Users of peer-to-peer storage service Wuala can now invite others to join private alpha testing. Put your name down on the InviteShare list for Wuala to get your own access to the service. And if you’re already a proud Wuala user, head over there to spread the wealth.
Wuala, which we covered here in October, allows users to backup data on each other’s computers. Storage availability starts off at 1GB and grows from there as you provide more of your own hard drive to others (and leave your computer powered on for long enough each day). Soon you will be able to trade space on your hard drive for the same amount of backup space elsewhere, or get an additional gigabyte of storage for every friend you invite to Wuala. The data you squirrel away on strangers’ computers is encrypted and broken up into 500 pieces spread out over that many machines.
Technology is starting to ramp into a new cycle. I’ve seen some very interesting roll out over the past few weeks. Perhaps a good time to introduce products into the market do to all the noise occurring, unless you are facebook.
I’m sure that Homeland Security and the NSA are quite thrilled to hear about this new offering. Not!
Now I look forward to seeing people post that this has been around for decades and this and that…….geez
it’s http://wua.la
How is this different from Napster and Kazaa and wouldn’t it get shut down for the same reasons? “facilitating piracy”
You should really change the link, it’s leading to a parked domain.
This looks like a pretty good idea!
I wonder what the upload speeds are like though…
@Larry, it’s not file sharing, it’s a backup exchange!
PS the link goes to a parked domain
There’s too much competition out there for worst web2.0 name, but this is the hands-down winner for worst logo. Rule #1 of logos, there shouldn’t be any mystery as to what they say.
I don’t know about Wuala, but I’m signing up for my “WISLS” account now!
No, thanks!
I will try out , i also wrote about xdrive and google online storage that is going to be released in 2008 i think
Backup Storage Launching by Google
peer-to-peer… hmmm…
Waste of time Arrington. Start covering companies with great idea, not those of your friends or those who have been referred to you
Got mine! How about you gays?
virb.com/balm
Mark,
This is an interesting idea. I personally have been throwing it around for 3-4 years. My conclusion on it is that it’s more likely to become an open source tool people download. Point it at a group of locations/friends or whatever that wants to keep backups off site and in secure locations.
Charging a service for this is also an options, but if you don’t have to you won’t. It’s not hard tech either so.. I see open source tools falling into place.
But really, this solution is waiting for the network to become more commoditized. No upload/download limits etc. That’s when it will truly take off.
Steve Ballmer says: Got mine! How about you gays?
Geesh. How did you know?!?!?!
Anywho…so what happens when somebody’s hard drive dies? Where’s the backup of the data you backed up elsewhere that you now don’t control?
Better yet, go out and buy your own portable hard drive to backup up your own data and don’t rely on services that you have no control over…like wuala.
@James
But what happens when your house burns down. Your local save is also in hell. But not with wuala. Your data is saved on many many HDD’s the same time. Like a Raid 10 and that’s for free. I love wuala.
And wenn the new writing rules came, I will love it even more!
Is that logo in arabic?
I didnt like its logo…. [yike!]
actually it took me a while to understand what it is…
I thought it is something in arabic.
After all my thinking is to keep things simple, why to add complication even in case of Logos!!
Wuala is absolute crap. Don’t bother, really.
What happens if one or several of the hard drives crashed?
Opps, sorry.
How about you guys?
What a clever idea. By the way, I love the logo. And the domain name.