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PogoPlug just cut the cloud storage market off at the knees

PogoPlug is a company, service, and device. The service just got a lot more useful for a lot more people.

The device is a small computer that starts at around $99. Plug USB drives into it and you can use it as a file server. Give it an Internet connection and you can then use the PogoPlug service to access those files from anywhere in the world.

PogoPlug announced a new app for OSX, Windows, and Linux today that does away with the need for the device. Got a spare computer? Run this new app on that computer and you now have a content server. You have your own cloud storage which you can access from anywhere you have a web connection.

I know stuff like this has been available for Linux for some time now, but it was intended for the Linux geek, not the average user. This is very exciting. Why pay Amazon $1k a year for a terabyte of storage when you can build your own RAID for half the price?

via Pogoplug

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Comments


Ric Day April 14, 2011 um 1:29 pm

Sweet! I have something like this on my home office Linux server, but the maintenance is a time sink. I think I will set aside some time this weekend, dig out a spare server box, and see how this works.

Thanks for the heads up!


elmonica April 14, 2011 um 2:30 pm

I used CC file transfer for this purpose a couple years ago:
http://www.cc-file-transfer.com/

Before that, I setup an FTP server using one of the Windows operating systems-maybe windows 2000 professional or server.

Now, I only have occasional need to access to my hope computer so I use RealVNC.


Jeff April 14, 2011 um 3:03 pm

Why is this exciting? I don’t get it. It’s called a web server: You run it on your PC and point it at the tree of files you want to be public. Ta-da, your files served to any web browser.


William Walsh April 14, 2011 um 5:13 pm

Also, the free version only streams files within the local network, not from outside the home network.

Nate the great April 14, 2011 um 7:33 pm

That’s not what the site says.

William Walsh April 14, 2011 um 11:08 pm

Just to be clear, I’m talking about streaming media like the Amazon Cloud service supports. And you do have buy the premium service for this.

Other than that, it will serve regular files to download to the device and then open normally in whatever file explorer you use. It’s almost on par with dropbox’s official app as far as how it handles that.


William Walsh April 14, 2011 um 5:31 pm

Actually I just tried streaming a video file to my tablet connected to the local network and it didnt allow that either, said I needed to upgrade to premium.

Brandon C April 14, 2011 um 10:15 pm

The Premium version allows you to stream to mobile devices. That is why you got the message to upgrade. Try it on a computer not a mobile device.

William Walsh April 15, 2011 um 9:24 pm

Yeah, more concerned with mobile device access here =) It would be the only application I have for it.

I don’t see it as replacing offsite cloud services for backup because of that first word, "offsite," being vital in my opinion to a true back up system.

I do like the plug type devices, and I see a big future for these types of low powered arm based systems, and am excited to see the innovatins being done with them.


Laura April 14, 2011 um 6:15 pm

But cloud storage provides a remote backup of your files.


Mike Cane April 14, 2011 um 6:41 pm

The point is this: If the government wants access to *your* cloud files, they have to serve *you* with a search warrant, not Dropbox or Google or Amazon or Apple.

Mike Cane April 14, 2011 um 6:43 pm

And GAH! I just noticed Opera is not listed in browsers supported. Grrrr.


Cherie April 14, 2011 um 8:56 pm

What if you want to destroy a file? What safeguards do you have that it isn’t backed up somewhere else with cloud storage? Problem is–you don’t. It’s always safer keeping it on your computer so you know that there is one copy and you have control over it. HomePipe is a cloud storage alternative that offers greater protection, security and privacy. Try it free at www. homepipe.net.

Brandon C April 14, 2011 um 10:13 pm

Cherie,
It appears that you are promoting HomePipe. Although it’s a great program you are wrong in worrying about your files being backed up.
You should probably learn more about the Pogoplug software before you post uninformed info.

William Walsh April 14, 2011 um 11:09 pm

*sniff* smells like spam


TC April 15, 2011 um 9:47 am

I like the fact I no longer have to pay for web hosting now that I own a PogoPlug,I made a website that completely runs from my PogoPlug
And I didn’t have to hack or modify the device to make it work,This device is simply amazing.

Moriah Jovan July 2, 2011 um 5:33 pm

I think I love you.


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