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bySIDDHARTH JHAAge: 14Mind: Freaked OutDanger Level: InsaneWanted Level: HighestReward Promised: $0Mail: gamersid97@yahoo.co.inContact No: +919646872299Facebook: www.facebook.com/thesidjway

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A NUTTERS GUIDE TO CLOUD COMPUTING

By Siddharth Jha

The cloud has become the buzzword of the

day. You buy an antivirus and you get cloud AV. Advertisements of cloud services keep propping up everywhere and anywhere. Online XYZ etc. are becoming popular day by day. Now with this buzzword becoming popular, there was an urgent need for a nutter's guide. So I came to the rescue.

Cloud computing has a very simple definition. According to Wikipedia:-

“Cloud computing is the delivery of computing as a service rather than a product, whereby shared resources, software and information are provided to computers and other devices as a utility (like the electricity grid) over a network (typically the Internet).”

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Well if we're familiar with this word, lets dumb it down.

For a general noob, the word means any service that's available on the internet for you to use, not requiring any kind of installation on your PC. One doesn't need more information for general use.

Today the cloud network has emerged so majorly, that everything you do on a PC can now be done online, barring few cases. But even if something's not available as a single service, hunt down for services, use any of them and you'd get your job done.

Here's an illustration to show you how the cloud computing works, courtesy http://www.dummies.com/

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That kitchen sink is just to signify that everything can be done on the cloud. Don't get confused :-P

There are a few very obvious advantages of working on the cloud:-

1. Your work gets backed up automatically. Most services provide a upload space for you to save your projects, be it music, or documents......

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2. You can access your saved work anywhere and everywhere. No need for pendrives or portable hard disks.

3. The services are very noob friendly, with no advanced features to confuse the home user.

4. The App is ever online, so it can use the new CSS3, Flash 11, HTML5 and other services to make it uber beautiful and attractive to the end user.

Taking all this in mind, there is a nice possibility that someday all you'd need on a PC would be a web browser and even a phone would run futuristic applications....

Imagine the possibilities. There would be one such day that not your PC config,

not its the speed of your internet that just matters. That's the principle behind OSes like Jolicloud and Google's very own chrome OS. They are really lightweight and boot up in seconds. But currently just switching to the cloud barring the PC is a silly thing to do. Agreed that

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the cloud is gaining importance but it can't beat the PC, at least not for now.....

This is how the desktop of Jolicloud looks like. Its a custom build of ubuntu, a very popular linux distro.

Some people are arguing that by moving to the cloud, PCs are becoming more like mobiles....Well its debatable too. The cloud has certain disadvantages too:-

1. Applications like 3D rendering are too intensive and can't be done online.

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2. There's always the problem of bandwidth caps.

3. The internet speeds are not just fast enough to do all kinds of work. This point will be abolished in 3-4 years...

4. The network goes down often, which is more disgusting than even power failure....

Keeping these points in mind, lets move on. Here's a nice cartoon by Dean Ward. Thanks Dean. This showcases the irritation caused by slow speeds. Trust me, I'm a victim of the 30kbps fever too :-P!!

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Well its time we discuss what the cloud promises.Lets talk about the range and extent of these services. Cloud computing has penetrated into every nook and cranny of your online life. Even Picasa or Photobucket are cloud services.

That reminds me, you can contact Dean Ward on Photobucket at this link. Thanks Dean, once again!!

Now, where was I?? Oh Yeah...Picasa, Flickr, Photobucket, Grooveshark are just few examples of the cloud based services.Now I give you a challenge, think of any task a home user does on his PC. Send it to me at my mail id gamersid97@yahoo.co.inand I'll try to give a solution on the cloud!

One thing I don't like about cloud services is that they require a sign-up. A separate sign up for every serice, ugghhhh.....

There are a bunch of awesome services out there, and most of them get that signup bug away with a facebook login button!!!

I've not categorized the services but based on user feedback, I might do this in the further

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editions of this guide.

1. Aviary Phoenix

Arguably the most popular cloud based image editing service out there, Aviary phoenix has been known as the best tool for photo retouches, enhancements etc. without any download. Despite its power, the interface is snappy and beautiful. Don't let it fool you that its a crippled tool. It has support for layers, awesome brushes and effects. In fact, it beats even its counterparts like GIMP in this aspect, which are too complicated for the general

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soul. Aviary is known for making just not Phoenix, but also many other useful tools, which are discussed later in this book. Well its got some funny stickers too. I once took a far cry 2 screen-shot and added a bandage on the gunners hand, and blurred the screen to make malaria symptoms!!! The best part is that it doesn't require a signup. Upload, edit, download or even copy an image from a source! Now that's awesome. Try it out!!!!

2. Google docs

Now comes hardcore cloud computing! LOL just kidding. This document editing suite from our own Google has a lot to promise. It has a nice new revamped interface, a nice format support and 1GB of storage. What else will one ask for??? Its fast, reliable and free!! You can signup with your Google account and enjoy. This is not

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just for the business oriented. And in case you were wondering, yes it does support powerpoint and excel formats!!! You'd never feel you're working online....It has some proprietary formats too, but an .odt upload works just fine, as well as .doc, .xls, .docx, .pptx, .odp.................Do give it a try. Its link is visible on the Google bar, and if you're too lazy, just click here. And its got comment support too. Awesome, ain't it???

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3. Grooveshark

Well I personally love this service, although it has been controversial since the time of its inception. People might say its illegal but it is not. It practically lets you play any song in the world for free!!! I'm not joking at all, I've been a fan of this service for long. There are some annoying ads, can be easily removed with a few javascript hacks. The buffering pain is gone. The songs play without stutters. There is nice facebook linking too. Grooveshark lets you upload your own songs too. Its got a nice interface, which while not being snappy is no slouch either. Album arts add a nice deal of

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snazziness of the UI.Its iPhone and Android app are unofficially available, and a legal blackberry app too. Try it now at www.grooveshark.com

4. Jamendo

Some might argue whether is a cloud service or not, but I have included it just to show you how awesome it is. It is one gem of a service that makes you go- Why didn't I think of that??? Enough praise... It is a service that allows new artists (singers and musicians) to upload their music for free and become popular, all for free. The artist gets fame and the world gets free music!!! It also allows you to listen to the music on the site itself. If you are an artist trying to make it big, before selling your music, you can release an album for free and then when you get fame, sell your album. Or for people looking for royalties free, nice music, logon to www.jamendo.com. And its available on mobile too, happy rocking. Just try out the music of Sifar and Bear in Heaven on the site, its awesome!!!

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5. Autodesk Homestyler

Autodesk Homestyler is one unique concept. It lets you design your home, online for free! Autodesk has been known for making hefty costing software like 3ds Max and Maya but with Autodesk Homestyler, the things have changed. It has a nice drag and drop interface to add things like cupboards, stairs, and even has multiple floor support. Even branded items can be added to your plan. Once finished, you can visualize how your home will look like in the 3d view. It really gives a nice impression of how to decorate your home. If you are building a new house from scratch, it is a must visit. Even if you have a home and want to revamp it and visualize how it'll look after done, this is the ultimate

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tool for that purpose. I personally love the snazziness of the UI and the objects, Autodesk it is!! It now allows you to download the file in .dwg and .rwt formats too, otr you can even print the page. The prints come out nice and beautiful. If you're an architect, this software might even be more useful to you, considering that its totally free. Just logon to www.homestyler.com.

Just have a look at the galleries of the same, given below!!!

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6. Aviary Myna

This tool's from the same company that makes phoenix, which was mentioned earlier. This is an online music editor. Don't underestimate it by its name and just have a look at it, it can easily compete with audacity for that purpose!!!The software is quite powerful and has nice format support. It looks just like a mac application. The interface is vivid and fast. The menus are my favourite part though!! You can upload a file right there and edit it right away. You can download the file later. The

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load times are a bit sluggish at 256kbps connections but anything above 1mbps and you're through. I tried out various formats and it recognised most of them. And better yet, you also get a player!!! All kinds of advanced editing can be done here and after having a look at it you might just uninstall wavosaur or audacity!!! Well thumbs up. Try it out at this link

7. Picasa/Flickr

They both do exactly the same thing, act as an online photo album. Though they're losing ground due to facebook doing exactly the same, but photography pros find it more mature to create an online album on such sites. Picasa is also the name of the offline image editing software.

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Both of them are owned by giants: Google and Yahoo respectively. I find the interface of Picasa better but Flickr is faster than Picasa. The services' motive is quite simple, click and upload. You can create multiple albums. A bit a simple editing can also be done. Due to this all most camera phones are packing in native apps for with these services, or integrate them into the interface itself. Both integrate well with other sites and I simply can't choose which is better!! Try out both at www.picasa.com and www.flickr.com. A point of mention, I love the names of both these services!!

8. Dropbox

It is one service for your uploading needs. It lets you upload 2GB of files to their servers for free. The USP of this service is its cross platform support, its available for

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PC, Mac, Linux, BSD, Solaris, iOS, Android, Symbian...........The list goes on!!!The idea is quite simple, open dropbox, login and start uploading. It is not the only service out there, I find SugarSync and Box.net equally able but none of them are available for so many platforms. It means wherever you are you have access to your files, doesn't matter which OS you are using or where you are. What more can one expect, more space. Sorry, anything above 2GB and you'd have to shell out bucks!!

Some other noteworthy cloud based services:-

• SlideRocket • Box.net • Photobucket • last.fm (Social Network cum service) • Jolicloud • Cloudo • mSpot • SugarSync • Sumo Paint • BitDefender Online Virus Scanner

There are many other services left to be discussed. If you feel I left something,

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please mail me or call me...

Staying Safe on the cloud

The clouds are becoming more extensive, but the malicious side always follows. Many exciting looking services are actually storehouses for PC infections. The data downloaded on them contain macros and scripts that can cause long term damage. Also don't give any service your facebook credentials for log in. Generate random passwords using last pass and install its extension on your browser in case you are one of those forgetful kinds.

Cloud Computing vs Social Networking

Well many of us are familiar of the fact that social networks are slowly becoming cloud services and cloud services are becoming social networks. There will be one day when when both terms will be synonymous. Take the case of last.fm. It started of as a music recognition service, has gone on to become a full fledged social network. Well I think that both should merge, many of us differ in views. Some say lets not make social networks too geeky...But cloud services are not geeky. That's what I've

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been telling in the guide.

Life in the cloudsIs it possible??? Well, try it out for yourself. On an old PC or netbook, install Jolicloud and try it out. If you find it interesting, then you might just substitute your life with the cloudy one! The field has a lot to progress...

Till then feel cloudy with a chance of meatballs!!

BAD PJ, I know that!!!!!Thank you so much for sparing your valuable time in reading my book!!!

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If you feel anything should be changed, please mail me at gamersid97@yahoo.co.in

I'd be highly grateful

Thanking YouSiddharth Jha a.k.a. Techsoulja

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