As we mentioned earlier this week, the free, web-based file backup service Dropbox has a lot of tricks up its sleeves in the coming months, but the most exciting is the new API that gives developers a way to access, edit and save any file in a user’s Dropbox account… even if they are on an iPhone! It’s worth a closer look.
The Dropbox API works similarly to Amazon S3. Using JSON, OAuth and OpenID, web developers can offload user’s storage needs to Dropbox, This will allow devices like the iPhone and iPad to basically sync and save documents, where, right now, the process is more convoluted, and editing files is limited to formats Dropbox can handle.
What this new API means is that you can work on a document on your computer, then fiddle on it on your iPhone in the app of your choice, save the changes, then work on it again from your PC, all seamlessly. That’s going to go a long way to make an already great cloud-based service even better.
Best of all? Dropbox has already been working with a number of developers to integrate the new API prior to launch: Air Sharing, GoodReader and QuickOffice can already tap into your Dropbox account to edit and sync your files.
It’s a fantastic update. The iPhone just became a lot more productive, and one of the best storage services out there simultaneously got a hell of a lot better.
Read more at Dropbox
Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial – The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
0 Comments.