Okay Geek Farm
AeroFS syncs your files using the cloud, but doesn't store them there
Brandon Davenport
Remember the days when you had that memory stick on your key chain? Also the one in your car, the three at your desk and the two jammed into your laptop? Well, thanks to cloud technology, we have been able to swiftly sync files between multiple computers, and essentially eliminate the need for physical, portable file storage to transfer files. Services like Dropbox, Sugarsync and many more have allowed us to do this, but they also have quite a few setbacks.
What is AeroFS?
AeroFS is a new service that allows you to use the space on your hard drives to sync files (I’m thinking of picking up a 1TB external for this) and allows a limitless amount of storage. AeroFS doesn’t copy them to the cloud like Dropbox, but instead uses peer-to-peer networking as a vehicle to get your files from point A to point B quickly. They also encrypt data end to end, so this could also be a useful service for small businesses, and down the road, maybe even the enterprise. It’s smart because it allows their business and costs to stay trim, and provide a low cost service that works for people who need something like this.
According to AeroFS “Communication happens peer-to-peer, so any two or more devices can talk to each other directly, without a middleman server, and regardless of whether you’re on a corporate LAN, on the Internet, or in any other network.” This is a huge plus in my books because when it comes to syncing files, I don’t want there to be a checkpoint. I want my files going from point A directly to point B, and I want to have control over where they are stored, and how secure they are when they arrive. AeroFS also states that “each computer running AeroFS has a 2048-bit RSA key, certified by us to be authentic” and this is end-to-end, so there’s a much smaller chance of a bad guy sniffing for goodies.
Not completely out of the clouds
AeroFS also provides a backup service which needs to be turned on by the user. Once it’s been activated, you can backup things to the cloud, and share files much more easily, while at the same time keeping private files cutting a straight path from computer to computer using AeroFS’s P2P network. It’s really smart what they’ve done, and we’re really pumped to learn more about the technology they’re using and see if another player in the “File Syncing” game can shake things up.
How much and when?
AeroFS is still in early Beta, so there is no pricing info available and you’ll have to sign up for a beta account and wait for the clouds to summon you (or something like that). The company also allows users to “vote” for features, which is a really fresh way of approaching to R&D, and people are already suggesting crazy things. So go check em’ out, and once your in — tell us who’s better. Dropbox or Aero FS?
