You’ve probably been hearing people talking about “the cloud” and wondered, what is that?
The quick answer: It’s a network of servers that store information for people. In fact, most of us use the cloud. You use the cloud if you use web-based mail like Gmail or Yahoo, or a social network like Facebook; in all these cases, none of the information is actually stored on your computer.
With the cloud, instead of storing the stuff you create and the programs you use to create it on your computer’s hard drive or a CD or DVD, you save and access these things online instead. All you need is an Internet connection, and you can access your music, photos, documents and other files.
Some advantages of using the cloud:
- Say you create an album of photos on your PC and then copy it to your tablet; when you update the album on your PC it will automatically update on your tablet, too – and on your smartphone, if you have one.
- You took photos of your vacation with your digital camera and saved them to your computer. You stop by a friend’s to visit a few days later. With a cloud service, you can simply access the photos from your friend’s computer and show off your whole vacation album.
- You create a list of people to invite to a family event and invite your sister to add to it. Instead of emailing the list back and forth, you can both work on the same document, and it will always reflect the latest update.
- Storing photos and other documents in the cloud means that if your computer’s hard drive crashes, you won’t lose irreplaceable memories and information.
- Storing large files like photos and music in the cloud stops your computer’s hard drive from filling up – and slowing down.
- With cloud-based applications, you don’t have to update your software once a new version is released. Many of these programs are free, which is also a plus.
Intrigued? Here are a few cloud computing services that you might look into.
Google Drive
What it is Google Drive is essentially the Microsoft Office of cloud computing. You can create word documents, presentations and spreadsheets just as you would if you were using Microsoft Word, Powerpoint, or Excel, and store them in the Google Drive cloud.
Why you might like it One of the top benefits of Google Drive is its collaborative sharing feature. After you’ve saved your document to the cloud, you can share it with someone else so both of you can work on the document at the same time. This completely eliminates the need to send updated versions of the same document back and forth by email. Instead, the version that’s saved on Google Drive will always be the most updated version.
You might also find Google Drive much simpler to use than Microsoft Office, which probably has more features than you need. If you need to make a simple text document or spreadsheet, it’s easier to do it with Google Drive instead of getting lost in the many buttons, tabs, and features of Microsoft Word or Excel. Plus, unlike Microsoft Office, Google Drive is free.
Insider tip If you’ve created a document in Microsoft Word, Powerpoint or Excel, you can upload it to Google Drive and it will convert it for the cloud. And you can do the inverse, too.
Click here to access Google Drive
Click here to read more about Google Drive
Dropbox
You can store documents, music files, photos, videos, and more on Dropbox. Though Dropbox works off the cloud computing concept, it will feel very familiar if you are used to saving files to folders on your computer.
You install the Dropbox application to your computer or any other device (like your iPhone or iPad), then any time you make a change, that same change will be reflected across all those computers and devices. This is particularly helpful if you work from more than one computer. You can even access your Dropbox files from the dropbox.com website.
It’s also easy to share files through Dropbox because you can send people links to specific files. So if you have a photo or document you want to send to someone, you can simply email them a link to it.
Dropbox is also a great way to safely store important documents or files you may need to access later. You could upload digital files of your passport, driver’s license, prescriptions, or list of medications to Dropbox and have easy access to them in the event they get lost or stolen.
Follow this Dropbox tutorial to install the program on your computer.
Insider tip: If you refer friends to Dropbox and they join, you get even more free storage space.
Flickr
Though you can use Dropbox to store photos, Flickr is a cloud storage program you can use to not only store images, but also organize them into albums and display them as slideshows. Furthermore, Flickr offers a huge amount of free storage space, which is very helpful since photos tend to be large files and people tend to have a lot of them.
Keep in mind that Flickr isn’t best for photo editing — you can’t use it to remove red eye or sharpen images. But you can add titles, descriptions, and tags to photos to better organize them. This step seems tedious, but it saves time and makes it easier to find photos later.
One features of Flickr is that you can download photos and print off hard copies. So for example, you might add all your photos from the year to keep them safe and organized, then select one to print off for a card when the holidays come around.
Insider tip: You can find friends or family who also have Flickr accounts, then follow them to see their photos. If you know their email address or are Facebook friends, you can find people you know with Flickr’s Find Friends tool.
COMMENTS
2 responses to “What’s the Cloud – and How Can I Use It?”
I have a chromebook laptop & a canon printer. I use to be able to print, but now I can’t since end of last yr. I was told that google no longer uses cloud print. Can you help me? I think I have tried everything. Maybe I haven’t
Thank you
Hi Maryanne! Try giving our free tech help hotline a call at 888-713-3495 and one of our trainers can troubleshoot this issue with you.
Sign Up for Newsletters
There’s always a lot going on in the Senior Planet universe. Get our newsletters to make sure you never miss a thing!
Sign Up Now
Join Senior Planet Community
Senior Planet Community is our social media platform designed specifically for older adult users. Engage in thought-provoking discussions, make new friends, and share resources all on a safe and ad-free platform.
Join the Conversation Today
Upcoming Online Classes
Calendar of Events
S Sun
M Mon
T Tue
W Wed
T Thu
F Fri
S Sat
0 events,
12 events,
Morning Stretch
Morning Stretch
Start your day with a short morning stretch!
Intro to Translation Tools
Intro to Translation Tools
This lecture will introduce digital translation tools and apps, such as Google Translate.
Fit Fusion Workout
Fit Fusion Workout
Get your heart pumping during this fun, high-energy workout!
15 events,
29
Stronger Bones
Stronger Bones
Activate the joints and muscles and increase mental focus during this exercise class.
Morning Stretch
Morning Stretch
Start your day with a short morning stretch!
Internet of Things: Entertainment
Internet of Things: Entertainment
This lecture will explore the many ways we interact with IoT on a day-to-day basis and take a look at how it’s revolutionizing entire industries.
13 events,
30
Morning Stretch
Morning Stretch
Start your day with a short morning stretch!
Discover Live: Krakow, Poland
Discover Live: Krakow, Poland
Join Senior Planet and our tour guides from Discover Live for a virtual visit to Krakow, Poland!
線上購物
線上購物
本講座將提供有關使用流行網站 Amazon.com 在線購買從洗碗精到日用雜貨等所有商品的一般介紹。
15 events,
31
Balance/Strength
Balance/Strength
Activate the joints and muscles to become limber and increase balance during this exercise class.
Morning Stretch
Morning Stretch
Start your day with a short morning stretch!
Money Matters
Money Matters
This lecture introduces online banking and goes over how to keep your financial information safe.
8 events,
1
Morning Stretch
Morning Stretch
Start your day with a short morning stretch!
P2P Payment Services
P2P Payment Services
In this lecture, you’ll learn about some of today’s most popular P2P payment services, including PayPal, Venmo, and CashApp.
Tai Chi
Tai Chi
Relax your mind and strengthen your body with this gentle exercise class
0 events,
2
0 events,
3
0 events,
4
15 events,
5
Stronger Bones
Stronger Bones
Activate the joints and muscles and increase mental focus during this exercise class.
Morning Stretch
Morning Stretch
Start your day with a short morning stretch!
Affordable Home Internet
Affordable Home Internet
This lecture goes over basic information you need to know when signing up for home internet service.
13 events,
6
Morning Stretch
Morning Stretch
Start your day with a short morning stretch!
Discover Live: Seville, Spain
Discover Live: Seville, Spain
Join Senior Planet and our tour guides from Discover Live for a virtual visit to Seville, Spain!
管理個人隱私簡介
管理個人隱私簡介
一起來學習互聯網隱私維護的小貼士吧!
14 events,
7
Balance/Strength
Balance/Strength
Activate the joints and muscles to become limber and increase balance during this exercise class.
Morning Stretch
Morning Stretch
Start your day with a short morning stretch!
Intro to Translation Tools
Intro to Translation Tools
This lecture will introduce digital translation tools and apps, such as Google Translate.
8 events,
8
Morning Stretch
Morning Stretch
Start your day with a short morning stretch!
Protecting Your Personal Info Online
Protecting Your Personal Info Online
This presentation will cover the ins and outs of how to protect your personal information online.
Tai Chi
Tai Chi
Relax your mind and strengthen your body with this gentle exercise class
0 events,
9
0 events,
10
12 events,
11
Morning Stretch
Morning Stretch
Start your day with a short morning stretch!
Mobile Health Apps
Mobile Health Apps
This lecture introduces common health apps, like the iPhone's built-in app and the Google Fit app.
Fit Fusion Workout
Fit Fusion Workout
Get your heart pumping during this fun, high-energy workout!
16 events,
12
Stronger Bones
Stronger Bones
Activate the joints and muscles and increase mental focus during this exercise class.
Morning Stretch
Morning Stretch
Start your day with a short morning stretch!
Smartphones at a Glance
Smartphones at a Glance
In this lecture you’ll learn about popular smartphones on the market and some of their pros and cons.
12 events,
13
Morning Stretch
Morning Stretch
Start your day with a short morning stretch!
Online Shopping
Online Shopping
This lecture will provide a general introduction to shopping online using the popular website Amazon.com.
Fit Fusion Workout
Fit Fusion Workout
Get your heart pumping during this fun, high-energy workout!
14 events,
14
Balance/Strength
Balance/Strength
Activate the joints and muscles to become limber and increase balance during this exercise class.
Morning Stretch
Morning Stretch
Start your day with a short morning stretch!
eBay & PayPal
eBay & PayPal
This lecture provides an overview of the popular auction website eBay and the pioneer online payment service PayPal.
8 events,
15
Morning Stretch
Morning Stretch
Start your day with a short morning stretch!
Introduction to Learning Apps – Languages & The Arts
Introduction to Learning Apps – Languages & The Arts
This presentation will introduce you to apps that help you learn different languages, explore the arts and art history, and even show you how to play instruments.
Tai Chi – CANCELED
Tai Chi – CANCELED
Today's session has been canceled. We apologize for the inconvenience. Please join us next week.
0 events,
16
0 events,
17
12 events,
18
Morning Stretch
Morning Stretch
Start your day with a short morning stretch!
Telemedicine
Telemedicine
This lecture provides an overview of telemedicine options and focuses on exploring virtual medical appointments with your doctor in real-time.
Fit Fusion Workout
Fit Fusion Workout
Get your heart pumping during this fun, high-energy workout!
16 events,
19
Stronger Bones
Stronger Bones
Activate the joints and muscles and increase mental focus during this exercise class.
Morning Stretch
Morning Stretch
Start your day with a short morning stretch!
All Things Zoom
All Things Zoom
This lecture will go over how to use Zoom to chat with friends & family, and take virtual classes with Senior Planet!
13 events,
20
Morning Stretch
Morning Stretch
Start your day with a short morning stretch!
Introduction to Hosting on Zoom
Introduction to Hosting on Zoom
In this introductory lecture, we'll go over what you need to start your first meeting, as well as some hosting tips to make it a success.
Fit Fusion Workout
Fit Fusion Workout
Get your heart pumping during this fun, high-energy workout!
15 events,
21
Balance/Strength
Balance/Strength
Activate the joints and muscles to become limber and increase balance during this exercise class.
Morning Stretch
Morning Stretch
Start your day with a short morning stretch!
Food Delivery Apps
Food Delivery Apps
Learn about the pros and cons, how to search for new restaurants, and how to leave a tip and rating.
10 events,
22
Morning Stretch
Morning Stretch
Start your day with a short morning stretch!
Podcasts
Podcasts
In this lecture, you'll learn more about these audio programs available on the internet: why people listen to them, where you can find them, and what the most popular ones are.
Mobile Health Apps
Mobile Health Apps
*REGISTRATION REQUIRED*
This lecture introduces common health apps, like the iPhone's built-in app and the Google Fit app.
0 events,
23
0 events,
24
13 events,
25
Morning Stretch
Morning Stretch
Start your day with a short morning stretch!
Online Health Resources
Online Health Resources
Learn how to evaluate health-related information online.
Fit Fusion Workout
Fit Fusion Workout
Get your heart pumping during this fun, high-energy workout!
16 events,
26
Stronger Bones
Stronger Bones
Activate the joints and muscles and increase mental focus during this exercise class.
Morning Stretch
Morning Stretch
Start your day with a short morning stretch!
MyChart
MyChart
Learn how MyChart can help you keep all your health information in one place, communicate with your providers, and have a virtual visit.
12 events,
27
Morning Stretch
Morning Stretch
Start your day with a short morning stretch!
Discover Live: Tunis, Tunisia
Discover Live: Tunis, Tunisia
Join Senior Planet and our tour guides from Discover Live for a virtual visit to Tunis, Tunisia!
關於 Zoom 的一切
關於 Zoom 的一切
了解如何使用 Zoom 與家人朋友聊天以及參與 Senior Planet 線上學習!
15 events,
28
Balance/Strength
Balance/Strength
Activate the joints and muscles to become limber and increase balance during this exercise class.
Morning Stretch
Morning Stretch
Start your day with a short morning stretch!
Intro to Managing Your Privacy
Intro to Managing Your Privacy
Concerned about privacy? Unsure about accepting cookies? Come learn about some essential privacy tips!
9 events,
29
Morning Stretch
Morning Stretch
Start your day with a short morning stretch!
Online Travel Sites
Online Travel Sites
Learn the basics of using online travel sites to find the best fares and rates for just about any destination.
Tai Chi
Tai Chi
Relax your mind and strengthen your body with this gentle exercise class
0 events,
30
Morning Stretch
Intro to Translation Tools
Fit Fusion Workout
Stronger Bones
Morning Stretch
Internet of Things: Entertainment
Morning Stretch
Discover Live: Krakow, Poland
線上購物
Balance/Strength
Morning Stretch
Money Matters
Morning Stretch
P2P Payment Services
Tai Chi
Stronger Bones
Morning Stretch
Affordable Home Internet
Morning Stretch
Discover Live: Seville, Spain
管理個人隱私簡介
Balance/Strength
Morning Stretch
Intro to Translation Tools
Morning Stretch
Protecting Your Personal Info Online
Tai Chi
Morning Stretch
Mobile Health Apps
Fit Fusion Workout
Stronger Bones
Morning Stretch
Smartphones at a Glance
Morning Stretch
Online Shopping
Fit Fusion Workout
Balance/Strength
Morning Stretch
eBay & PayPal
Morning Stretch
Introduction to Learning Apps – Languages & The Arts
Tai Chi – CANCELED
Morning Stretch
Telemedicine
Fit Fusion Workout
Stronger Bones
Morning Stretch
All Things Zoom
Morning Stretch
Introduction to Hosting on Zoom
Fit Fusion Workout
Balance/Strength
Morning Stretch
Food Delivery Apps
Morning Stretch
Podcasts
Mobile Health Apps
Morning Stretch
Online Health Resources
Fit Fusion Workout
Stronger Bones
Morning Stretch
MyChart
Morning Stretch
Discover Live: Tunis, Tunisia
關於 Zoom 的一切
Balance/Strength
Morning Stretch
Intro to Managing Your Privacy
Morning Stretch
Online Travel Sites
Tai Chi
Recent Articles
Recent Comments