Articles about Storage

Acronis has released Update 2 for its complete backup tool for Windows PCs, Acronis True Image Home 2012. Initially a drive-imaging tool, True Image has evolved into an all-encompassing backup tool covering files and settings, data synchronization and online backup in addition to its partition and drive-imaging capabilities.

Update 2 introduces several new features, including Scheduler Smart Start and Archives Scanning Management, plus fixes a number of bugs present in earlier builds.

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If you’re looking for a gorgeous, easy-to-use solution to the problem of sharing and streaming media from your PC or Mac, then Plex will appeal. And with the release of Plex Server 0.9.6.1, it adds another major string to its bow: support for DLNA.

That’s right, from this current release, Plex Server can stream video, photos and music to a host of DLNA-certified devices, from games consoles and media streamers like the WD TV Live to other computers and mobile devices running DNLA media software.

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Amazon has released a desktop app for Windows and Mac users wishing to access its cloud-based storage service. Amazon Cloud Drive 0.3.28 provides basic upload and download functionality for Amazon account holders to access the 5GB of free online storage space the retailer provides.

The desktop app is a late addition to Amazon’s free cloud-based storage service, which launched last year to all Amazon account holders. The 5GB is provided free, along with additional unlimited storage for all MP3s purchased through Amazon.com.

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Just how secure is the data you’ve backed up online? Most cloud-based backup providers promise to encrypt your data before it’s uploaded to their servers, but a handful perform the encryption after the data’s been uploaded, which means they possess the key required to unlock your data and potentially hand it over to anyone who comes asking (backed with the right warrant).

Cloudfogger is a brand new (and currently free) service that puts you back in control of your data, allowing you to encrypt it prior to uploading it, providing you with another layer of protection for your most sensitive documents and files.

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Looking for a backup tool? There is plenty of choice for even the pickiest of software connoisseurs. Aside from the irritating aspect of having to actually get a backup job set up, one thing that puts many people off safeguarding their valuable data by backing it up is the cost of the necessary software.  Cobian Backup 11 is one of a number of free backup tools vying for users’ attention and it boasts an impressive array of features.

If you have followed the app's development, the move to version 11 introduces a number of new features as well as tweaks to existing favorites. There is now support for AES encryption, better remote management and the ability to use tasks within groups.  The important thing to remember with any backup regime is that your files are only truly safe if you back them up regularly. Rather than relying on memory, it is better to have an automatic schedule in place, and this is definitely something that Cobian Backup can help you out with.

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Hot on the heels of its new service allowing users to share files by hyperlink, Dropbox has unveiled Dropbox 1.40 for Windows, Mac and Linux. The new release extends the photo and video uploading tools pioneered in Dropbox for Android, plus allows batch uploading and downloading of files.

The new features were previously available to those running Dropbox Experimental Edition, the beta version for those happy to trade stability for a sneek peak at the latest features.

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One of the most eagerly anticipated online storage services -- and one of the worst kept secrets in computing -- has finally seen the light of day. Google Drive has, at long last, been unveiled after years of rumors and speculation, working in much the same way as the likes of Dropbox and providing users with 5GB of cloud storage free of charge.

In many ways, the release of Google Drive can be seen as more of an update to Google Docs, and this is clear for Android users who will find that their Google Docs app will update and become Google Drive.

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Microsoft on Monday launched a new version of SkyDrive, bringing the cloud-file sharing service to the desktop. This move did not come without a cost -- new users will have far less space, and current users only have a "limited time" to keep the generous storage the Redmond, Wash. company provides. But more on that a bit later.

The enhancements address problems with SkyDrive's browser-based interface which irk critics and customers. With desktop integration, cloud storage becomes a drag-and drop-process.

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Have you ever wondered where all of the space of your multi-gigabyte, or even terabyte, drive has disappeared to? The voluminous hard drive you installed a year ago seemed like it would last you forever filled up all too quickly. While there’s nothing to stop you from manually working your way through the contents to determine what could be removed to free up space, TweakNow HD-Analyzer is a free tool that could make the decision-making a little easier.

If you are running short of space, perhaps before starting a video editing project or something else similarly space-hungry, it makes sense to home in on the files and programs that are currently occupying the most space. This is something that TweakNow HD-Analyzer can help you with, performing and in-depth analysis of your hard drive and highlighting the largest files and folders so you can easy delete them or move them to an alternate location.

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Comodo Group has released new versions of its backup tools for Windows users. COMODO Backup 4.1.2 introduces a number of new features, including an automatic option for creating WinPE-based rescue discs, while Comodo Cloud 2.1.6 is a maintenance release offering a number of minor bug fixes.

COMODO Backup 4.1.2 allows users to back up selected files and entire drive images to just about any location, including external drives, optical discs, network, FTP and, of course, Comodo’s own cloud-storage servers, with 5GB of online storage provided free of charge. Comodo Cloud 2.1.6 is Comodo’s standlone client for exclusively connecting to your Comodo cloud-based backup space via Windows -- a mobile app is also available for iOS and Android users.

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Seagate, the world's number two hard drive maker by market share, announced on Monday that it had achieved the 1 terabit per square inch data density milestone, with a demonstration unit utilizing heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR.) Still very early in its development, Seagate said this technology will not be utilized in commercial storage solutions until some time "later in this decade."

Current HDDs utilize the technology known as Perpendicular Magnetic Recording (PMR,) which was first introduced in late 2005 as a replacement for the original longitudinal recording method that had been in use since the advent of spinning hard drives. Toshiba was the first HDD maker to release its PMR drives, with Seagate and Hitachi following suit.

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Security firm Bitdefender has launched Safebox, a new cloud-based backup, sync and share solution. Safebox, which is currently available for Windows and Android, with an iOS version in the pipeline, offers users 2GB free online storage space, with the option to upgrade to 30GB and 60GB packages.

Like competing products, Safebox allows users to back up selected folders to the cloud where they’re encrypted for storage, synchronizing with other devices and sharing with selected users.

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Backing up your PC occasionally is clearly a very good idea, but it’s also one of those tasks that doesn’t inspire much enthusiasm in most people. And part of that may be due to the complexity of some backup software. You’ll typically have to specify what you want to back up, define various include or exclude filters, choose a suitable backup type, sort out a schedule and configure a host of other advanced options: it can all feel just like too much hassle.

There are plenty of more straightforward alternatives, of course, and Genie Timeline is one of the better known: just point the program at your destination drive, tell the program generally what you’d like to back up, and it’ll then run in the background, backing up your key files in real time. Works for us -- but could the latest edition of the program, Genie Timeline 2012, do even more to simplify the backup process? When the company offered us an exclusive first look we were eager to find out.

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Following the company's debut of new Solid State Drives (SSDs) yesterday, California-based flash storage company SanDisk made two announcements on Wednesday pertaining to the software side of the company's solid state drive business.

First, SanDisk announced that it had acquired FlashSoft, and second that it has formed an exclusive partnership with Diskeeper Corp for SSD software solutions. Both announcements cover similar ground, but span the consumer and enterprise settings.

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Hot on the heels of a fifth Beta release last week, TRIM Enabler 2.0 has been given a final, stable release. TRIM Enabler 2.0, which extends TRIM support to non-Apple SSDs in OS X Lion, features a complete rewrite and new way of enabling TRIM by patching existing SSD drivers rather than replacing them.

Recent updates have also improved the speed of the patching process, plus TRIM Enabler now automatically updates when changes have been made instead of requiring a manual refresh. The final release has also introduced a new automatic update checker, allowing users to be prompted when a new version is released.

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