Dropbox – Online Backup, File sync, and file sharing
Compatible with Mac, PC, and with your portable devices (iPhone, iPad, Android, Blackberry).

Link to DropBox Information Page

If you’re looking for a solution to allow you to create documents on one computer and have access to them wherever you go, even on your mobile device, then Dropbox may be helpful. On a desktop or laptop, Dropbox allows you to install a small program that creates a synced Dropbox folder, allowing you to work on and save documents in this folder. You then have access, and can edit these documents, from your other computers, your smartphone (via an app), or any computer when you log onto their website on Dropbox.com. Best of all, files in your Dropbox folder will automatically sync changes to your documents to all your other computers and devices.

Dropbox gives you 2 gigabytes of storage for free but you can earn more storage by recommending the service to friends and colleagues. Each time you refer someone you get an extra 250 megabytes (up to a total of 8 gigabytes) of free storage. If you like Dropbox enough, there are even a few “pay” plans that will give you a considerable amount of additional storage.

Getting started with Dropbox

1. Create a free Dropbox account – Go to dropbox.com/register in your web browser and follow the instructions to set up a free account.
2. Install the Dropbox application
   1. For PC/Linux/Mac OS X – After creating your account download the Dropbox application and install it. This will create a Dropbox folder that will allow you to drag and drop files into it. Files that are in your Dropbox folder will automatically start uploading to the service, so that you can access them from anywhere.
   2. For iOS devices (iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch – Launch the “App Store” and search for “Dropbox”. Click on the application and select “install”, then click “OK” to accept the permissions of the application. Install the Dropbox application (from developer Dropbox, with the same blue logo on the website) and enter your login credentials after the application installs. You now have access to your Dropbox files on your iOS device!
   3. For Android devices – Launch the Android Market and search for “Dropbox”. Make sure you install the Dropbox application from “Dropbox Inc”, which has the same blue icon you saw on the Dropbox website when you created your account.

Public folder

One of the more useful features is that Dropbox is a quick and easy way to share documents with colleagues and students by using the “public folder” feature. Files in your public folder are assigned a URL (web address) that you can share via email, Blackboard, or even in class. Here’s how you can utilize public folders to share files:

1. When uploading a file, you can either upload it into your Dropbox > “public” folder, or you can move the file to your “public” folder after it’s been put elsewhere in your Dropbox folder. Only files in your “public” folder can be assigned a URL that other people can access.
2. Log into your account on Dropbox.com and then navigate to your “public” folder on the Dropbox website.
3. Right click on the file you’d like to create a sharable link to in your public folder, then click on “Copy public link” to bring up a dialog box that has the sharable URL for your document or file. Click “copy to clipboard” so that you can conveniently paste the link where ever you’d like to share it.