Today Microsoft announced Windows Azure, a new version of Windows that lives in the Microsoft cloud. You won't be running Windows on your PC over the internet with Azure, though; instead the platform is intended to help developers host and distribute software running over the internet.

Amidst all the hype around cloud computing, The New York Times points out that if Google locks down your Gmail login for whatever reason (like someone tried the wrong password too many times), you're basically screwed. If you're worried, set up an automated email backup using POP.

While web-based applications promise gigabytes of storage, anywhere-access, easy backup, and no software requirements beyond your browser to use them, becoming dependent on webapps can leave you high and dry when those services go out. Whether or not you were one of the countless Gmail users unable to access your email yesterday, an individual Google user locked out of your account for no discernible reason, a MobileMe customer whose me isn't very mobile, or an Amazon S3 customer whose data's trapped on a big old inaccessible disk in the sky—you know that using online services comes with its risks.

Read More »