ICS Productivity: Cloud Storage

The birth of Tablet Computer marked the climatic rise of Cloud Computing and Storage, especially for smartphones. Being relatively small in storage capacity, having additional Cloud Storage becomes a necessity rather than a luxury. With the decreasing and more affordable data plan from network provider, more and more smartphone and tablet users use Cloud Storage whether they realize it or not.

Android operating system was designed to utilize the Cloud Storage system. Once you log in to Google network, most of your data, contacts, calendars, emails, and photos are immediately synchronized (or in lamen language: stored) with the Google Cloud Storage via Gmail. This is useful when you use the data on other equipments, such as laptops or other phones you have. Even iPhone and iPad use similar system via MobileMe or Google.

The benefits of Cloud Storage:
- saving, backing up, synchronizing and sharing data across platforms (gadgets and OS)
- simplifying the process of smartphones or tablet replacement, such as buying a new phones
- enabling teamwork on documents across locations and platforms
- acting as emergency back up should your smartphones or tablets suddenly "died"
- and last but not least, simplifying data transfer, such as sending or sharing large documents.

Several Cloud services are.available in the Internet and the market place, most of them are free to a certain degree. The most popular, and notably useful, are: Dropbox, Google Drive, Microsoft LiveDrive, Evernote, and the Soonr. Each comes with different features that set them aside from each other.

Except for Microsoft's, I have used them all. This is my opinion based my experience in using them. Feel free to add, comment or object.

1. Dropbox

It is kinda an MLM based cloud storage. It also probably the simplest of them all. Just sync all files and folders within Dropbox Folder. So simple that you cannot go wrong with it. It has newer additional feature that benefits smartphone users: Camera backup via 3G, wifi or usb connections. I use Wifi since I meed to save my bandwidth quota. So, Dropbox in my SGNote immediately sync all photos in my Camera storage, microSD or phone, to my Dropbox and Dropbox download it to my Macbook.
Available in all OS platforms: smartphones, tablets, desktops, and laptops as long as you have Dropbox app. Starts with 1GB and growing with referral program.ine has reached 3.5GB.

2. Evernote

As the title says, it is originally a Note app that sync to the Internet and directly updates your computer(s). You can take picture with Evernote app on your phone and the photo immediately updated to whatever equipment linked to Evernote. Evernote has just updated their UI so it is more uptodate. The developers recently added modular app called Skitch to enable you to make handwritten notation.
The problem that I experienced that stopped me for using Evernote is the multiplication of documents when using Blackberry, especially for photos. Somehow Blackberry connection multiply The documents again and agian.
Available in all OS platforms: smartphones, tablet, desktop PC, and laptops. Starts with 1 GB storage.

3. Goodle Drive

Google finally joined in the Cloud Storage race by revamping Google Docs with extra storage. Probably the most compatible Cloud Storage with Android. It has the ability to share documents across Google network and even team project updates by multiple users. Also it is integrated with Gmail, Google Contacts, Picasa, etc. It will be interesting to how Google expand the GDrive.
Available in almost all OS platforms and growing. Starts with 5GB storage.

4. Soonr Workplace and Soonr Scribble

There are 2 versions:
- Soonr Workplace is pretty much similar to Dropbox with teM project sharing features
- Soonr Scribble is originally exclussive free app for SGNote. Now it is also available for other smartphones and tablets, but not for free.
The best feature of Soonr Scribble is its ability to annotate in all Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint by using S Pen. The annotated documents will be saved in PDF format.
Availble in all OS Platforms. Starts at 1 GB storage.

Note: I have an article specifically for Soonr Scribble in this blog, check it out.

So decide which is the best for you and start cutting away your dependency on your computer harddisk. Enjoy.

posted from Bloggeroid

Soonr Scribble, Exclussive for Samsung Galaxy Note

Before using GNote, I have used iPad and Samsung Galaxy Tab (the original 7").  The one function that I have missed dearly from iPad, applications that enable me to annotate on PDF.  I was hoping that GNote has better apps on this matter since GNote has built in SPen system.  I was quite disappointed when I found our that the apps to enable this features apparently not so practical nor easy to use.  One example is EasySign. 

EasySign is a very useful annotation apps on Android, it has text annotation function as well as signature annotation for PDF documents.  It was pretty good, but for free version, you have point system for each annotation that you need to do.  Also, when data connection is not so smooth, it will take forever to get your annotated documents ready for sending.  It was a rather disappointing.

Then early last month, I found Soonr Scribble announcement in CES 2011.  The demo in YouTube shown me that GNote has stroke the right button in my brain.  The Soonr Scribble app is what I have been waiting for all this time.

Soonr Scribble is basically similar to Soonr Workplace.  The Soonr cloud system saves your files in the Internet (hence, Cloud).  The category in the workplace is not called folder, but project.  You can share your folder with another person by authorizing the connection.  Also Soonr Scribble have email link to open  Nothing fancy up to there.

The feature of Soonr Scribble that put GNote over the rest of the smartphone and tablets is the annotation.  Soonr Scrible enables GNote to scribble on PDF, MS Word documents, MS Excel spreadsheets, MS PowerPoint presentation slides, and more.  This is the first smartphone/tablet application that enables annotation on so many type of documents.  All annotated / signed / scribbled are saved in PDF format for safety reason.  The best thing is, that the scribbles that we make on the documents look like they are part of the document from the beginning, not attached later.
For example: I need to send a quotation to a client by email.  Usually, I just type a word documents and send it.  No signature.  With Soonr Scribble, I can sign the document to make it more official.


Recently, Soonr also introduce Soonr Workplace for iPad.  It also has scribbling functionality.  The difference with the one in GNote is that in GNote using your finger means only for navigating and zooming inside the documents.  When you need to annotate or scribble, you need to use the S Pen.  This differentiation make Soonr Scribble in GNote is the most powerful document processor available in the market, at the same time making Samsung Galaxy Note the king of business smartphone, or tablet, or hybrid phone in the market.