Think Atmospherically, Store Locally

Cloud computing is all the rage these days. Microsoft is working on a program to connect your personal data across a multitude of platforms. The so-called “Live Mesh” program “uses the Internet as a data hub, synchronizes files across computers, phones and other devices so a digital picture frame at home could show a picture minutes after it was taken by a cellphone,” Reuters reported.

According to the agency, the program will initially be limited to 10,000 Windows users, “but Microsoft said it plans to extend Live Mesh over the next few months to mobile phones, computers from Apple Inc and other devices connected to the Internet.”

Adobe has its own riff on “cloud” computing called AIR. And the New York Times reported today that IBM is getting into the act. Even your humble contributor has jumped on the bandwagon. Just the other day I used Albelli, a new photo-book-making tool based on Adobe’s AIR platform.

I think the allure of cloud computing is evident. Who wouldn’t want any device to access your data anywhere at anytime? But I also remember when the dot-com bust claimed the lives of several photo-sharing/storage Web sites that had thousands of consumers’ photos. Those not savvy enough to store a local copy were out of luck.