Developed in August 2012 and currently in its beta stage, Cupcloud is freely available for Windows and Mac users. This article explains how to set up Cupcloud on your computer and tests out creating cups to be used on an alternate PC or with other users.
Download and Install Cupcloud
When you download Cupcloud, you are required to create an account before you can download the desktop client.
Install the desktop client on your computer. After the installation, it will also prompt you to install the plugin for Google Chrome. For users who prefer this browser, click Yes to be taken to the plugin page to download it.
Using CupCloud
Launch CupCloud and sign in to your account.
CupCloud opens to the main user interface.
To test out the cup, we can see that we have the Google Chrome browser, Microsoft Word and Excel open. Select the Cup icon.
You are notified that the cup was successfully created.
A cup will then be created and stored in Private Folder. Your ‘cupped’ items will then be listed in the pane on the right.
If you want to rename the cup instead of using the generic allocated number (1 as in our example), right click it and select ‘Rename.’
Type in a new name. In this example we are using “Tuesday Night Session.” Click OK.
Retrieve the saved items on another PC
- In the alternate PC, sign into CupCloud with the same user details and press Uncup.
Note: Ensure that you leave CupCloud open on your original PC! 2. All the websites and documents that you previously had open will now launch!
Note: If your alternate PC does not have the correct Microsoft Office product installed (such as Word), then a compatible program (Writer) will open instead as seen in our example.
Share a Cup
Let’s explore sharing a cup with another user. Right click on the shared folder section. Select New Shared from the drop-down list.
Type in a name for the New Shared Folder, e.g. Accounts Project.
Right click on Accounts Project and select Send Invitation.
Enter in the email address of the person you want to share your cup with.
The other user should receive an email requesting them to confirm their inclusion in your shared folder.
Note: If the other user has not signed up for Cupcloud, they will be prompted to do so in the email to join the shared folder. 6. When the other user has confirmed the invitation, their name will appear at the top of the Shared Folder.
- As before, click the Cup icon to save the current session. The cup is now saved in the shared folder and freely available for the other user to access.
Options
To make any changes to the CupCloud settings, navigate to the cog wheel icon on the top right-hand side.
If you want to change the uncup path (default is the user’s folder), then you can do so by selecting the change path option.
Conclusion
Cupcloud is a fairly straight forward application that offers a unique feature. Although not all programs are supported by the application at this present time, it shows a lot of potential. If you’ve tried Cupcloud, let us know your thoughts on it below in the comments section.