“I like your shirt”, my boss commented the other day. “Thanks, I got it from LL Bean, it’s so easy; I love on-line shopping”. We then had a quick conversation about on-line shopping, which site is the best for shoes, casual or work clothes etc.

Wikipedia defines cloud computing as, “The use and access of multiple server-based computational resources via a digital network (WAN, Internet connection using the World Wide Web, etc.).”

But what does that mean?

The easiest way to not only understand what cloud computing is but also gain insight into why it’s gaining in popularity, is to compare it to the evolution of public utilities.

Cloud adoption has been on the steady rise for several years now; there is now a large customer base in the cloud ranging from individual users to enterprise level companies. With this large user base now established we are moving into part two of any products adoption pattern, buyer’s remorse.

Here are some quick hit statistics about the cloud, basically the cloud is moving fast, really fast. Its time to catch up with it.

When configuring your client's new workstations to work in the cloud there are plenty of things to look forward to as an engineer. I remember at past jobs how much manual labor was needed to replace a workstation. Some people had had their computers for over a decade.

This week Zurich Insurance announced that it has released cloud computing insurance plans that will help to protect businesses from financial loss due to cloud outages and mishaps. It makes complete sense when you think about it, you wouldn't drive a car without car insurance and you wouldn't purchase a house without some kind of home owners insurance.

The cloud is quickly becoming the norm and the standard of IT, but just because something is the norm doesn't mean that it comes without concerns. One major issue and question we hear all of the time is, where will my data be once I move into the cloud? Its a great question, and with growing security concerns its an important one as well.

A major concern that many have about the cloud is security. Due to the recent media focus on Edward Snowden and the NSA this question has become more poignant than ever. Our simple answer to this growing concern is that the cloud is secure and in most cases is a more secure way of accessing and storing data, the reason why is largely due to economies of scale.

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This year’s World Cup has seen some of the latest goals and highest scoring games in the history of the cup. There have already been more goals in this World Cup than in 2010 and we haven't even reached the semi finals yet. This all creates some great drama, but the truly amazing thing is how many people have been able to watch and interact with all of this excitement.

I’ve got to tip my hat to the men and women over at Intel; they really understand your needs and the needs of others like you.

For the last couple of years I have been following a product that isn’t getting the press or the fanfare it deserves. The Intel NUC (pronounced nook, and stands for Next Unit of Computing) is a four inch by four inch device that packs a serious punch.