Top 5 Cloud Storage Apps for Windows 8

It's an increasingly cloudy world out there, and it's not hard to see why, given the many compelling benefits to be enjoyed by using cloud technology for storage. There are numerous desktop apps available to help you do just that, and this week we focus on the best contenders for Windows 8. Among our favorites: Microsoft's own SkyDrive along with All My Storage and Box.

Cloud storage is a fast-moving arena, with advancements including the ability to store files and folders in the cloud along with metadata on your PC replicating the actual file. The file isn't there and isn't taking up space, but you can see relevant attributes.

Other cloud techniques include the ability to sync files only as you need them.

In this week's All Things Appy, we take a look at the top five, free, must-have Windows desktop apps in the cloud storage category.

Note: Google's Drive, a solid PC performer with 15 GB of free space, doesn't provide a Windows 8 app, so it's excluded from this list.

About the Platform: Windows apps can be found in the Windows 8 Store. Click or touch the Start page Store tile and search by placing your mouse pointer or finger in the bottom-right corner of the screen. Then choose the Search charm's icon.

No. 1: SkyDrive

The SkyDrive app has an average rating of 3.7 stars out of a possible 5 with 795 ratings in the Windows 8 Store.

Bing Smart Search and native Microsoft Windows integration are the killer features in this Microsoft cloud storage add-on app offering. A basic version is included in the operating system natively, and this add-on is available in the Store.

SkyDrive

Bing Smart Search is a new feature in the free Windows 8.1 update that lets you see and search for both local and cloud files at the same time by just starting to type on the Start page. No browser or Windows Explorer window is required.


No. 2: All My Storage

All My Storage has an average rating of 3 stars out of a possible 5 with 155 ratings in the Windows 8 Store.

Here's an aggregator app that lets you merge your cloud and local files. It handles multiple SkyDrive accounts plus Box and the classic Dropbox, and it allows you to move files around among the disparate cloud systems.

A paid version integrates other cloud services like SugarSync and Google Drive.


No. 3: Box

Box has an average rating of 3.6 stars out of a possible 5 with 1,228 ratings in the Windows 8 Store.

Ten gigs of storage and a Windows 8 app beats Microsoft's SkyDrive with its 7 GB and places Box in the lead when it comes to free cloud space along with app. Promotions available with certain hardware purchases can increase free storage limits further.

Box file management is slightly less sophisticated than SkyDrive, which is why it's in one of our runners' up positions -- it doesn't use the equivalent metadata-style indexing.


No. 4: Dropbox

Dropbox has an average rating of 2.9 stars out of a possible 5 with 2,738 ratings in the Windows 8 Store.

Dropbox is the granddaddy of cloud file storage, and although it offers just a puny 2 GB of initial free storage, it is a widely used cloud product for sharing files.

Awkward, slow file scrolling in this app adds to a dull experience.

It's a runner-up, but there's a good chance you'll use it someday to share print-ready files or large media with colleagues or buddies, so get used to it.

No. 5: File Brick

File Brick has an average rating of 3.9 stars out of a possible 5 with 174 ratings in the Windows 8 Store.

We've written about File Brick before and love its gorgeous, elegant simplicity and logical file classifications. If you're used to creaky file management with Windows Explorer windows, do your eyes a favor and demo File Brick.

Then delete it, because unfortunately we're beginning to see some unpleasant blackmail-like feature unlocks -- where you can share a File Brick app comment to your Facebook wall to unlock certain cloud services.

What's wrong with add-support? A bottom position in our top five because of that.

Want to Suggest an Apps Collection?

Is there a batch of apps you'd like to suggest for review? Remember, they must all be for the same platform, and they must all be geared toward the same general purpose. Please send the names of five or more apps to me, and I'll consider them for a future All Things Appy column.

Souece- http://www.technewsworld.com/story/All-Things-Appy-Top-5-Cloud-Storage-Apps-for-Windows-8-79708.html

Apple reportedly acquires photo app developer SnappyLabs

Apple has acquired photo technology startup SnappyLabs, the one-man developer behind the SnappyCam app, according to a TechCrunch report.
The popular iPhone app, which recently vanished from Apple's iTunes App Store, allows the smartphone to capture full-resolution images at 20 to 30 frames per second. The app sold for $1 at iTunes and had reportedly been a top seller in several countries.
The company, which was founded and run by John Papandriopoulos, attracted acquisition interest "from most of the usual players," sources told TechCrunch. The company's Web site was recently taken down and its Twitter accounts were locked down from public view.

Terms of the deal were not revealed. CNET has contacted Apple and SnappyLabs for comment and will update this report when we learn more. Apple confirmed the acquisition in a statement to Recode on Sunday.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Papandriopoulos had told Fairfax Media in September that he had been in talks with several companies about acquiring the app, and Apple was understood to be among that group.
"In terms of commercial interest in SnappyCam, there's been quite a bit actually, which has been great in many ways," Papandriopoulos reportedly told Fairfax Media, adding that there was a "spectrum" of Bay Area companies showing interest. "There are a lot of big ones, Internet giants as you like to say, and I've spoken to several of those as well as some smaller companies."

Source-http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57616608-37/apple-reportedly-acquires-photo-app-developer-snappylabs/

For tablets and cellular, it's go time

In 2010, the iPad wedged itself into the market between the smartphone and laptop using the operating system of the former but something closer to the screen of the latter.
Apple's tablet has long offered cellular connectivity as an option, but tablets have developed a reputation for being homebodies, at least compared to their pocket-sized, cellular-equipped smartphone cousins. Indeed, the falling prices and declining sizes of tablets have resulted in a number of products where Wi-Fi is the only practical option at this point.
However, changes in the cellular landscape are not only making the case stronger for cellular connectivity in the tablet, but are changing the demands on modems for smartphones as well.
The growth of HD multimedia. The living room, of course, continues to be the best setting for high-definition, passive video consumption. However, there's no denying that larger smartphones and tablets are making video on the go more prevalent. One recent estimate suggested that 15 percent of total video consumption hours are done from a mobile device. And while it may not be as much fun as watching the latest Hollywood blockbuster, we are increasingly relying on connectivity for basic tasks such as music and document storage and sharing. Without connectivity, the Pandora icon is little but the 16th letter of the alphabet set against a field of white.
The shrinking size gap. Yes, the tablet may sometimes be a little too much to carry, but as "phablet" smartphones continue to grow, the gap between them and what we consider bona fide tablets continues to shrink. Phones are creeping up into the mid-6-inch range; it's only a matter of time before someone (perhaps someone like Samsung) tries something in the upper 6-inch range and further presses against the 7-inch smartphone/tablet divide. Cellular connectivity isn't, of course, confined to smaller tablets. There's the iPad and the new Nokia Lumia 2520, and Microsoft vows that a cellular-equipped Surface is in the wings. However, the more portable a tablet is, the more likely it is that we'll take it along even if it doesn't quite fit in a pocket.
More flexible cellular pricing models. The US is finally waking up to the realization that the rest of the world has had for a long time: there's much to recommend prepaid plans. The rise and subsequent acquisition of major prepaid carriers in the United States has enabled more flexible terms for smartphone and tablet buyers alike. Indeed, disruptive carriers such as Republic Wireless, Ting, and Zact promise savings and control over their cellular bill. Fighting against these upstarts are giants such as AT&T and Verizon, pushing shared data plans that make it more convenient and affordable to add tablets to an existing data plan.
LTE globalization. While some of these carriers require customized phones to implement their schemes, others allow you to just pop their SIM into any compatible unlocked device. Indeed, the trend has been toward mobile devices that can increasingly operate on virtually any cellular technology in virtually any location. Differences among carrier implementations and LTE frequency fragmentation continue to pose challenges, as does roaming onto Wi-Fi. But manufacturers are increasingly making phones that can operate not only in 80 percent or more of the world's countries, but among the major carriers in the United States. AT&T, for example, has rolled out a "global SIM" that can be shipped to virtually any country around the world and activated, a boon for tablets and the coming era of the connected car.
The perennial quest for efficiency. While not a new trend per se, the higher general data consumption encouraged by LTE as well as increased video consumption puts power efficiency at a premium. According to Qualcomm, which creates the Gobi wireless modem, the modem can easily consume half of overall power in a mixed-use scenario. However, this varies greatly as one might expect -- up to 90 percent when making phone calls and as low as 15 percent when watching video offline or over a Wi-Fi network when the display and processor are being utilized heavily.
Wi-Fi tablets, which unabashedly perform hours of Netflix viewing or 3D gaming, have had it easy. Increasingly, though, cellular connectivity stands to play a greater role in their development because economies of scale are increasing and incentives to connect outside of hot spots are growing.

Source-http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57616165-94/for-tablets-and-cellular-its-go-time/

Untethered jailbreak released for iOS 7

For many iOS 7 users, one of the things missing from the mobile operating system since its release three months has been the ability to jailbreak devices -- until now.

The Evasi0n team announced Sunday morning it had released an untethered jailbreak for devices running iOS 7.0 through 7.0.4. The security bypass gives iPhone, iPod, and iPad owners deeper access to the software on their devices than Apple allows.
The jailbreak takes 5 minutes to install and works on both OS X and Windows-based machines, according to Evasi0n, which included step-by-step installation instructions. The bypass allows devices to be rebooted without connection to an external device.
Apple is, of course, expected to eventually fix the exploits Evasi0n is using to jailbreak the company's devices. The company has long recommended that users not jailbreak their device at the risk of security vulnerabilities, shortened battery life, unreliable voice and data, disruption of services, and the inability to apply future software updates.

Source-http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57616216-37/untethered-jailbreak-released-for-ios-7/

Apple confirms iPhone to land at China Mobile in January

Apple announced Sunday it has reached an agreement with China Mobile to offer the iPhone on the world's largest wireless carrier next month, confirming long-standing rumors.
The iPhone 5S and 5C will be available on China Mobile starting January 17, but pricing was not revealed. Terms of the deal were not released.

"China is an extremely important market for Apple and our partnership with China Mobile presents us the opportunity to bring iPhone to the customers of the world's largest network," Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a statement.
The rollout of the iPhone on China Mobile, which has nearly 760 million customers, was widely expected to occur earlier this month to coincide with the debut of 4G LTE service on wireless carriers in China. Xinhua, China's official state news agency, quietly reported in November that the iPhone would "officially" launch on China Mobile's network on December 18.
While the iPhone is currently offered by China Unicom and China Telecom, Apple has been courting China Mobile for years, seeking the vast number of new customers such a deal would create. Negotiations between the two companies were closely watched, with two visits by Cook to China to meet with China Mobile Chairman Xi Guohua widely reported on.


Source-news.cnet.com