Feb 05
Jan 31
Kim Dotcom’s Mega is off to a high-profile start, but today we’re hearing of seemingly inevitable copyright woes for the site. Mega has only been officially up and running for 11 days, but according to ComputerWorld, the website has already received 150 copyright warnings for 250 files. Since Mega lacks a search function and requires users to share links in order to share content (which is encrypted when uploaded), how are these copyright holders finding their content on Mega?
It would seem the problem lies with sites that index the content on Mega, with one site in particular – Mega-search.me – getting some attention today. Users can submit submit links for their Mega files to Mega-search.me, allowing others to access them. Apparently, these copyright holders are finding their content through indexes like Mega-search.me and then issuing takedown requests.
That all appears to add up, but now we run into another problem, as content that’s completely legal is also being taken down. Many of the links on Mega-search.me have gone dead in just a matter of hours, with users seeing their legal content disappearing after receiving a DMCA takedown request. This isn’t very easy to explain, but TorrentFreak suggests that someone out there is filing fake DMCA requests and Mega is complying with most of the copyright warnings.
Another possibility is that Mega itself is targeting these indexes as a way to prevent users from finding and sharing copyrighted content uploaded to the site. Whatever is happening, it’s got some Mega users understandably upset, and the rest of us scratching our heads. We’ll be keeping an ear to the ground for more information, so keep it here at SlashGear for additional details.
Mega search engine listings appear as files get the axe is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Jan 30
Dropbox Documents Preview announced, makes it easier to browse photos and docs
Posted in: Today's ChiliToday, Dropbox announced quite a few new features for its web interface during an event at the company’s headquarters in San Francisco. One of the new features is called Documents Preview, which will help users browse files quickly and select the ones they need. The company also showed off a new photos tab that makes it easier to view and share photos that users have uploaded.
The new features aren’t available just yet, though. The company says that users should be seeing the new features in the next few months. However, it’s important to note that Documents Preview won’t support all file types, but the more popular ones will be supported, including .doc, .docx, and .pdf. For files that are not supported, users will still have the option to download or share the file like usual.
Dropbox also updated photo views on the web interface, laying out photos in a grid of thumbnails and organizing them chronology by when they were taken, rather than by name. A similar feature has already launched in Dropbox’s Android app in a bit of a beta preview of this functionality, but it will hit the web interface within a few months. Furthermore, the company is making it easier to share photos, allowing users to select photos from the web viewer and create new albums to share to social media or send through email.
These updates and new features are just another stepping stone for Dropbox to become more than just a simple file-sharing service. The company is looking to make it easier to manage all those files that you store in your Dropbox, and of course, many of them are photos and documents that can take a while to sift through if not organized properly.
[via Forbes]
Dropbox Documents Preview announced, makes it easier to browse photos and docs is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Jan 26
Cloud backup services are popping up everywhere these days, with even BitTorrent now jumping onto the cloud craze. BitTorrent has announced a new cloud backup service it calls Sync, and though it of course has plenty of similarities with other cloud services out there, Sync offers a couple key differences. By using Sync, you’re actually using BitTorrent’s servers to transfer files from one device to another.
This has a number of benefits, as it means you won’t be subject to size restrictions like you are with other services. One of the major headaches with services like Dropbox and SkyDrive is that you’re limited in how much you can have in your synced folders – for Dropbox, for instance, you get 2GB of free space, and that runs out quick when you’re trying to sync multiple video files at once. Once you’ve hit that cap, you’ll need to shell out some cash if you want more space.
That’s not a major complaint, as these are companies that exist to make money after all. BitTorrent’s Sync, on the other hand, is free to use. You won’t have to worry about limits on the amount you can transfer from one device to another, which probably sounds like a Godsend to those who constantly have to rely on cloud services to move files between devices.
As cool as it sounds, there’s one slight problem: BitTorrent Sync isn’t available to use just yet (unless you love pre-alpha testing). It’s currently in the testing stages, but it shouldn’t be more than a few months before Sync is available to BitTorrent users. What do you think of this new cloud service from the people behind BitTorrent?
[via NBC News]
BitTorrent announces cloud storage and sharing service Sync is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Jan 23
This week the next-generation iteration of online file hosting known as Mega has taken hold, its creator Kim Dotcom making it clear in an interview that this is no Megaupload, his goal being to usher in a new era for the web. This interview took place with the Wall Street Journal and included no lack of assurances from Dotcom that this web service would not end up like the last. Singing some of the same tunes as he did this past weekend at the official launch of the service from his own New Zealand mansion, Dotcom made clear: “Every single pixel on that site has been looked at by lawyers, and of course we are fully compliant with all laws.”
Dotcom’s service here is what he describes as a culmination of seven years working with the largest file serving service in the world, Megaupload, here in 2013 made to be “the best cloud storage business the world has ever seen.” Dotcom’s questions from WSJ also included a query on how large Mega would be getting, be it as large or larger than Megaupload. Dotcom let it be known that “it will hopefully take off within a year” but that “it’s just so good that it’s going to spread” – confidence indeed!
Perhaps the most important bit that Dotcom went into here in the security and multi-tiered service that Mega is now and will soon offer to its users. The following is what Dotcom describes as new and unique about Mega as compared to the Megaupload and Megaupload-like sites of the past:
“I would say the biggest new development is on-the-fly encryption. Without having to install any kind of application—it happens in your browser in the background—it encrypts, giving you privacy. This means when you transfer data, anyone sitting on that line will get nothing as it is all scrambled and impossible to decrypt without your key. This is going to take encryption to the mainstream.
We have some servers in New Zealand, we have some servers in Europe and we have invited hosting partners to sign up to join us. Basically anyone can connect a server in their hosting facility, hook it up to Internet, give us access and we can make it a Megaserver. Every file that is being uploaded to Mega is not just on one server, meaning if one hosting company goes bankrupt then those files will be on least two servers in the world and in two different jurisdictions.” – Dotcom
Have a peek at the timeline below to see what’s happened with Mega since it’s launch and stay tuned as we follow this service through the future as well. Do you use Mega right this minute? Did you utilize Megaupload before it was cut down at the knees by the government powers that be? Let us know what you think!
Kim Dotcom: Mega will “take encryption to the mainstream” is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Jan 21
Kim Dotcom’s second brainchild officially launched yesterday, and while everything was obviously supposed to go smooth, it didn’t. It turns out, the new service claimed that one million users signed up on day one alone, and when you’re not expecting that big of a crowd, things can get cluttered fairly quickly. Many users reported issues with Mega, most notably that they weren’t able to upload files.
While some users were able to successfully create an account and start uploading files, they quickly discovered that uploads would freeze. Gizmodo‘s own Joe Brown mentioned that after 23 hours of an upload in progress, “not one byte transferred.” However, other users can’t get into the new service at all, thanks to confirmation emails gone missing.
Some users can’t even get the site to load in order to log in. It’s definitely not surprising when a new service underestimates the crowd that will show up at launch, and it’s not the first time this has happened with any new service. With that said, it seems like companies should be smart enough now that they should just always expect a larger crowd than anticipated, just in case. It’s a precaution that will save a ton of headaches right off the bat.
However, Kim Dotcom is obviously aware of the issue and is getting top men to resolve the problems as quickly as possible, although his timeline for a “smooth experience” was simply just “soon.” Dotcom says that the new service is “slowly stabilizing” and the team is “still fixing small bugs and issues with some servers.”
Mega launches with issues all around, “smooth experience” coming soon is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Jan 19
Kim Dotcom’s Mega cloud storage service has launched, cocking a snook at federal investigators who shut down Megaupload last year, and offering huge quantities of anonymous, encrypted storage for the web generation. The new site offers 50GB of free capacity to each user, though will have various tiers of paid service over that as the product roadmap progresses. Key to the value proposition, Mega insists, is that individual users control the encryption system.
“The new Mega encrypts your data transparently in your browser, on the fly” the company says of its file security system. “You hold the keys to what you store in the cloud, not us.”
As for those who find 50GB isn’t enough for their needs, Mega expects to offer three “Pro” tiers initially. €9.99 ($13) gets you 500GB, €19.99 ($27) gets you 2TB, and €29.99 ($40) gets you 4TB. Bandwidth for each package comes in at 1TB, 4TB, and 8TB per month, respectively.
You’ll also need to be running Chrome for the best experience since, as Mega explains, currently none of the other common browsers support all elements of the feature-set the cloud system requires. “ If you are planning on using MEGA frequently, there is currently no alternative to using the most advanced browser currently in existence” Mega concludes, “Google Chrome.”
Mega’s roadmap for the future is certainly ambitious. The company plans to release an API, as well as local apps for desktop and mobile use, plus an instant-messaging service for Mega users to communicate with each other.
Mega goes live: Megaupload reborn with focus on file safety is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Jan 19
Mega, Kim Dotcom’s big, flashy new copyright-dismantling file-sharing/storage site with encryption up the wazoo has finally launched. You can head on over and sign up right now. That is, so long as the site can hold under the crazy traffic. So far, it looks like it’s getting crushed. But different people are experiencing different things. More »
Jan 19
Almost exactly one year ago, MegaUpload unexpectedly went down in flames. Now, Kim Dotcom’s new venture, plain old “Mega” is rising from the ashes, and we’ve taken you inside for a sneak peek. But things will be different this time. Why? Dotcom’s prepped this baby against all manner of attack, and its encryption is the first line of defense, for him and for you. More »
Jan 18
Remember Megaupload? It was the file-sharing service created by Kim Dotcom that ended up being shut down and resulted in Dotcom’s house being raided, along with some more shenanigans of some kind. However, the dust as settled and Dotcom is back with a new service called Mega that looks to take on Dropbox and other cloud services. Mega officially launches tomorrow, but early-access users got a peek at it today.
The landing page at Mega.co.nz now redirects to Kim.com/mega, and it’s important to note that the service isn’t finished just yet. Once the site launches tomorrow for everyone, users will be aware of a roadmap that will include future features to be added, such as an SDK with fully documented API and different collaboration features.
One of the biggest features of the new service is that new users will receive 50GB of free storage when they sign up, but those that require larger storage needs can opt for different paid tiers. The “Pro” options offer 500GB, 2TB, and 4TB of cloud storage for €9.99, €19.99 and €29.99, respectively. The 500GB package comes with 1TB of bandwidth, and the 2TB and 4TB plans are given 4TB and 8TB of bandwidth, respectively.
Obviously, it’s still too early to tell if the service will take off. So far, though, there doesn’t seem to be any major setbacks to Mega, but we’ll see once the service officially launches tomorrow. The service eventually plans to add filesystem integration for Windows, with Mac and Linux versions coming as well. There will also be mobile apps for multiple mobile OSes that will allow users to sync files across different platforms.
[via TechCrunch]
Kim Dotcom’s Mega launches for early-access users is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
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