Mega Goes Live: Megaupload Reborn With Focus On File Safety

Kim Dotcom's Mega cloud storage service has launched, cocking a snook at federal investigators who shut down Megaupload last year, and offering huge quantities of anonymous, encrypted storage for the web generation. The new site offers 50GB of free capacity to each user, though will have various tiers of paid service over that as the product roadmap progresses. Key to the value proposition, Mega insists, is that individual users control the encryption system.

"The new Mega encrypts your data transparently in your browser, on the fly" the company says of its file security system. "You hold the keys to what you store in the cloud, not us."

As for those who find 50GB isn't enough for their needs, Mega expects to offer three "Pro" tiers initially. €9.99 ($13) gets you 500GB, €19.99 ($27) gets you 2TB, and €29.99 ($40) gets you 4TB. Bandwidth for each package comes in at 1TB, 4TB, and 8TB per month, respectively.

You'll also need to be running Chrome for the best experience since, as Mega explains, currently none of the other common browsers support all elements of the feature-set the cloud system requires. " If you are planning on using MEGA frequently, there is currently no alternative to using the most advanced browser currently in existence" Mega concludes, "Google Chrome."

Mega's roadmap for the future is certainly ambitious. The company plans to release an API, as well as local apps for desktop and mobile use, plus an instant-messaging service for Mega users to communicate with each other.