Up in the clouds

Cloud-based computing is here to stay, and here are few internet-based free software—including wordprocessors, antivirus, and even photoeditors—that you just cannot afford to ignore

You may have heard of “cloud computing”, and you may have heard most techies—and folk who claim to be in the know—say that “the future is in the Cloud”. But really, what are these people talking about? 

    

In plebeian speak, the term refers to internet-based computing. As bandwidth in our homes and offices increases, more and more applications are turning webbased. For example, your Windows Live account, Yahoo!, and Google account—with all their myriad services—come under this Cloud (no pun intended). So while the concept is not wholly new, there are more and more online software that leverage on internet technologies to work almost as if they were installed on your system. The only thing that’s required at the user-end is decently-high bandwidth and a web browser. Consider: The ‘hole-in-the-wall’ cyber cafe you frequently visit does not have an office suite installed, but you need to update your CV before you mail it to a prospective employer. No problem. Log on to Google Docs at docs.google.com, which will allow you to create and share your work online; besides managing documents, spreadsheets, and also presentations.

And not everyone can afford Adobe Photoshop, and MS Paint is too basic. Try out Adobe Express at www.photoshop.com. This free online resource lets you upload jpeg images, edit them, apply effects just like you would in photo-editing software, and then save it on your local hard-disk. 

    

Other resources on the Photoshop Cloud allow you organise your pictures online in albums, create slideshows and even apply the stylistic attributes of one photo to another… But these are only a couple of the more famous Cloud apps. Jump higher into the fluffy, to check out what else is on offer… 
www.icloud.com To truly understand the powers of webbased computing, consider iCloud. The service is almost an operating system by itself; only this one runs within your browser window. 
    

Think about it as your own personal computer on the move. Regardless of where you are, and whichever machine you use, your familiar desktop environment is merely a log-in away. 
    

Using the resource—which even resembles a computer desktop—you can use a Microsoft Word-compatible document editor; access your free iCloud email account, attach files, add and edit contacts; and even create ToDo-lists. 
    

Besides, it also allows you to play mp3s from any computer anywhere, create playlists; organise and share your favourite YouTube and MetaCafe movies; view, organise and share photos; and also listen to Internet radio. 
    

But that’s not all. You can even chat with your MSN friends; share files from your iCloud desktop; bookmark your favourite sites; and even get the latest updates from your favourite news sources. And yes, it also provides users with free online storage. 
    

Other similar applications worth considering include eyeOS (eyeos.org), and Cloudo (www.cloudo.com). 
www.zoho.com 

Well, almost everyone knows of Google Docs, but for those looking for options in the office productivity space, might to well to check out the multi-awardwinning Zoho. At present, the online suite boasts of over 20 applications including mail, word processor, spreadsheets and web conferencing. 
    

Signing up for a free account at the site allows you access to entry-level functionality. But one can easily upgrade to a Professional Edition of Zoho Docs (for $3 per month and 5GB storage), or to the Business Edition (at $9 per month for 15GB storage and 3 users). 
    

Other options worth checking out include the basic and fun Peepel (http:// peepel.com), the Flash-based Live Documents (www.live-documents.com) and ThinkFree (www.thinkfree.com), which requires the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) to be installed. 
www.sumopaint.com Yes, we mentioned Adobe’s Express, but there is a whole bunch of users who swear by the free Sumo Paint when it comes to an internet-based photoeditor. 
    

The resource—like any advanced image editor—comes complete with the layers option; graphic filters such as blur, distortion, 3D effects and light effects; as well as a complete tool-set, which includes regulars such as a stamp-clone, ink, eraser, magic-wand, gradient-fill, etc. 
    

In fact, its feature set is almost as comprehensive as paid software such as Photoshop. Seriously, seeing is believing. 
    

But then, what is life without options. You might also want to check out Picnik (www.picnik.com) and Aviary’s Phoenix (www.aviary.com). 
www.cloudantivirus.com Everyone know how critical an antivirus software is to safeguard the health of your computer, and believe it or not, but the free Panda Cloud Antivirus is good as some of the best applications out there to ensure that your PC is protected from all sorts of viruses, trojans, worms, spyware, hacking tools and myriad security risks. Since the software is cloud-based, all the 
scanning of your system is handled on a remote server rather than on your machine, thus making it one of the lightest anti-virus apps in the market. 
    

And, of course, it requires an internet connection to function, though it also runs using a cache of well-known threats when you’re offline. 
    

As for how effective this Panda is, consider that when it was first released in 2009, PC Magazine gave it an Editor’s Choice Award for Best Free AV. Seriously, give it a try. 
So what else is out there? 

Free online storage: www.adrive.com, www.storewith.com, www.humyo.com Gaming: www.onlive.com, www.gaikai.com Music: www.grooveshark.com, the upcoming www.rdio.com and www.spotify.com 
To create charts and diagrams: http://cacoo.com, www.chartgo.com