google drive

Two free ways to encrypt Google Drive files

This month marks the sixth anniversary of my Google Drive account. I've been aware since the beginning that the thousands of files I have uploaded to the service are stored unencrypted on Google's servers.

That hasn't prevented me from uploading plenty of sensitive information to Google Drive, including dozens of invoices that list my address and the amount of money I was billing for, although the invoices do not include any bank-account or Social Security numbers.

I could have easily encrypted the files using any number of free services. In last May's "Free services make Gmail, Google Drive, and Google search more private,&… Read more

How to point people to a particular spot in a Google Doc

Let's say you have a rambling manifesto scrawled out in a Google Doc and you'd like to share a particularly illuminating passage with your friends or followers. You could share the entire document and add a message in which you explain where to find the crux of your argument. Or you could add a Bookmark and share a link that takes someone to a specific point in your document.

To add a bookmark, first move your cursor to the spot in your Google Doc where you'd to place the bookmark. Next, from the Insert menu, choose Bookmark. … Read more

Twitter attempts to beef up security

CNET Update is in the 'hood:

In this episode of Update:

- Learn how to make your Twitter account more secure from hackers. (But if won't be this simple for brand accounts that are used by more than one employee.)

- Get ready for J-Lo to shake up the mobile scene with her mobile company Viva Movil, which has partnered with Verizon.

- Lose the paper clutter and save your receipts digitally with the updated Google Drive app on Android.

- Find a neighbor to lend you sugar with the new Nextdoor app for iPhone.

CNET Update delivers the … Read more

Google Drive triples free storage to 15GB

Google's capacity to store your files will jump by a factor of three, the company said Monday, rising from 5GB to 15GB shared across Google+, Drive, and Gmail.

Google made the announcement just before Google I/O developers conference begins this week. The changes will "roll out over the next couple of weeks," Google said in a blog post. Businesses using Google Apps will see their storage go up across Google Drive, Google+, and Gmail from 25GB to 30GB.

The new amount of storage space will give people who use Google services the most generous storage capacity … Read more

Review: Access files between computers and devices using Google Drive for Mac

As users work with multiple computers and even smartphones, cloud storage is becoming more important for file access. Google Drive for Mac gives users a significant amount of storage in an easy to use platform that is available on many device types.

Google Drive for Mac comes with a free version that allows access to up to 5GB of cloud storage. Additional storage is available at different levels for a monthly fee. The program downloaded and installed into the test system quickly and did not need any user input to complete. The application itself has no real interface beyond a … Read more

Google Drive documents list goes empty for users

Some Google Drive users discovered their list of documents to be empty on Friday, though the documents themselves appeared to remain intact.

Several readers reported the problem, in which the Google Drive page was devoid of Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides files as well as other files stored in Google's cloud-synchronized, Web-based tools.

However, at least in some cases, open documents still worked, new documents could be created, existing documents could be found through the Web page's search bar, and local search on a person's computer could retrieve files stored on local hard drives.

Google's status … Read more

From the Web to Google Drive with just the click of a button

Google wants to help you keep track of all the important files you save from the Web. Whether it's a bill, an e-book, or your favorite cat photo, you can now save it to your Google Drive with just one click -- or really two clicks -- of a button.

Drive users can now click the "Save to Drive" button to save files directly from a Web site to their Drive account, the company announced in a blog post Thursday.

"We surf the Web for a million different reasons -- for everything from school research projects … Read more

Google Drive, Gmail hit by service disruptions

Google Drive and Gmail both experienced service disruptions today.

As of about 6 a.m. PT, Google's Apps Status Dashboard was updated to say that Google was investigating reports of issues with both services and would provide more information shortly.

And things got worse from there. Some 10 to 15 minutes later, the dashboard also showed disruptions affecting Google Documents, Google Spreadsheets, and Google Presentations.

The Google Apps Status Dashboard also reported a service outage this morning with the Admin control panel / API.

But even amid the complaints, by 6:30 a.m. PT, some users were saying they'… Read more

Play podcasts and save them to the cloud with Podcast Gallery

If you are a podcast listener lacking in some direction if not organization, Podcast Gallery can help you get a handle on the various podcasts you watch or listen to. Head to the Podcast Gallery site and you'll be greeted with a selection of the most popular podcasts on the Web.

Click on a podcast listed and you'll get a reverse chronological listing of its episodes. For each episode you can listen or watch right in your browser (Podcast Gallery uses HTML 5; no Flash required), download it, or send it to Dropbox or Google Drive. Also for … Read more

Get started with Google Keep

Google just made an announcement introducing Keep, its new note-taking service. Keep is currently available for devices running Android 4.0.3 and up, or through the Google Drive Web site. Notes will automatically sync between the Web site and the Android app.

After installing the Android app you'll be prompted to select the Google account you want to use with Keep. Once that's done, you can begin keeping notes. There are four different methods you can use to enter a note:

A quick note directly from the text box on the initial screen. Add a checklist by … Read more