We've talked in this space before about the future of computing - whether we'll actually make the transition to "log on anywhere with any machine, run your apps and access your data in the cloud" computing or not.
Security remains one of the big, no, HUGE roadblocks to this happening. The technology is practically there, but for anything other than harmless personal stuff, most people will remain reluctant to trust their data to the cloud. (Quick reminder: the "cloud" refers to the application-based internet.)
One thing many of us already do is carry our data with us via thumb drive, and as thumb drives become larger and larger in terms of carrying capacity, while remaining tiny in form factor (they don't call them "thumbs" for nothing!), this becomes more and more practical.
Another option is to carry your apps with you.
We've all been there before: you're traveling, and using a "strange" computer - nothing looks the way it should, you don't have the tools you need to get the job done, and you're slowed down by the, well, strangeness of the strange computer!
One good tool for doing remedying that is PortableApps (portableapps.com). Of course, you have to be a fan of open source, but, that aside, you can take a fully featured suite of apps with you wherever you go. As PortableApps explains it, " PortableApps Suite is a complete collection of portable apps including a web browser, email client, office suite, calendar/schedule, instant messaging client, antivirus, audio player, sudoku game, password manager, PDF reader, minesweeper clone (glad they included the important stuff!), backup utility and integrated menu, all pre-configured to work portably. Just drop it on your portable device and you're ready to go."
A "portable device" includes not only your flash drive, but a portable hard drive, and even your iPod.
The version 2.0 preview is scheduled for release Tuesday, July 13, so this would be a great time to try it out.
Security remains one of the big, no, HUGE roadblocks to this happening. The technology is practically there, but for anything other than harmless personal stuff, most people will remain reluctant to trust their data to the cloud. (Quick reminder: the "cloud" refers to the application-based internet.)
One thing many of us already do is carry our data with us via thumb drive, and as thumb drives become larger and larger in terms of carrying capacity, while remaining tiny in form factor (they don't call them "thumbs" for nothing!), this becomes more and more practical.
Another option is to carry your apps with you.
We've all been there before: you're traveling, and using a "strange" computer - nothing looks the way it should, you don't have the tools you need to get the job done, and you're slowed down by the, well, strangeness of the strange computer!
One good tool for doing remedying that is PortableApps (portableapps.com). Of course, you have to be a fan of open source, but, that aside, you can take a fully featured suite of apps with you wherever you go. As PortableApps explains it, " PortableApps Suite is a complete collection of portable apps including a web browser, email client, office suite, calendar/schedule, instant messaging client, antivirus, audio player, sudoku game, password manager, PDF reader, minesweeper clone (glad they included the important stuff!), backup utility and integrated menu, all pre-configured to work portably. Just drop it on your portable device and you're ready to go."
A "portable device" includes not only your flash drive, but a portable hard drive, and even your iPod.
The version 2.0 preview is scheduled for release Tuesday, July 13, so this would be a great time to try it out.
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