What do you mean “The Cloud”?

Do you know the secret to syncing your stuff to your laptop, phone, desktop, and tablet?

The answer is The Cloud!

What does it mean to “work in the cloud”?

Working with “The Cloud” sounds deep and mysterious, but really, all it means is that you are working online and can access your stuff from a browser. (Safari, Internet Explorer, Edge, Chrome, Firefox).

Sending an email is “working in the cloud” as is saving your files to Dropbox, Onedrive or Google Drive. If you post to your blog, you are working in the cloud. The power comes from doing it deliberately and in a way that best serves you!

Why would you want to?

Imagine you are waiting for an important client email before you can “get to work”. It may come in the morning, or tonight, or tomorrow. Do you want to be chained to your desktop computer?

Let’s say your best friend from out of town is in the area for a couple hours this afternoon. Do you really want to miss her because of something that might happen soon? If you are set up correctly in the cloud you won’t miss either important event.

What if your computer dies, or your phone is stolen? I know it is super scary to think about this sort of scenario, but it happens all the time. By having everything set up to work in the cloud your stuff will still be there waiting for you to connect a new device to it. It is very much like the local Post Office, it is still there even if you move or your house burns down.

But how risky is it? The cloud is so insecure!

Yes, there are risks. Every time you go outside you can get mugged, but you can also catch a cold in your living room.  The risk in the cloud is the equivalent of going outside.

  • Stay out of risky places (porn sites, gaming sites, and hacker sites).
  • Research the cloud services you use. (stick to well-known names)
  • Develop a password strategy. See How to Create Strong Passwords You Can Remember
  • You can use 2-factor authentication with most legitimate cloud storage services for your more sensitive data.
  • Make sure all your computers (including your desktop) require you to log in with a password to access anything. It is worth the 4 seconds it takes to log in.

Yes, there are risks, but you can manage them.

How do I start working in the cloud?

The good news is that you may have already taken the 1st step toward effectively working in the cloud. You start by choosing your primary system.

If you have a Gmail or Outlook 365 or Outlook.com account you are on your way. They are really the only 2 options that offer a complete system to allow you to effectively work in the cloud. It can be done with Apple and Yahoo and a few other pieced together systems, but there are a few drawbacks that I may address at another time.

I know it is irritating to have to pick between these two mammoth companies, unfortunately, the other options will be either more restrictive in what you can do or cost a lot more. So between the two, the choice comes down to what matters to you. Do you have an affinity toward one of them or a revulsion toward the other?

What services and devices can be hooked to my system?

Email:

  • Computer – By using a browser to check your email you will be able to use ANY computer to check your email. If you are using the Outlook Program on your home computer you can still use your favorite browser to check email on it or your laptop and if it is connected correctly your email will sync between them all.
  • Phone – Use the Gmail app or Outlook app to connect to your email with your phone.  These apps are designed to work with the email platform you are using. The Mail app that comes with your phone can work with any email account but can run into complications when it comes to synchronizing the whole system.
  • Tablet – Connect your tablet like you do your phone. You can connect several devices to a single account.Be aware. If you delete an email on one, it will delete it on another.
    But, If you “delete” your account from your phone it will still exist and can be reconnected.

Files:

  • Computer – Both Google Drive and One Drive can be installed on your computer and therefore accessed “offline” just like your “my documents” folder.  And you can disconnect them at any time and reconnect them to another computer. To use these drives click on the 9 square menu in either Gmail or Outlook Online and you will see them.
  • Phone & Tablets – Download the Google Drive or One Drive app and log in using your email account.

Calendars:

  • Computer – The Outlook calendar can be accessed by the Outlook Program or online using your favorite browser. Use your browser to access the Gmail calendar. Again, both Outlook and Gmail use your email address to log in to view your calendar. It’s nice to be able to get a good look at your calendar in month or week format using the larger screen of a desktop or laptop.
  • Phone & Tablets – For Outlook the calendar is part of the Outlook app for both tablet and phone. Google has a separate app for the calendar.  I also recommend the Google or Outlook app as opposed to the calendar app that comes with your phone.

Contacts:

Contacts are tricky! The best way to deal with your contacts is to use the contact list that is part of your email system.

  • Computer – The Outlook program has a contacts section in it and it also has a contact list the is just accessed by email. Make sure that when you create a contact in your Outlook program it also shows up in the browser-based version of your Outlook.Google contacts can be found in Gmail (click “Mail”  to choose contacts). You can edit and update and merge contacts to your heart’s content.
  • Phone & Tablet – Here is where you want to use the native app. Your phone uses its contact list for making calls and texting so you want to make sure it is connected to your primary email account. You also want to make sure any contact you add is added to this default account so that your new contacts remain synchronized with your Outlook or Gmail account.

Integrate with 100’s of other services that Google and Office 365 have relationships with. Like CRM’s and appointment schedules and other such things.

    Nicole Lux-Ritchie - Founder of Luxcentric
    Nicole's mission is to help feminine professionals gain the technical
    skills they need to grow their business and focus on their missions.
    The focus of Luxcentric is on training practical strategies in the area of the core technologies.
    EMAIL - FILES - CALENDARS - CONTACTS

For those of you who find this information useful and would like to contribute to the cause (and keep it ad free)...

P.S. Sometimes hooking everything up to synchronize can be a headache, but once it is done things will just click into place. I can help you get it done. (Offer only applies to Gmail or Outlook systems)

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