Online backups have been allowing people to store files, whether domestic or corporate, offsite since 2008. People can save data on other devices, of course, such as CD or memory stick, (and, before these were developed, floppy disk) but these are devices that can get damaged or lost. Computers, especially laptops, can be lost or stolen, and they can also be corrupted or damaged by fire or flood, so important documents and other files need to be kept safe but available. However, the devices that are used for backing up also need to be kept safe; many people back up their data on to, say, a CD, only to leave the CD in the vicinity of the computer itself; even kept in the same house could prove disastrous should the house catch fire or suffer a burglary. Another more reliable way was needed, but one that was safe, secure, efficient, and easy to use.

Dropbox created the concept of online backups, having recognised the demand for such a service before anyone else had even thought it was possible; the system it developed eased its users’ file storage and safety worries, and soon picked up a respectable fan base. Indeed, many of its users are happy with the system that Dropbox provides for them and, if questioned, would be reluctant to change; human nature being what it is, people are willing to put a lot of research into something new but, once they have made their decision, all they then want is to be reassured by it. Today, though, advances in technology move at break-neck speed, and what seems ideal one day can look distinctly outdated the next; online backups are no exception to this, and Dropbox can no longer take its users for granted.

Online backup solutions are not only proliferating, each new one is being developed with a firm eye on the competition. The one that offers the most for the least amount of outlay, will be the one that takes centre stage. Even so, no online backup service today can afford to sit back and relax.

New services are being launched all the time, and that place at the top of the online backup tree is continually there for the taking. While Dropbox may have started the idea, and collected many followers as it evolved, other pretenders to the throne have not been far behind; now, some of them have caught up, and are poised to take them down.

Google Drive, launched in April this year, is rapidly taking the spotlight away from Dropbox. In the Which? Text Daily report of 25 April, Google Drive is described as ‘Google’s Dropbox Killer’ a title that should strike fear into the heart of Dropbox implying, as it does, the demise of Dropbox itself.

What matters to potential users:

Online Storage Capacity:
Dropbox and Google Drive offer the same basic service but with some notable differences, not least the amount of file storage capacity. Dropbox’s free 2GB, compared to Google Drive’s 5GB, also free, looks mean. Even Google Drive’s paid-for storage offers greater value for money. Dropbox really needs to increase the amount of storage it provides.

Pricing:
Prices vary depending on the plan chosen by the user but, overall, Dropbox’s paid-for options are dearer than Google Drive’s, and offer less storage. As time goes on, file storage capacity will be one of the over-riding priorities for potential online backup users when they are deciding which system to use. Dropbox needs to make this one of their priorities, too.

Many of Dropbox’s users are fiercely loyal to its service, although this probably has more to do with the fact that they are used to how it works, than for any other reason. Most people prefer to stay with something they know, but this loyalty cannot be taken for granted. Complacency has destroyed many a previously-thriving corporation, so an awareness of what is going on in the wider world is essential.

It would be a good idea right now for Dropbox to wake up and take a good look outside its own bubble. OK, it did command the top spot, and so it deserved to; after all, online backups is Dropbox’s baby but, to avoid getting left behind, it needs to up its game, starting today.

Appigo® today announced that its popular Notebook app is now available as a Universal iOS app designed for iPad as well as the iPhone and iPod touch. Initially created for individual users, Notebook 2 is also redesigned with sharing in mind. Notebook’s new Dropbox synchronization feature gives users idea collaboration across iOS devices, Macs, and PCs.

“Notebook is what the built-in notes app should have been,” said Calvin Gaisford, Appigo’s CEO. “We’ve taken the concept of simple notes and added a powerful collaboration option.”

Appigo redesigned Notebook for the iPad, adding a familiar notebook interface with full-screen editing capabilities. Notebook’s iPhone interface has also been updated to be cleaner for quick access to notes. As a universal app, Notebook is now a cost effective app for users with multiple iOS devices.

Dropbox support in Notebook helps users easily share ideas with others. After connecting with a standard Dropbox account, sharing becomes automatic. When a user saves a note in a Dropbox shared folder, the note is synchronized to the user’s Dropbox account, accessible from other iOS devices, Macs, and also PCs.

Notebook keeps notes open and accessible by storing notes in standard text format. The standard text format allows users to edit notes on their PC and Mac using text editing apps such as the Notepad app for Windows and Text Edit on the Mac. Combining these apps with the new Dropbox synchronization helps users access their ideas everywhere and from any device.

Pricing & Availability:

Notebook is available on the iTunes App Store for $4.99 (USD). Notebook requires an Internet connection when using Dropbox, which may incur separate fees (contact your Internet Service Provider or cellular data provider for specific details).

Dropbox is a third party service and currently offers basic accounts free. Dropbox is available at: http://www.dropbox.com/

Media Kit:

A media kit is available on the Appigo Website and includes hi-res app icons and screenshots.

Even though it is totally free, Dropbox is one of our very favorite web applications here at Gadgets and Technology News.

We’re constantly surprised though by how many of our readers have never even heard of Dropbox so I decided to write a review to explain what Dropbox is and how you can benefit from it.

In short, Dropbox is a safe and secure disk drive in the sky where you can keep copies of your documents, photos and videos.

To get started with Dropbox, you simply sign up for a free account and download the software to your computer. This then gives you an additional folder (often on your desktop) and any files you put in this folder are automatically saved to your ‘disk drive in the sky’.

So why is this useful?

Here’s just a few ways that we use Dropbox…

1/ A Secure Backup

Too many people have all of their important files, photos etc on their computer but with no backup copy. If your computer dies… and they easily can do … or your hard-drive gets corrupted, then you could lose everything on your computer. All those important holiday photos gone forever as well as emails, downloads and important documents with no way of recovering them.

There are of course lots of ways of creating an automated backup (such as with an external hard drive or an automated online backup service such as our favorite Carbonite) but many don’t want the extra expense of this and so simply don’t have any backup!

With Dropbox, you can simply copy all of your important documents to your Dropbox folder and as if by magic, you have a backup of them ‘in the cloud’ which you can retrieve at any time and from any computer.

2/ Your Files Available to you Anywhere

Not so many years ago most people were lucky to have one computer. These days many people with have all or a selection of a desktop, a laptop or netbook, an iPad or other tablet, and an iPhone or other Smartphone (which is essentially a tiny but powerful computer).

So, what happens if you have a file on your desktop computer but need it on your iPad or iPhone?  Again this is where Dropbox comes in!

Once you have your free Dropbox account you can download the software onto any computer or laptop, and access your files from there. There are also apps for iPhone, iPad, Android and Blackberry so you can access your files from there too. And with the Dropbox website you can even access your files from any computer anywhere in the world as long as you can get internet access.

3/ Share Files with One Person or Lots of People

If you have a number of photos or large files that you need to send to a friend then what do you do?  Many people will try to email them but often email hosts have a 10MB limit and it can take ages to do too. Maybe you could put them on a CD or memory stick …. but not so easy if your friend lives hundreds of miles away!

With Dropbox, you have two options:

1/ Within the Dropbox folder on your computer you can create a subfolder that you can easily and securely give access to your friend (or a number of friends). Any files you add to this subfolder will be accessible to them immediately and they can also add files to the folder on their computer that will be accessible to you.

It’s perfectly secure though, as only the person or people that you have given authority to will be able to access the subfolder and of course they will only be able to access that subfolder and not anything you put in your other Dropbox folders.

2/ Within your Dropbox folder there is a subfolder called ‘Public’. If for example you put a photo in this subfolder and then right-mouse-clicked on it, you would be given a public link to that photo.  For example, here’s a public link to the Gadgets and Technology News logo:  http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1360536/New-Gadgets-Logo200w.jpg    Once you have this link, you can give it to anyone you like and they will be able to download that file. You could for example, email the link to a number of friends so they could download your photo.

So there are three great uses for Dropbox. There are certainly more that you’ll discover when you join but I think that’s plenty to get you started. It’s totally free so please do give Dropbox a try… we know you’ll love it as much as we do!

As we said Dropbox is totally free for up to 2GB of storage space but we’ve got a special link that will give you a further 250MB of space for free too.

Just click here now to get your Free Dropbox

Keeping desktop files in sync and backed up in the cloud has never been easier with Smartbins’ new mySmartbins™ desktop client. mySmartbins enables users to quickly upload and backup their files and folders without logging in to Smartbins’ web-based file sharing and document management solution. Users can choose to backup entire folders or files to their Smartbins account and can select whether or not to enable automatic sync each time these items are altered. mySmartbins serves as the most user-friendly link between the desktop and the cloud, and streamlines collaboration processes for businesses.

“Our focus with Smartbins is always on improving the speed at which users can collaborate and store important files and folders in our cloud-based application,” remarked Shawn Ryan, VP Product and Marketing, BlueTie, Inc. “Our free desktop tool affords Smartbins users the ability to quickly upload and backup files to their account without having to log in to the application via a web-browser. Users can choose to automatically sync files or entire folders with Smartbins each time these items are altered or updated ensuring that no document is lost if their desktop fails.”

Smartbins is the most intuitive file sharing and document management tool for small and midsized businesses and lets users upload and tag any file type by subject matter instead of burying it in folders like in competing solutions. Files and documents are organized in libraries by tags so they are easy to locate, download or revise. Revised documents uploaded with mySmartbins retain their original file tags and library location and are uploaded as a revision to the original, not a replacement, with the total number of versions continuously updated and easy to preview before downloading.

“By tracking revisions and enhancing our file preview functionality we’re enabling our users to most effectively locate and collaborate on mission critical documents,” said Ryan, “We continue to enhance Smartbins for our users and look forward to building on the foundation of the mySmartbins desktop client and delivering the most intuitive and efficient solution to market.”

Simplenote, the app that, erm, makes it really simple to create, organize, and sync notes between lots of devices, has gained a major update with a respectable number of new perks.

Leading the update is Dropbox syncing for premium subscribers. Until now, Simplenote has had its own built-in sync service that gives you access to your notes on other devices, but only browser access if you’re on a Mac or PC.

Michael Johnston, co-founder of Simplenote, explained to Macworld via e-mail that with the new Dropbox option, your notes sync to your Mac’s Dropbox folder as text files that can be edited in your favorite apps, such as TextEdit or TextMate.

You’ll need to log into the Web app to enable this option, and Simplenote will sync with Dropbox “every several minutes” for now. On Simplenote’s blog, the company hints that its app may some day sync more often once Dropbox introduces new features down the road.

Also new in Simplenote 3.1 is another premium-only feature: support for lists. You can now turn any note into a list, edit list items inline, and drag-and-drop to rearrange them. The tags and sharing features also received some attention. Tags are now autocompleted and you can tag a note with a name to automatically share it with that person.

A slew of bug fixes round out a solid update to Simplenote 3.1, which is now available in the App Store. It requires iOS 3.2 or later and is a free universal app for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. A premium subscription costs $20 per year and–besides the aforementioned new features–adds better support, hides ads, provides an RSS feed, and more.

Dropbox has finally released version 1.0. The new version comes with hundreds of bug fixes, including invalid file names on Windows, weird Unicode normalizations, Word and Excel file locking, abnormal symlinks hierarchies, and case sensitive file systems on Mac. It also adds TrueCrypt support, a Rainbow Shell that offers support for extended attributes, selective sync, a new installation wizard, and reduces resource usage.

Here is a more complete rundown of the new features:

• Huge performance enhancements: the client-side sync engine has been re-architected to optimize the response time, scale, and resource consumption. As a result, memory usage has been reduced by up to 50 percent. Big changes made to Dropbox are now more efficient and smaller changes remain quick.
• Better user experience: the initial setup wizard has been redesigned to make it easier to get started using Dropbox. The Mac OS X version has been rewritten to only use Cocoa, bringing down the Mac download size by 20 percent.
• Selective Sync: you now can choose which folders get downloaded to which computers, so you don’t have to sync stuff you don’t need.
• Extended Attribute Sync: resource forks and other extended attributes are now supported. Resource forks are an area of a file that certain applications use to store important data, and that most sync programs today completely ignore, which results in a corrupted file on the other end.

“1.0 is a milestone for us, and with it we want to communicate our confidence that Dropbox is stable, high-quality software,” a Dropbox spokesperson said in a statement. “The service has grown from a simple sync app to something that’s changed the way lots of people work and communicate. But just because this version of Dropbox has a new number doesn’t mean that we’re anywhere close to finished. We have a long way to go before we realize our goal of making it easy for everyone to always have access to their stuff.”

You can download Dropbox 1.0 directly for Windows, Mac, and Linux.