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"SugarSync\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSugarSync - Cloud\nFrom this main Cloud tab, which replaces the old SugarSync File Manager, you can drag and drop any folder from your computer to the blue space. Once there, it is synced across all your devices and you can access the folder from anywhere using the SugarSync app. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSugarSync - Sharing\nThis is great for sharing files that are too large to email. You can view all your shared activity here, much like Google Drive's Shared With Me folder. To share, simply drag a folder to the blue area and it will upload to the cloud.It does not need to be downloaded onto the recipent's device, they can access it in your cloud drive. Here is where they've also added a Contacts list so you can automatically share a synced  file by dragging it over the contact you are giving access to. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSugarSync - Email invite\n\nAnother new feature is the ability to share a public link, without that person having to create a SugarSync account. Many people want to be able to share and receive large files, but they don't necessarily want to join another service. A public links lets anyone access the file, you are simply sending the location. This is not the place to put top secret files and documents. \nYou can also share privately by inviting someone to the folder, as I've done here. The recipient, a SugarSync user, has access to the file, but the file's size doesn't count against his storage. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSugarSync - Activity \nAll your recent activity is shown in this tab, from recent uploads, to files you have shared with others. You can also see if anyone has updated your shared files. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSugarSync - Search\nThe ability to search across all your devices is an incredibly useful new tool. Type the name of the file or folder you're looking for and it will appear here. This is also where you can search for items others have shared with you. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSugarSync - Drive\nThe new SugarSync Drive creates an actual drive in your Windows Explorer or Mac Finder. This provides easy access to your data, and from here you can check to see if something has been synced. It shows up in your computer's file structure much like an external drive would. This view lets you see all of your files and folders from all your devices. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSugarSync - Select Folders\nYou can add folders to your drive by clicking or dragging them.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSugarSync - Website\nSugarSync has a  web-based application that can be accessed from anywhere. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nA few days into the power outage in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, my sister, who was staying with me, realized she needed something from her computer. Her daughter was filling out the college common application and she needed to access some info. \"Isn't it in the cloud?\" I asked her. Blank stare. \"Don't you back up your files?\"\nThat was something she understood. \"Of course\", she said.  \"I started doing that last year. We have an external drive that backs up our computer.\" Ah, but she didn't back up to the cloud.\nIt was then and there I had \"the talk\" with my sister (with her kids eagerly admonishing her as well), and I imagine many families searching for documents to satisfy insurance companies, not to mention pictures of homes and furniture before the impact of the storm were learning the same thing. Yes, you can back up your files \u2014 your all-important pictures and documents \u2014 and access them from anywhere via the cloud.\nThe Promise, and Fear, of the Cloud\nCloud storage isn't new, of course; it's just that many mainstream users either don't take full advantage of the benefits or don't even know they're using the cloud to begin with. Of course there's also a fear of losing data or not being able to access it when it's stored in the cloud.\nSugarSync, a service that backs up and syncs your data across your computer and mobile devices, has just undergone a redesign, in an effort to make that process easier and simpler to access. The public beta launch of SugarSync 2.0 is out Tuesday and can be downloaded here.\nOne of the things SugarSync hopes to accomplish with the redesign is make it easier for everyday users. First order of business: drag-and-drop sharing, which makes it more intuitive. It has also introduced search, so you can find a file no matter what device it's stored on \u2014 PC, your mobile phone, laptop or tablet. \nLaura Yecies, SugarSync CEO, told Mashable  search is key, as consumers are rapidly adopting mobile devices and tablets. While SugarSync is considered a powerful cloud-syncing service, on par with the popular Dropbox, Yecies admits it was easy for non-techies to get lost in the previous version. The new design opens the world of cloud computing up to consumers who are used to searching a keyword as opposed to drilling down for a file, and the new Cloud tab puts everything into a more unified view.\nHands On With SugarSync 2.0\nI've been using the beta version for the past week and found it to have a clean interface, simple to understand and very easy to find things. In fact, after the storm, while I was working from home, I had to share a large file with someone at work. It was too large to email or even zip, but I was able to sync it to the cloud, where my colleague was able to access it without having to download it. I really liked that I could choose whether to send him an invite to share the folder with me, or just send him a public link that he could access without logging in. I also liked being able to search for files across devices. \nAfter a few days I was also able to come up with numerous use cases to convince my sister to try the service. For one, she can access her files from her tablet or her kid's laptop wherever she is. More importantly, she can sync files pertaining to her kid's sports activities and share them with the other parents on the team. If she gives permission for them to make changes, once they do, the change is made across all stored copies of the file, as well as the cloud.\nThis cloud-storage category is only going to grow. Research from Forrester Consulting shows \"Adoption of file access, sync and share personal cloud services accelerated in the past two years. In 2010, 9% of U.S. online adults were using file, media, and information syncing services; by 2012, 15% were using a file storage service for syncing and/or web access, which is two thirds increase in just two years.\"\nSugarSync is going after the more mainstream market with this redesign. Yecies says they want to be the service people can integrate into their day-to-day lives. This new upgrade is pretty sweet.\nLike most other services, SugarSync offers 5GB of free storage and you can purchase more space as you need it. Take a look through the gallery above and check out the new features.\nSugarSync says it will continue to support all platforms, including PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Android, BlackBerry, Symbian, and Windows Mobile (with Windows Phone coming soon). \nDo you use a cloud-based storage and backup service? Tell us what you use and why in the comments."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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