Bitcasa

Storage space is always a problem with hard disks. Even if your hard drive has a huge storage capacity, somehow, you will still run out of free space sooner or later. A good solution would be to clear old or useless files and store the important ones on a cloud server, using a specialized application. Among the numerous applications and services for online data storage, a shining example is Bitcasa. Its functionality is similar to DropBox (or other services) in almost every way, except for one particular aspect. Rather than copying data to the cloud, Bitcasa focuses on storing huge amounts of data on the cloud, without the need to keep local copies. In other words, you can use this application as a spare partition, with limitless storage space. Furthermore, the application offers adequate protection for your data, as well as automated backup features.

Bitcasa provides 10 GB of free storage space, but you can get unlimited storage space and a few extra features, if you pay an yearly fee. Installing the application is a quick and easy procedure. When the process is complete, you must create an online account, after which the application will display a series of startup tips.

Like other online synchronization applications, Bitcasa creates a new folder, which can be accessed in Windows Explorer. The difference is that files in the Bitcasa folder are not stored locally. Anything you store in this folder will be uploaded automatically. You can browse through your stored data on an explorer window or on a web interface, from any computer in the world, as long as it has a working Internet connection.

If you right click a local file or folder, you will find new options in the context menu, for copying or mirroring the data to the Bitcasa folder and for sharing the data with other people. The web interface can be accessed instantly, through the application's system tray icon. It displays your files and folders in the same structure you created in Windows Explorer. Furthermore, you can filter your data to show only pictures, music, videos or documents.

While browsing on the web interface, you can view images, play music and videos or open documents, without any effort. You can also select one or more files and use a series of options to rename files, send them to a friend, download or delete them. To share data with a friend, you just need to select your files and click the Send option. The application allows you to send the files via email, Facebook or Twitter, but you can also copy the link and send it directly to a contact.