File hosting service Dropbox has added a series of new productivity tools to enable easier and more efficient creating, scanning, and sharing of files.
A feature of note is the document scanning capability that helps users create Microsoft Office documents on the go, just by using the Apple iOS app's "plus" button. The same feature will be added eventually to the Google Android, but for now, Dropbox is making the new features available to iOS users.
Other interesting features include the capability to view previews of past versions of a particular document, making it easier for users to find the version they would like to use without having to go through all the versions available. According to CNet, Dropbox on MacOS and Windows desktops can now comment and annotate in specific parts of a file, a feature that is very useful in terms of graphs, photographs, or any visual materials. Additionally, a single file can now be shared, in contrast to the previous iteration of Dropbox that only allowed sharing of folders.
"We all still love using analog tools, writing on white boards and using sticky notes and printed pieces of paper. We want to take analog info, help users get it into Dropbox, and make it more searchable and accessible," Dropbox head of product Todd Jackson told Tech Crunch. "The way we view our job is to take all this complexity that exists in real world and get to simple, that’s what separates Dropbox from other companies. We sweat the details, launching new features and products is just table stakes. The hard part is how you integrate into work-flows and help make work simple."
As of March this year, Dropbox has over 500 million users since it debuted in 2008. The file hosting and cloud data service was founded by MIT students Drew Houston and Arash Ferdowsi, and is now based in San Francisco and since then has opened an office in Austin, Texas.
