Cloud and web hosting services provider IONOS has launched a free file transfer service for sharing large files .
Like its competitors, Dropbox and WeTransfer, HiDrive Share by IONOS offers users the ability to transfer files as large as 2GB for free.
“File sharing services in the cloud offer the fastest and most practical way to share large files such as images, videos and documents with colleagues, friends and family,” said IONOS in a press release.
File share for free
The file transfer software creates a link that can be shared via email or chat, and is valid for seven days before it’s deleted automatically. No authentication or registration is needed to access the service and HiDrive Share isn’t exclusive to IONOS customers.
The IONOS HiDrive Share works on any major operating system and with any standard web browser , on both mobile and desktop.
The uploaded files are transmitted exclusively in encrypted form and are stored in IONOS’ European data centers, in order to remain GDPR compliant and provide protection against access by unauthorized third parties.
IONOS is also offering up to 2TB of online storage for users who want to upgrade, either because they need to share files larger than 2 GB or make files available for longer than seven days.
HiDrive cloud storage can also be used to share large files and for long-term data storage, costing $10 per month (£20 p/m) for the first twelve months under IONOS’ Pro package.
For the free HiDrive Share software, there’s no need to download an app or desktop programs, although there is an app available for the HiDrive cloud storage product.
TechRadar Pro has reached out to IONOS for further comment on the rationale behind the launch of the new service and how the company plans to position HiDrive Share in relation to the competition.
"HiDrive Share is a free service based on our fully comprehensive cloud storage, HiDrive. We launched the file sharing service to offer both IONOS customers and new customers an additional, streamlined way to share files - all without having to authenticate or register first. In this way, we offer our existing customers a value-added service and simultaneously offer prospective customers the opportunity to try IONOS," said Lars Watling, Head of Domains & Productivity Products at IONOS.
"The new file sharing tool is an additional, streamlined way to share files with a special focus on reliability and security. All data is stored exclusively in European data centers, transmitted in encrypted form and subject to strict GDPR laws."
Marvel and Star Wars are 'ruining' the film industry, Moonfall director says
Moonfall director Roland Emmerich has claimed that Marvel and Star Wars are "ruining our industry".
Speaking to Den of Geek ahead of Moonfall's February 4 release, Emmerich suggested that the lack of original movies was the by-product of the MCU's and Star Wars' wild theatrical box office success.
Of the 20 highest grossing movies of all time, two Star Wars movies – The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi – occupy fourth and 15th place respectively. The pair are joined by no fewer than six Marvel films , too, including the second-placed Avengers: Endgame.
Seven more MCU movies are set to arrive as part of Marvel's Phase 4 plans, and the possibility of more Star Wars flicks hasn't been ruled out by Lucasfilm and parent company Disney. It's this constant stream of projects from just two massive franchises, Emmerich claims, that's strangling the movie business – so much so that very few original films are made these days.
"Oh yes," Emmerich replied when asked if disaster movies like Moonfall have had to change tack in recent years. "Naturally, Marvel and DC Comics , and Star Wars, have pretty much taken over. It’s ruining our industry a little bit, because nobody does anything original anymore."
Emmerich's latest quotes are similar to ones that the Independence Day director made in 2019, telling Insider that he watches Marvel films "so I can fall asleep" while on long-haul flights. The filmmaker's remarks are sure to be likened to those made by acclaimed director Ridley Scott, who drew Marvel fans' ire for calling superhero movies "boring as s***" in November 2021 (per Deadline ).
Analysis: originality still exists in the film industry
On the surface, Emmerich's comments do make some sense. After all, 40% of the 20 most profitable movies ever are set in the Marvel and Star Wars universes. Those eight films have all been released in the last 10 years, too – proving that they're currently the most dominant forces in the movie industry.
But the notion that original movies aren't made anymore because of Marvel and Star Wars is a gross exaggeration.
The highest grossing film of all time – James Cameron's Avatar – was a wholly original idea (if you overlook the obvious Pocahontas parallels) upon its initial 2009 release. That was only 12 years ago and, ironically enough, its success has spawned an Avatar franchise itself. Not only is a long overdue sequel finally coming in 2022, but there are three more sequels set to land in theaters before December 2028.
Given Emmerich's disinterest in Star Wars and superhero movies , it's surprising that he uses Christopher Nolan as an example of someone who "is a master" of making "bold, new movies". It was Nolan who directed the The Dark Knight trilogy between 2006 and 2012, with two of those three Batman movies – superhero films, remember – making over $1 billion at the global box office. Yes, the likes of Memento, Inception and Tenet pushed the boundaries of what's possible from a cinematic standpoint, but Nolan isn't immune to the allure of telling brilliant stories set in a superhero world.
And there are plenty of examples, in the top 50 highest grossing movies of all time list, that prove original movies still appeal to audiences and post huge box office numbers. Frozen, Minions, Pirates of the Caribbean and Zootopia are just four such examples that have all grossed over $1 billion worldwide in the past 20 years.
Add in eagerly anticipated original movies coming in 2022 , such as Jordan Peele's Nope, Olivia Wilde's Don't Worry Darling, Robert Eggers' The Northman and Pixar's Turning Red, and there are lots of novel films set to launch very soon.
So yes, while Emmerich has a point about Marvel and Star Wars' box office dominance, his comments about the death of original movies are pretty hyperbolic. The sun will eventually set on the MCU and Star Wars franchises but, for now, they're here to stay – and that's alongside all original movies that are being, or yet to be, developed.
Week in Review: Try telling Netflix that sharing is caring
Hi! I’m back! I had a lovely two weeks off, thanks, but it’s nice to be back talking back to you wonderful readers.
But it turns out that I’ve left at a time when a lot has been happening, and prepping for this newsletter has been a great chance to get back up to speed with it all and read some thoroughly interesting stories.
Mostly, if you share your Netflix password with anyone, you might want to give them a call soon and ask for a regular donation…
Netflix wants its fair share
Does your father use your Netflix account, meaning you get constant emails about a new login? Does your son still watch Netflix at college and stop you from bingeing Squid Games at the exact moment you managed to carve out 45 minutes in your busy life?
If that’s the case, get ready to be even more frustrated: it’s going to cost you more to experience that annoyance in the future, as Netflix seeks to monetize password sharing.
The reason is simple: Netflix has lost 200,000 paying subscribers since the start of the year, and that decline is going to increase rapidly, according to estimates. So the platform is “taking action” to stop things like excessive password sharing, charging users for the privilege of sharing (that charge is currently $2.99 for a trial in places including Chile and Peru).
I was going to go into a rant about how this isn’t the cause of the issue, that it’s the price hikes, the increased competition, the lack of quality content… but then I read Axel Metz’s piece, and he’s done it all far more eloquently than I ever could, and he’s spoken to experts about it to. You should probably just read that…
Samsung fans are seeing red over new S22 Ultra shade
One of the quirks of being a phones journalist over the years has been the moment when a brand launches a new color variant of a recently-launched phone; it often provides a moment of simple joy in contrast to the hours spent talking about specs and materials.
The iPhone 12 in purple made people happy. The HTC U12 in Flame Red was one of the most beautiful phones I ever saw. So when Samsung said the S22 Ultra was coming in red, our Phones Editor Tom Bedford predicted that it would be beautiful, and opined as such.
How wrong he was. It turns out that Samsung thinks ‘red’ really means ‘a sort of burned coral with a reddish hue’, and many readers have got in contact with us to say how disappointed they are.
Why not just make a lovely red phone Samsung? That’s what people want, clearly, so stop playing around with confected colors and make a proper red variant.
Beauty is ear deep
I've been pondering which earbuds to get next, as my trusty and super-cheap Enacfire buds from Amazon are starting to irritate me just a little too much. I could be swayed by Bang and Olufsen's new buds, the Beoplay EX , as they look a little AirPods Pro-like in their design, but not quite as Apple-y (I'm still burned from the abuse I got on Twitter when I showed off the original AirPods for the first time). The thing that will ultimately sway me is not the audio quality, which will likely be excellent, but more whether they'll be any good for sports. I'm currently re-reviewing the Jabra Elite Active 75t, which are much cheaper than the AirPods, so I'm looking forward to getting my ears around the Beoplay EX. And they'd better be good – $399 is a lot to pay for a pair of earbuds.
Ghostbusters game leads Meta's new VR charge
Our team was all over the Meta (formerly Oculus) Quest launch this week, with a whole raft of games making their debut at the event.
While sadly – and annoyingly – we didn’t see a new headset get announced (it’s long overdue) the games that appeared look pretty good , and show that Meta, the parent company of Facebook, is still investing heavily in this area.
The Ghostbusters game in particular looks pretty stellar – it’s almost making me want to go out and buy a dedicated headset, until I remember that I get to play on my PS4 for about 20 minutes every month, so it probably wouldn’t be worth it.
But for those of you who do have the time, these games are well worth checking out – and we’ve got all the trailers lined up nicely for you too.
Don't do this to me, Garmin
I ’ve known deep down that Garmin was about to launch a new running watch in the shape of the Forerunner 955 , and this leak makes it almost certain. Cat Ellis has done a great job of writing up said leak, with loads of information about what Garmin is planning, and a mystery device in there too.
However, this line has upset me: “With improvements in battery tech, more efficient components, and solar charging, the Forerunner 955 could give performance more similar to the 47mm Garmin Fenix 7 Solar , which runs for up to 22 days in smartwatch mode, and 73 hours in GPS mode.”
The issue, dear reader, is that I’ve just bought the Fenix 7 Solar (and it’s brilliant – it has an actual torch on it and I love it ) because I thought “yes, it’s expensive, but I’ll use it everyday. Sure, it’s a bit bulky but that’ll be fine’”.
So the notion that all the good stuff on this watch will be coming to a slimmer, cheaper, more running-focused watch doesn’t make me happy. I’m just hoping the Forerunner 955 doesn’t have a torch – then all will be well.
Congrats to the appy couple
I’ll be honest – I’ve included this story mostly because I wanted to celebrate the fact our software writer Daryl Baxter got married this week, and he wrote a tremendously sweet piece about the five apps he used to plan the wedding.
I won’t lie: as someone who’s also planning a wedding, my stomach turns at the thought of sharing a to-do list app with my partner.
I can see myself doing more stuff in the app than actual stuff, such as speaking to the venue and begging them to send over the menu choices and telling me where to send the deposit to and making a choice on where the tables will be stored and what if people want to just come for the evening and where is the marquee now and… okay, I need to breathe.
But I did find some nice ideas in this piece around budgeting and planning – so if you’ve got impending nuptials, give it a click.
How can we only now be discovering new body parts?
This is yet another moment where science blows my mind. How, in 2022, can we only just be discovering a part of our lungs that we didn’t know existed?
Okay, calling it a new part of the body in the headline above is a bit of a stretch – it’s not like they found a spare finger in the lungs or anything – but reading deeper, I’m just amazed at the human body’s ability to regenerate itself.
Essentially, scientists have discovered that we have respiratory airway secretory (RAS) cells, which are like stem cells in that they’re ‘blank’. They can then spring into life and be used to repair damaged cells, and understanding them better could help with the development of treatments for smoking- and pollution-related diseases.
Check out the full article over on LiveScience – it’s a fascinating read – and marvel anew at the way our bodies work.
This is from the editor
It’s so nice to take some time off and see what comes out of the team when I’m away. I read Matt Hanson’s round up last week and really enjoyed it – I think we need to hear more from him in the future, so we may put him on the roster more regularly.
Remember, if you enjoyed this read and haven’t yet signed up for the newsletter, (which delivers it to your inbox before this article goes live - exclusive stuff that will make you feel special) you can do so here and make your life immeasurably better (and spread the word while you’re at it).
And if you want to let me know your thoughts on this week’s missive, or want to share your experiences with tech, or just want to express how much you’ve missed me (or didn’t want me back) then you can email me , remembering to include 'NEWSLETTER' in the subject line – I do read every email, and I’ll share the best ones here.
Have a great weekend! My top tip for this week is to go outside and take one photo of something brilliant – it’s a great way to develop an appreciation of wherever you are or whoever you’re with.