The cloud refers to resources that can be accessed over the Internet rather than being stored locally on a device. Some key benefits of using the cloud include convenience of access from any device, reliability through remote backups, and easy file sharing. Common cloud services provide file storage and sharing through apps like Dropbox and Google Drive, as well as automatic data backups with services like Moxy and Carbonite. Web apps are another type of cloud-based resource that can be accessed through a web browser, such as image editing with Pixlr or document creation with Google Docs.