the ashes of SkyDrive Pro. OneDrive for Business allows Microsoft to target business with features that appeal to them. New features were announced today. The biggest change to OneDrive for Business is that it will now be offered as a standalone business plan. That move will help OneDrive compete against companies like Dropbox and Box. 

Before, you needed to get SkyDrive Pro as part of a business plan in the Office 365 suite. Now you and your company can get just OneDrive for Business. This allows companies to easily get into the cloud-storage game without buying the entire Office3 365 product.

Other new features in OneDrive for Business include a new user experience to access, find, and manage work files easier. If you’re an on premise SharePoint customer you can also configure OneDrive for Business with just a few clicks.

Here are the features OneDrive for Business is rolling out to make managing files easier. There are now simple controls above the personal document folder that correspond to your common tasks. Site folders have been introduced to take you directly to document libraries of sites you follow. Search has also been improved with features like type-ahead and more.

Microsoft also promises more features coming to OneDrive for Business coming soon. 

Interested in getting your business on OneDrive for Business without Office 365? There’s a promotional pricing of $2.50 per user per month that begins in April and runs through September.

Anyone looking forward to OneDrive for Business?

Source: OneDrive Blog

As many already know, Microsoft’s SkyDrive is the company’s cloud-based storage service.  We use it on our Windows Phone to back-up photos, access documents and other files we keep in the cloud.

Today, Microsoft has announced that they are retiring the SkyDrive branding for this cloud storage and renaming things OneDrive.  The thinking behind the name is that while you have many devices in your life, you only want one place to store your documents, images, videos and other files. 

Microsoft announced back in July of the impending name change due to litigation against them by British Sky Broadcasting Group (BSkyB), who successfully claimed that SkyDrive infringed on the “Sky” trademark.

Current SkyDrive and SkyDrive Pro customers will not see any interruptions in service as the name change begins to roll out.  No date was given as to when the transition will begin other than “expect to be able to experience the new OneDrive soon”.

As we learn more about this change, we’ll surely pass it on.

Source: Onedrive.com; Thanks, everyone, for the tips!

QNAP makes a series of Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices for professional and home usage. All of that sounds bizarre to myself, because frankly I don’t follow home-networking news. NAS devices though are becoming increasingly popular as homes – to break out a buzzword – become more ‘connected’ in 2014.

For those still confused, it’s a home cloud server akin to having your own local SkyDrive account. NAS devices allow you to configure them with multiple terabytes of storage, and they then connect to the ‘net. Tablets, PCs, laptops and phones can then join to pull down (or upload) videos, music, photos, etc.

This week, QNAP (www.qnap.com) released an official app for Windows Phone called Qfile. It’s still technically in beta, though if you have a QNAP NAS running firmware V3.8.0 or later, you should be good to go. What does Qfile bring? It comes with the following features on board:

Qfile 1.0 (1.0.1.114)

• Access files on the Turbo NAS anytime, anywhere.
• Upload your photos and documents directly from mobile devices to the Turbo NAS.
• Easy management:  Move, copy, rename or delete files on the Turbo NAS, all via your mobile device. No computer required.
• Offline file reading:  Qfile provides a simple way for downloading files from the Turbo NAS to mobile devices for offline reading.

Once again, the analogy to your own personal SkyDrive account should be obvious. With Qfile, you can use your Windows Phone to manage your own files and folders on your home NAS directly, backing up photos, videos or even playing music.

I actually have a QNAP NAS HS-210 (see lede photo), though it’s not yet setup as I’m waiting to move first (I picked it up at CES, evidently). But the idea now that Windows Phone has an official app has my interest piqued. While I really enjoy SkyDrive, there’s something enticing about running your own cloud service that you can control and manage for friends and family.

Unfortunately, there’s no Windows 8 RT app yet, but seeing as QNAP is embracing Windows Phone, we imagine it can’t be too far behind.

If you have a QNAP NAS, you can grab Qfile here in the Store. Windows Phone 8 only.

Anyone already on board with their own NAS? Shout out below how you use it and why you like it.

Via: WMPU

Mega (www.mega.co.nz) is a cloud-based storage service and successor to MegaUpload. Launched earlier this year, the web service has released apps for Android and iOS, but the company has now confirmed that a Windows Phone solution is well on the way. The only problem is you won't be able to download it until 2014.

The service supports encryption on the client side with an "advanced AES algorithm." The company cannot decrypt or access files stored on the service, taking no responsibility for content uploaded by registered accounts. Both free and paid data plans (three tiers) are available, depending on just how much you wish to store in the cloud.

Here's a copy of the email response from the support team at Mega:

It's positive to see such a massive brand supporting Windows Phone so soon after competitor platforms. Do you use Mega and are eagerly awaiting a Windows Phone app?

Source: Reddit; thanks, Faisal, for the tip!

When it comes to cloud storage on Windows Phone, most users seem content to utilize Microsoft’s SkyDrive system. After all, it ties into Xbox, PC, tablets, Windows Phone itself, the web and it is constantly being improved upon by the company.

However, people live different lives and have different circumstances, including having job requirements that require access to other cloud storage options. So with that, it’s good to see Copy (www.copy.com), an official app from Barracuda Networks, land on Windows Phone 8 (they already have clients for iOS and Android).

Copy is like most cloud storage in that it offers a free account with a generous 15GB of storage. From there, users can opt to increase that for what appear to be reasonable rates. The network is built by Barracuda, who have been in IT since 2003 and provide security, networking and storage products—so they’re no slouch to this business. Copy though is a bit new so the system is not a robust as competitors.

Copy's price range, including free 15GB of online storage

How’s the app? For an initial release (v1.0.0.12), it’s not bad but it does fall short of SkyDrive. Specifically the app only allows you to access your files that you have already uploaded but you can’t add new files from your Windows Phone—at least not yet. You can share those files by creating public links, which is helpful but without the ability add new documents or images, it’s certainly limited at this time. We bet Barracuda is just getting started though and they will begin rolling out features to increase the app’s usefulness.

Copy (initial release features)

• Create and Login to a Copy Account.
• On-demand browsing of all your Copy files and shares.
• Thumbnailing and preview of all supported file types.
• High-Resolution previewing of image file types.
• Copy public link of any file. Multi-select supported!
• View your folders in thumbnail gallery mode.

For now, if your company or personal network uses Copy from Barracuda, you at least now have a method to easily access those files. We’ll keep an eye out to see if this app improves in the future, but for now you can pick up the initial release here in the Store (or scan the QR code below). Thanks, zhoulhas, for the tip!

One design choice on the Nokia Lumia 1020 has a small handful of people a little flustered: you cannot share the full-resolution photos on Windows Phone using any of the built in social networks. No email, no NFC, no uploading to SkyDrive, etc.  The reason for that is because each 38MP image is between 9 and 15 MB in size and that would chew through bandwidth.

The oversampled 5MP images you can do anything, including all the above and auto-uploads to SkyDrive. Those weigh in at a more reasonable 3MB and are meant for sharing.

But for AT&T users (and only AT&T customers), there is a way to auto-upload your full, high resolution photos to the cloud for backup: AT&T Locker. And if you act fast, you can bump their free 5GB of storage to a whopping 50GB, which is ideal for you future Lumia 1020 owners.

AT&T Locker

AT&T’s free cloud solution was released a few weeks ago on Windows Phone. The app is very much like SkyDrive where you can save anything you want to it, including music or documents. If you are not on your phone, you can head to AT&T for more info to either create an account or view/manage your files.

On the Lumia 1020, the app comes preinstalled and when you sign up, you get 5GB of free storage. However, as we pointed out a few weeks ago, if you act now you can upgrade that to a massive 50GB, which is kind of awesome.

To do so, follow these steps:

• Launch app
• Create an account
• Scroll to ‘More’
• Settings
• My Plan
• Upgrade Plan
• You should see the 50GB plan marked as “Limited Time Offer”
• Select and done

And that’s it. From the app you can choose to have it auto-upload your images over Wi-Fi and Cellular, just Wi-Fi or neither (upload manually), so everyone should be happy.

Why AT&T Locker and the Lumia 1020 go hand in hand

A full, high resolution image uploaded via the Lumia 1020

As we mentioned above, the Lumia 1020 cannot share the massive 38MP images from the device. The only way is to plug the Lumia 1020 into a PC and do the drag and drop routine. To be honest, we’re totally fine with that. We shoot full-frame DSLR images for our site and resize them to around 300kb for posting. There’s really no reason to send someone a 10MB, 38MP image especially when you have a beautiful, oversampled 5MP (3MB) one to share instead.

But for backing up purposes, we can see where having a wireless solution would be helpful. AT&T Locker does allow backing up of the Lumia 1020’s full high resolution images to your account. It works quite well and you can even share that photo with others via email, Twitter, Facebook or MySpace with the app’s built in social networks. Once the image is shared, guests can even download the full, high quality photo to their PC.

What a shared image looks like on AT&T Locker

In other words, problem solved:

1. You get 50GB of free, cloud storage, accessible by your phone or PC
2. You can auto-upload/backup your photos
3. It saves your high resolution images, wirelessly

So remember this tutorial when you receive your Nokia Lumia 1020 this Friday. There’s no reason to not opt in, especially if you think this will pose a problem for your routine.

Already have an AT&T Windows Phone? Download AT&T Locker now and get setup using our steps above to ensure you receive free 50GB of online storage. Windows Phone 8 only.

AT&T has released the AT&T Locker for their Windows Phone 8 devices. It is a cloud service for U.S. based AT&T customers that provides 5GB of cloud storage for free.

You can upload photos, videos, documents and music files to the AT&T Locker over Wi-Fi or AT&T's wireless network. The app comes with an Easy Upload feature that backs up your photos and videos automatically and images can be shared via email, Facebook or Twitter directly from the AT&T Locker.

Signing up for the AT&T Locker is a little cumbersome and it's best you go to http://locker.att.net to sign up. You'll have to enter an email address, a AT&T Access ID (just use your email address), create a password and enter a security code/enter the jumble up group of letters. Once you get a confirmation email, you're in business.  Just download the AT&T Locker app from your AT&T Windows Phone 8 device, sign in and you can start backing up your files.

Navigation is fairly straight forward with pages dedicated to pictures, music and files. You also have a More Page where you can access your settings, set up your social networks for sharing, view the help page, and more. If you opt out of the Easy Upload feature, just tap the cloud button at the bottom of the screen to choose the files you want to upload.

QUICK TIP: Again, AT&T Locker provides you with 5GB of cloud storage for free. You can buy additional storage space but for a limited time you can get the 50GB upgrade for FREE. Just go to the More Page in the app, choose settings and My Plan. You should see two options, the 5GB plan and the 50GB plan. The 50GB plan should be marked free.  Tap the plan, back out of the settings and you'll get a pop-up window to confirm you're plan change.

The AT&T Locker is a nice feature if you need a little more storage space than what SkyDrive provides. Keep in mind it's only available for AT&T Windows Phone 8 devices and you can download the AT&T Locker here through the ATT collection of the Windows Phone Store.

Oh... and the existence of the AT&T Locker leads a little more credibility to the leaked image of the Lumia 1020 we saw yesterday. If you look at the bottom row of tiles, the AT&T Locker tile is at the bottom right of the Lumia 1020's Start Screen.

Thanks, cesar, for the tip!

SkyDrive is a great way to back up and store files in the cloud, and access everything from your tablet, computer or Windows Phone. SkyDrive is a free service with 7GB of storage.  From students (or anyone else for that matter) 7GB might not be enough.

If you're a college student you can get an extra 3GB on top of that. All you need to do is head over here, enter a valid .edu email address, and a free storage code will be sent your way.

There are a few catches though. The extra storage space is only available for a year from redemption. Codes are limited to one per person and the code must be used by December 31, 2013.

It may not be the best deal, but if you need a bump in SkyDrive storage for your college needs, the extra 3GB could come in handy.  Oh... and if you haven't installed the SkyDrive app on your Windows Phone, you can find it here in the Windows Phone Store.

Cloud storage provider Box has updated their official apps for both Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 with new features geared toward security for both businesses and individuals. The new version adds not only versatility for end users, but the kind of security measures that IT administrators love to see in cloud-based apps.

The most significant addition is the ability for a folder's owner to add, change and remove permissions for any collaborator right from the app itself. This allows for easy access management on the go.

Another security-related addition is the ability for two-step verification users to login to their Box app using the verification codes they receive via text message. This is a feature that brings Box up to the standards of one of their primary competitors, Microsoft's own SkyDrive, and surpasses those of DropBox, who doesn't even make an official app for Windows Phone.

The new feature that most IT administrators will love the most is policy enforcement. Now such policies as required password, custom lock timeout and local download restriction can be handed down by a company to their employees' devices.

With more and more employees using smartphones for a mix of business and personal functions, it is becoming increasing difficult for companies to manage the policies and content on those devices. Add to it the fact that the cloud makes it easy to access almost any data they may want or need to, and the task if securing that data becomes even more daunting. Box seems to understand these challenges and has risen up to the challenge. Will these latest updates thwart any and every security risk? Of course not. But this app takes a major step toward securing both personal and business data.

You can download Box's official Windows Phone 8 app for free here and the Windows 8 app here.

Via: BetaNews

UPDATE: Folks are reporting that this update is also available for Windows Phone 7.8. Good to see that 7.8 is getting the much improved security as well!

Although a lot of folks in the Windows Phone ecosystem may opt for SkyDrive for their cloud storage, there’s no doubt Box (www.box.com) has a compelling service as well (especially if you nabbed those free 25 or 50GB of storage offers).

The company has pushed out dual updates today for both their Windows 8 and Windows Phone apps, bringing their new file-preview technology to both and allowing users to peek in their files without opening them. In addition, each app received some personal attention too for general improvements.

The file-preview technology is evidently very popular as it was introduced on Android and iOS recently. According to Box:

Indeed that is quite a useful feature. Platform specific changes are the following for today’s updates:

For Windows 8:

• Built a navigation bar (swipe from top) for a quick way to get to your All Files home, Updates and more.
• Improved the spacing and utility of the semantic zoom functionality.

For Windows Phone:

• Added support for Office documents and PDFs to open directly in Microsoft Office.
• Designed a new wide cycle tile; pin our Live Tile to your Start screen at the largest size, and you’ll see your Box Updates feed rotate through it.
• Added the ability to see and edit file descriptions, as well as engage in discussions on a folder level

We have to admit, Box makes a compelling client and their enthusiasm for Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8 is a refreshing change from some other cloud-storage services. Have you switched from SkyDrive to Box? If so, tell us why in comments.

You can pick up Box v1.5 for Windows Phone here in the Store and Box for Windows 8 here.

Source: Box

Although we’re all about Microsoft’s ecosystem around these parts, we’re not going to pass on a good deal especially if you have a specific need. Box (box.com) cloud storage, akin to Dropbox, SkyDrive and SugarSync, is a cloud based syncing and storage service.

They usually offer 5GB of space for free but have a special running where you get bumped up to 25GB (new customers only).

What makes Box a compelling option is of course their Windows support--they have a full desktop sync client and Windows 8 RT app in addition to sporting an official app for Windows Phone 7.x and 8 (suck on that, Dropbox). The app is quite good and similar to the SkyDrive experience.

In case you are wondering why Box is better than say Dropbox, the site SmalNetBuilder did a nice comparison, noting that Box is better geared for enterprise users:

Last we checked (though we could be wrong), a 25GB account with Box would run you $9.99 a month as opposed to this free offer. Even if you don’t have an immediate usage for it, it may be worth signing up if you haven’t already to lock this deal in.

To download the Windows Phone client, just head here to the Store.

[Note: You must use this link to get the 25GB, don't sign up via the app: https://www.box.com/pricing ]

Have some pros or cons in using Box over SkyDrive? Let us know in comments.

Source: Box (fixed link); via DealSea

SkyDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive, iCloud. Does the world really need another file hosting service up in the cloud? I say why not, as more competition can only benefit all of us. Bitcasa (www.bitcasa.com) is a relatively new kid on the block and they’ve just launched a Windows 8 app. What makes Bitcasa unique is their “infinite hard drive”. Interested? Read on.

At first glance, Bitcasa might be like all the others, free storage to start and then you end up paying for space when you need to move up a tier or two. With Bitcasa you get 10 GB free and then after that it’s $10 per month for unlimited storage. To put that in perspective, with SkyDrive you get an extra 100 GB per year if you pay $50. There is also no limit to the number of files you upload or their size. Everything you upload is encrypted from the start and backed up on their servers at least three times.

According to them, with the Windows 8/RT app you can:

• View your photos and photo albums
• Watch videos
• Listen to music albums
• View documents
• Share a link to a file
• Download from Bitcasa to your local drive
• Upload a file to a Bitcasa folder

It’s interesting to say they recommended using the desktop application for Windows or Mac to initially get all your content up in the cloud.

This could be another viable option for Surface owners who max out their storage on the device. I’ll admit to being very comfortable with SkyDrive and don’t see myself really filling up the 125 GBs I have anytime soon, but I would be lying if I didn’t say that Bitcasa is an interesting and intriguing option right now. Check out the app in the Windows 8 Store if you're into unlimited storage.

We’ve reached out to see if there are any plans to support Windows Phone and will update when we hear back.

Anyone going to give this a try?

Source: Windows 8 Store, via: Engaget; thanks, Vallos, for the tip!

SkyDrive and punk rawk go well together, says our editor

Microsoft has reportedly added support for album art in its SkyDrive cloud storage service, which could be the first step in the direction of a Windows integrated Xbox Music solution. Xbox Music is set to replace the current Zune Pass that many have grown fond of with unlimited access to a large library of music. Should one happen to upload music files to their SkyDrive account, album art is reported to be automatically added once detected. 

Like Liveside.net who first reported this, we're not entirely sure if this is new or we're just noticing it for the first time. Either way, consider it as more evidence that indeed SkyDrive is quite awsome.

Microsoft announced the upcoming Xbox Music service back at E3, and has since updated both the Zune and Xbox websites to reflect the successor, but we're still unsure as to what's exactly on the horizon for Windows users with the Xbox Music service. How Zune Pass, Windows Phone, Windows, SkyDrive and the Xbox will come together to form a new multi-platform music product is still a shrouded mystery.

Music playback is limited to single selection on Windows Phone, saving to local storage on the website interface, and through the Windows 8 SkyDrive app. We'd expect a more feature rich and user friendly experience to be present once Xbox Music is released, should SkyDrive be used in Microsoft's plan for media world domination. It'll be interesting to see how Microsoft handles both a subscription service for unlimited access, as well as possible storage for already owned music (much like Apple's iTunes Match).

Another question could be will there be competitor platform support through SkyDrive apps? Microsoft could attack Apple on its doorstep with a new music service available for OSX users - especially since there are Windows Phone fans that use Apple hardware (think Windows Phone Connector for Mac and the native SkyDrive client).

We've attempted to upload our own music collection to see how SkyDrive handles the variety album art, and can confirm that album art is indeed applied to music files that are uploaded to cloud storage. Have you noticed album art populating your SkyDrive-stored music collection? Let us know in the comments.

Source: LiveSide

Box is available for Windows Phone

The team at Box, a cloud-based storage and sharing service, have published a blog article detailing the release of their Windows Phone app, which has been published since June. The app joins their catalogue of mobile apps for iOS, BlackBerry and Android.

The Windows Phone app is a native client so you're getting all the goodies offered from Box. So what's the service all about? Box enables users to upload, store and share files from computers to the cloud. Much like DropBox, SkyDrive and similar services, Box provides a limited amount of space (5GB) for free.

Box offers a number of useful features to help make sharing files easier - from sending links and sharing entire folders to receiving real-time updates on views, comments and edits. As well as sharing, there's added support for extensive collaboration between a number personnel. Contacts can be invited to work with the user within folders, and are subsequently able to leave comments and share links to content right from the web or mobile app.

As mentioned above, the Windows Phone app packs all available mobile client functionality and then some. Search is integrated enabling users to locate files and folders in a matter of seconds from the app, and file management is a breeze with multiple functions available. Deleting, moving and renaming folders or files can even be achieved in bulk. Lastly, app-specific passcodes can be applied for an extra layer of protection.

But if that wasn't enough, the team have designed the Windows Phone Box app to take advantage of Metro and the platform capabilities. Pivots are used and Live Tiles are supported for more convenient access which also update when collaboration takes place from contacts.

As well as releasing the free Windows Phone app, the team have also started working with Qualcomm to pre-load Box on select Android and Windows devices. This will bring extra storage for consumers on said devices at no extra cost. Though with Microsoft actively improving SkyDrive, with Office 2013 on the way, it might be worth holding out to see how Windows 8, Apollo and Office changes the game.

You can download Box from the Marketplace (note: may not be available in some regions).

An update is heading our way for the Sweet Sync for SugarSync app. Sugar Sync is a cloud storage option, similar to Dropbox or Skydrive, and Sweet Sync is your unofficial Windows Phone connection to the cloud service.

The update takes Sweet Sync to version 1.4 and brings background photo synchronization into the mix. When enabled the app will detect new photos on your Windows Phone and sync them upon startup.

The version 1.4 update also adds the option to sync only when your on wifi and select any sync folder in your account to sync to (or not to sync to). This is a nice data saving feature.

The update has just passed Marketplace certification so look for it to be pushed out in the next 24-48 hours. In the meantime, you can find Sweet Sync for SugarSync here at the Windows Phone Marketplace. There is a trial version with the full version of Sweet Sync for SugarSync running $1.29.

We've touched on the basics with Microsoft's SkyDrive services and the SkyDrive App for your Windows Phone. But how does all that translate into every day use?

The obvious every day use for SkyDrive and your Windows Phone is to free up storage space and make content easily available. Why bog down your Windows Phone with documents, pictures, and music files when you can store them in the Cloud and access them at your leisure? But did you know that several quality apps utilize SkyDrive? Of course you did... and we'll try to cover a few along the way as we look at every day uses for your SkyDrive account.

Keep in mind that there are several ways to upload files to your SkyDrive account.  There is the internal feature that you can find under the share options in your Pictures Hub, the upload feature in the SkyDrive App, and upload features through various third party apps.

Documents

SkyDrive will let you keep your documents in the Cloud and access them from your Windows Phone while on the run. Whether it's a Word Document, Powerpoint, Excel, OneNote, or .PDF file you can store these documents in the Cloud and download them to your Windows Phone as you need them.

Edit, compose, save and upload these documents on your PC (keyboard has more elbow room) and upload it to your SkyDrive Account via the SkyDrive Desktop app. The document is now easily accessible from your Windows Phone.

Now what if you run across a document you need to copy and use for, say, a research project? Or a recipe from your Great Grandmother? Or an article in the local paper that you want to preserve?

HandyScan will upload any document scanned to your SkyDrive account. Instead of wasting time and money finding a zerox machine, use HandyScan to copy the material you're researching or need and upload it to SkyDrive for future use. When you get home, you can access the scanned documents from your desktop computer. It would have been nice to have had this when I was doing all my college research papers.

Music

One of the more prominent complaints we hear on new Windows Phones is that there isn't enough on-board memory for Windows Phone users' music collection. With SkyDrive, you can store your music files in the Cloud and, with Windows Phones updated to Mango, stream the files to your phone.

Yes...the interface sucks. You can only play one song at a time and you can't download the music files to your Windows Phone. Enter the third party apps.

Apps such as Sky Music, Sky Player and Cloud Music taps into your SkyDrive account to play music files stored in the Cloud. While you still can't download the music files to your Windows Phone, you can create playlists, artist/album folders, and other song lists to play tunes continuously.

Photos

As with music files, SkyDrive is a nice resource to free up storage space. As with the music files, there is room for improvement. For starters, SkyDrive resizes images uploaded from your Windows Phone when you upload images from the Pictures Hub. I should say significantly resizes your images.

From the HTC Titan II a 4640x3480 image is reduced to 719x539 when uploaded to SkyDrive directly from the Windows Phone (using the share option in the Pictures Hub).  I also found that the compression and resizing changed the perspective slightly.  Notice the crayon images that were uploaded and resized don't share the same angle as the copy that was downloaded straight from the Windows Phone via Zune.  Most of the time the change is so slight you won't notice it but other times it's a little more noticeable.

This resolution change may not be a big issue if your images will be viewed from your Windows Phone or a computer screen. It will be a big issue is you want to print the reduced images. The resizing is basically an issue of bandwidth when using the internal upload feature. To minimize the amount of data used to transfer images from your Windows Phone to your SkyDrive account, someone decided to place the reduction in place.

 Luckily, there are a couple of work arounds.

The easiest way is to upload images through the SkyDrive App.  The recent v2.1 update has changed how image uploads are done through the app.  Images are no longer resized and are renamed with the date of upload followed by the number of the upload for the day.  For example, your second image on 5/12/2012 will be named WP_20120512 2.  

You can download your photos to your desktop computer through Zune and then sync your image folder to SkyDrive with the SkyDrive Desktop App. It may be the long way around but the images will be uploaded at full resolution.

Another option is to use the third party app SkyManager. SkyManager (free version and paid version) is a decent little SkyDrive app that will let you upload to a maximum resolution of 2048x2048. It's not perfect and with the updates to the SkyDrive app, may SkyManager will be able to upload photos at full resolution with its next update.

As our Windows Phone cameras improve and become capable of capturing higher resolution images, Microsoft really needs to reconsider how dramatic SkyDrive reduces images that are uploaded from the phone.  Fortunately, the SkyDrive app is slowly keeping pace with this progress.  Now we just need the internal uploads to catch up.

A few more everyday uses for SkyDrive.

• When surfing the web on your desktop computer, ever run across an image that would make a neat Windows Phone lockscreen wallpaper? Save it to a SkyDrive folder in your SkyDrive Desktop app that automatically syncs with your Windows Phone. Before you know it, you will have a healthy wallpaper library on your Windows Phone.
• Speaking of which, with the SkyDrive Desktop app you have the capability to automatically sync folders from your computer to your Windows Phone.  Just move the folder to the SkyDrive Folder in Windows Explorer and any changes to that folder will sync with your SkyDrive account and will be readily available from your Windows Phone.
• Videos are a strange animal with regards to SkyDrive. Videos captured by your Windows Phone can be uploaded to SkyDrive (doesn't appear to be resized) from the internal share feature but they can't be uploaded through the SkyDrive app. Videos stored on your SkyDrive may or may not be streamed back to your Windows Phone. On the one hand, I was able to stream a music video rather nicely to my Windows Phone. On the other hand, a smaller video wouldn't stream. Still a few kinks to iron out in this area and for now, Youtube may be the best way to store videos off-device and have them accessible when on the go.

So while SkyDrive does have room for improvement we think it's heading in the right direction. However, as our Windows Phones grow so should its connection to SkyDrive. Streaming videos, uploading images at full resolution and even scanning documents directly from SkyDrive should be what's around the corner.

As is, SkyDrive, the SkyDrive apps and the third party apps that tap into SkyDrive help free up storage space, make documents and files easily accessible and makes life on the go a little easier.

We've touched on a few broad areas where SkyDrive is used in every day use. Sound off in the comments if you've found a use for SkyDrive that we may have overlooked.

You can download the SkyDrive Desktop App here from the Skydrive website. You can also find the SkyDrive Windows Phone app here at the Marketplace.

Cloud storage is becoming more and more mainstream, especially among smartphone and tablet owners where local storage is limited. Storing data in the clouds (remotely hosted servers) enables the owner to access data from any supported location. DropBox is probably the best known example of cloud storage for PC users with native clients available for both Windows and Mac.

Microsoft has its own cloud storage solution, but how does SkyDrive compare to competitors? We'll take a quick glance at some features of Microsoft's product against Dropbox, Apple's iCloud and Google Drive. Microsoft has also published a chart of their own, which offers a more in-depth comparison.

*25GB is available for existing users.

According to the table above, SkyDrive is a more attractive option compared to competitors, but what about Windows Phone? Microsoft has developed its own cloud storage solution that was formed with the Live umbrella of products, and its fully integrated into Windows Phone with a complimentary app to go with. But where exactly is this integration?

Windows Phone

As well as contacts, email and calendar being handled by the cloud backend of the Live service, SkyDrive can be found within a number of stock apps on Windows Phone. Once the Live ID has been setup on the phone and connected to Microsoft's servers via an Internet connection, the Windows Phone will be able to pull down all content stored on that account.

The Microsoft Office hub synchronises notes with those stored on SkyDrive, which can also be read and edited using the native clients for Windows and Mac. We published a OneNote tutorial that will prove useful should you encounter issues with synchronisation between SkyDrive and Windows Phone. We don't halt at just notes though as the Office hub can also pull down Microsoft Office documents from SkyDrive for local editing while on the go.

The other location in Windows Phone that makes use of SkyDrive integration is the Pictures hub, which -as you probably have guessed already- brings down photos from your SkyDrive account. As well as this, the camera app can be configured to automatically upload snaps straight to the cloud for secure storage. 

Tip: 'Settings > applications > pictures + camera', then select "Automatically upload to SkyDrive" to enable Windows Phone to upload photos to SkyDrive as soon as the shot has been saved locally on the device.

Integration is not the only way to access SkyDrive as Microsoft has released a dedicated SkyDrive app for Windows Phone, which keeps everything in one place. It's the one stop for browsing everything that's stored on the account once logged in. A handy feature of the app is different Live IDs can log in for access to different account. This isn't possible with the built-in functionality as the single Live ID is integrated into the Windows Phone.

Once download, the SkyDrive app enables users to browse their account in its entirety. Photos can be viewed as one would expect in the Pictures Hub. As Windows Phone sports Microsoft Office built-in, supported documents can be opened, edited and saved while on the go without using a third-party app. Permission settings can be configured within the app for folders and files. For more convenient access, recently viewed files are displayed in their own pane and any shared files are viewable as an added bonus.

This wouldn't be a particularly useful official offering from Microsoft if management of files and folders weren't possible. Users can move, delete, rename and create new folders in the SkyDrive app that will then take effect on the account. Should you use SkyDrive enough, you'll need this app.

Windows & Mac

Microsoft has developed two native desktop clients for SkyDrive - one for Windows and the other for Mac. The software giant has done an exceptional job at enabling Mac users to come aboard the Windows Phone train with not only a SkyDrive app, but the Windows Phone Connector too. Both SkyDrive apps for Windows and Mac work in similar ways. SkyDrive creates a folder where all contents on that Live ID are displayed for browsing / editing and more.

Once the app is installed and the Live ID is attached, the app will synchronise all folders and files from the cloud to the computer for local access. All changes made using these clients will reflect on both the web and Windows Phone, making editing and sharing Microsoft Office documents a breeze. You can download the Windows and Mac clients from the SkyDrive website. 

To sum up SkyDrive as a service, it can prove invaluable to those who enjoy keeping personal files safe in the cloud, which can be accessed from multiple locations and devices. With the competitive pricing, clients for popular platforms and the large brand name to back the service, SkyDrive is a perfect cloud storage solution for Windows Phone users.

You can find more on Microsoft's SkyDrive services here at the SkyDrive website and download the SkyDrive app (free) here at the Windows Phone Marketplace.

We previously looked at the official SnapCrowd app heading to Windows Phone, with a planned March release. We're now happy to announce that the app is finally available on the Marketplace and has been since April 10th. The digital media sharing service enables users to upload, view and stream media and even add subusers to the account. Sporting robust security, including SSL / TLS and HTTPS protocol layers, SnapCrowd also keeps data relatively secure. 

The service supports video, music, contacts, photos, contacts and documents. As mentioned above, streaming is a feature that can be used for digital media, including videos. An interesting part of the service itself is the subuser functionality, allowing other users to connect and stream media and files under one account with a single paid plan.

There are three plans that are fairly affordable compared to competitors, a free option boasts 10GB of storage (for a limited time) with one subuser, then the price goes up to $59 for 50GB of storage and finally $99 for 100GB of storage with increased subusers.

Check out the quick video below for more information.

You can download SnapCrowd from the Marketplace for free, and sign up for the available plans on the website (snapcrowd.com).

We last wrote about Boxfiles for Dropbox back in December. The app comes into two flavors (a free version and a paid one) and has undergone numerous updates since then.

The latest just hit the Marketplace and it brings a really neat feature that many of you may enjoy: automatic camera uploads to your Dropbox account.

This is very useful and desirable because although Windows Phone can do this for Skydrive, it re-scales images automatically leaving you with a "just good enough for the web" sized memory. That's a problem though if, like us, you want to back up your photos to "the cloud" but at their full resolution. Even more so if you have a device like the Titan II with a 16MP camera and photos averaging around 2MB in size.

Version 3.6 of Boxfiles brings this feature but we should point out that it's not entirely 100% automatic meaning you snap a shot and off it goes. Instead you do need to open the app for a few seconds as it will scan your camera directory on the phone and upload and new pics to your Dropbox account.

But once the queuing takes place (usually just a few seconds) you can close the app as it will upload the photos in the background, so you don't need to babysit the app. It's basically a one-touch app to upload all your latest camera shots.

You can also choose a specific directory (or create a new one) to upload the photos too and pick if you want WiFi-only or both WiFi/Cellular data usage. Our favorite part though is how it allows you to browse your photos via thumbnails in addition to just the obscure files-names. Finally, Boxfiles also integrates with your Skydrive account giving you the choice to manage those files from within the app. A nice bonus.

So far only the paid version has been bumped with this feature though we imagine the free one will get it at some point too. What can we say? Of all the Dropbox apps on the Marketplace, we happen to like this one the most and this new auto-upload features makes backing up and sharing our pics easier.

Pick up Boxfiles for Dropbox here in the Marketplace for $1.29 with a free trial.

Update: For those of you in Europe, the app is currently in certification so you'll have the update within a few days. Sit tight.

BoxShot, if you haven't guessed already by the name, is a Dropbox client for Windows Phone, which can be found on the Marketplace for just 79p ($0.99) with a free version also available. Should you be a frequent "boxer" then this app will be perfect for your file synchronising needs. It's a simple, light app that gets the job done.

Combining a Metro look and feel with Dropbox and a useful Live Tile allows BoxShot to be a gorgeous app to use. Baseline functionality that one would expect to be present works flawlessly, from moving and deleting entire folders to viewing files and browsing the contents on your account. The interface is simple and intuitive, leaving nothing for the user to learn or master. Upon launching BoxShot, you'll be greeted with a Dropbox login screen. Once you've connected to your account, the app will load to the main screen, which will be blank on first launch, but will be populated with tiles should you wish to pin favorite folders for quick access.

Swiping to the left will bring up the account browser, displaying folders and files that are stored in the cloud. Folders have the created date shown underneath, while files are accompanied by size. Files can be viewed, moved, deleted, edited and the URL emailed using email accounts set up on Windows Phone. Photos can be uploaded from the Pictures Hub (or directly from the camera) to the Dropbox account using the app, which is a nice touch. Working in the opposite direction, pictures stored on your account can be downloaded and saved to the local library.

As well as the file browser, the app reports to the user how much space is currently being used out of the account quota (including how much space is used with shared content). The live tile, which is configurable in the settings, also displays usage statistics for quick glancing. An update has been submitted by the developer which will allow users to pin folders to the home screen to provide even more convenient access to Dropbox storage.

Check out our quick visual walkthrough of BoxShot below.

To conclude this review; BoxShot is the perfect solution for those who are requiring a light client to manage their Dropbox content while on the go. It's developed by DK Development, you can download BoxShot from the Marketplace for 79p ($0.99) and a free version is available, which contains an advert on the "content" pivot. 

We're using cloud services more and more with our Windows Phones, as well as with other devices.  One such service, Dropbox, can't seem to catch a break these days.

First, we have the Dropbox Reader that can drill into your accounts. Then Dropbox left the back door open to their services that essentially removed password protection. Now we see the cloud storage company has updated its Terms of Services claiming "worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty free, sublicenseable rights" to your stuff (yes, they use the word stuff in a legal document).

The TOS agreement may not be alarming to some but we thought you should know how Dropbox considers the content you place in their hands.

To quote from Dropbox's TOS:

Dropbox does recognize that you retain ownership of your stuff and they clarify how they might use your stuff in their Privacy Policy. Basically they can collect your personal information to be used to contact or identify you in order to improve services and to better understand your needs and interests. They also have provisions to use your geo-location information and logging/cookie data.

Google has similar language (they use "content" instead of "stuff" and ) with their TOS but SkyDrive takes on a different approach. Microsoft doesn't ask for ownership but rather rights to access your content. Here's how Microsoft words things:

It may sound as if all three are saying the same thing but a "right to access" and "sublicenseable rights" can be worlds apart. Granted I don't think Dropbox will start exercising their "ownership rights" but the wording of these TOS Agreements should give us pause as to what we put in the cloud as well as what service we choose.

source: Liveside

Update: In an effort to make it clear that Dropbox isn't claiming ownership rights to your "stuff", Dropbox has decided to make some revisions to their updated TOS. On their blog site, Dropbox states that "The language in this clause was more technical than it needed to be." Believing terms like "derivative works" and "sublicensable" could come across overly broad or out of place the revisions states,

The only instances Dropbox will share your stuff is outlined in the Privacy Policy (which hasn't changed). While the TOS could have been worded simpler, it's nice to see Dropbox responding to customer concerns.

Thanks Rene for the tip!