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MINITEST
Six of the best online storage solutions for
image backup and easy worldwide access
ITH ever-rising
camera megapixel
counts and high
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video, it’s all too easy to
drown in data. You could
splash out on a larger
hard drive (HD) for your
computer to store all
your media, but this
won’t solve potential
fears like HD failure.
One answer is to upload all
of your photos to an online
cloud storage solution, where
it’s safely backed up, and, if
you’re lucky, grouped and
arranged for you.
That’s the dream. In
practice, however, choosing a
good cloud storage platform
doesn’t mean the end of photo
editing, sorting, or physical
backup. But some platforms
do now involve some
semblance of automation,
with geotags and metadata
used to group together photos
by location, date taken, who’s
in them (using facial
recognition), and the camera
or device with which they
were originally taken.
While free cloud storage
services are available, most
only provide a severely
restricted storage capacity.
But if you pay a monthly, or
annual subscription, you get
to use the best features and
access to more useful storage
options and capacities.Cloud storage
Cloud storage options can seem incredibly similar, but there
are little extras that make some stand out...(^01) What capacity
Most providers offer at least 1GB free storage, but realistically you’ll
need at least 100GB if you’re looking for a longer-term storage solution.
(^02) Desktop software
Cloud storage can also be supported by desktop applications that
enable you to easily monitor your storage and change options.
(^03) Automatic uploads
Most services offer automatic uploads, so when you add images to
folder on your hard drive, it’ll automatically back up to the cloud –
very handy if you don’t have the time or patience to do it yourself.
(^04) Payment plans
Some providers offer tempting monthly prices, but look closer as they
may actually be charged as a single, large, annual fee. Always read the
small print and use payment methods that work for you.
(^05) Virtual computing
The cloud isn’t just about storage. The likes of Apple, Google and
Microsoft also integrate online productivity software into their
cloud services, meaning that you get a little more bang for your buck.
Just make sure that you check these are actually of any use to you.
FIVE THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR
From £0.79/$0.99 per month http://www.icloud.com
From $69.50 annually http://www.idrive.com
APPLE’S ICLOUD is the
most logical cloud storage choice
if you’re on a iPhone or Mac user,
such is its seamless device
integration. As with Microsoft
Windows and OneDrive, iCloud
is part of the Mac Finder app,
making for super-easy file backup
and sharing across devices.
The connection is so slick that
selected folders on your Mac’s
internal HD will auto upload to
iCloud; if you delete a file from
your device, it’ll also be deleted
from the cloud. Apple also
includes access to web versions
of apps like Pages and Numbers.
The Photos app is available
across all Apple devices, as well
as through a browser. It enables
you to access, organize,
download and share your images
in one of the most streamlined
interfaces out there.
You get 5GB for free when you
sign up, although that can quickly
get used up. Priced tiers start at
just £0.79/$0.99 a month for
50GB of storage, while 200GB is
£2.49/$2.99 a month, and 2TB
is £6.99/$9.99.
syncing them across all of your
linked up devices.
iDrive also offers iDrive Express,
which sends you a physical HD
drive if you lose all your data,
allowing for swift restoration of your
backed up files. That also applies to
the introduced disk backup feature.
THIS FAST, easy-to-use cloud
storage solution offers
continuous syncing of your files,
even those on Network Attached
Storage. There’s 5GB of free
storage, while an annual $69.50
buys you 2TB, and 5TB can be
had for a very competitive price
tag of $99.50.
The web interface supports
sharing files by email, Facebook
and Twitter. Cautious or
click-happy users will be pleased
to hear that files deleted from
your computer are not
automatically deleted from the
cloud, so there’s less danger of
removing something important
by accident. Up to 30 previous
versions of all files backed to
your account are retained.
For photos, there’s a neat
facial recognition feature that
helps you to automatically
organize images, as well as
Apple iCloud Drive
iDrive
VERDICT
PROS: Competitive pricing; useful
cloud-based office apps
CONS: Not designed for integration
with PCs or Android devices
WE SAY: A beautiful solution,
but only if you’re an Apple user
VERDICT
PROS: Supports internal, external
and NAS drives; simple interface
CONS: Annual payments; no
cheaper capacity under 2TB
WE SAY: Top cloud storage
that’s well-priced if you need 5TB