dropbox

How to enable Dropbox two-step verification

Back in July, Dropbox usernames and passwords were compromised via third-party Web sites. As a result, Dropbox said it would work on adding more security features to help keep accounts safe. Almost a month later, the company's delivered an extra feature that you'll need to enable on your own: two-step verification.

For each new device you use to access the Dropbox Web site or service, you'll need to enter your current password and a security code using this new method. This code can be sent to you via SMS or be generated by a mobile authenticator app. … Read more

Get 50GB of free cloud storage from MediaFire

You know the old saying: you can never be too rich, too thin, or have too much cloud storage.

Well, that's the saying in my house. No one in my family understands it, but that doesn't stop me from repeating it every day at breakfast.

There are plenty of services that will give you a few free acres in the cloud, like Dropbox (2GB), SugarSync (5GB), and SkyDrive (7GB). But if you have a lot of stuff you want to store and/or share, check out MediaFire: it's offering a whopping 50GB of free cloud storage.

That'… Read more

Five apps for scanning documents on your iPhone

School is back in session, meaning students have folders full of syllabi, schedules, and other paperwork you're likely to reference as the semester goes on. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to carry all of it around with you all the time, without overloading your backpack?

Thanks to a handful of iOS apps, you can scan whatever paper documents you might need easy access to and store them on your iPhone, in the cloud, or on your computer with just a few taps.

I've found five apps that will help you quickly scan and organize documents. … Read more

Dropbox confirms it was hacked, offers users help

When a few hundred Dropbox users began receiving spam emails about online casinos and gambling sites two weeks ago, it seemed like something was up. And indeed there was.

The online file storage service confirmed today that hackers accessed usernames and passwords from third party sites and then used them to get into Dropbox users' accounts.

"Our investigation found that usernames and passwords recently stolen from other websites were used to sign in to a small number of Dropbox accounts. We've contacted these users and have helped them protect their accounts," the company wrote in a blog … Read more

Take better notes on your iPad with these 5 apps

The iPad, along with competing tablets and even the growing list of highly portable ultrabooks, is quickly becoming a staple in the classroom for teachers and students alike. It seems more and more likely that taking notes with a pen and paper will one day be an antiquated practice we'll all reminisce about to our grandkids.

The iPad can be a great tool for taking notes, but the native iOS Notes app doesn't cut it for everyone. To take truly useful notes that can replace that spiral notebook, you're going to need the help of an app … Read more

Three Web services worth paying for

People who know me know I don't like paying for anything. If there's a free (or at least cheaper) alternative, you can bet I'll take it. I am, after all, a cheapskate.

That said, there are a handful of Web services I consider to be great values -- so great, in fact, that I actually don't mind paying for them. Well, OK, I'd rather get them for free, but they don't make me cringe the way I do when paying for, say, phone service and cable TV.

My three worth-the-money picks:

1. Followupthen

I'… Read more

Dropbox users get spammed via personal e-mail accounts

David P. was the first Dropbox user to post on the company's Web site forum titled "Email-Address leaked from Dropbox" yesterday. He wrote that he received spam from an email address he uses only for Dropbox.

"So I guess you have a security problem with your user account data," he wrote. "And this sucks a lot."

As of this writing, there are now 106 posts in the forum of people complaining of receiving e-mail spam from online casinos and gambling sites via the online file storage service. The majority of the users are … Read more

Get a beta invitation to Cubby file-syncing service

Happy Friday the 13th. Let's celebrate this no-different-than-any-other-day-on-the-calendar day with a great freebie!

Cubby, the new file-syncing and -sharing service from LogMeIn, has been running a closed, invitation-only beta for the past few months. It's still closed, still invitation-only -- but I've got invites just for you, Cheapskate readers.

In other words, you can now get a free 5GB Cubby account. Just type in your e-mail address and presto, you've got access. (Watch your inbox for an activation e-mail. Mine arrived almost instantly.)

Quick caveat: This is capped at 5,000 users. If the limit is … Read more

Sync photos from your Android device to iCloud's Photo Stream

Over the last two weeks I have been thinking about switching to Android for a few months in order to gain a better perspective of the differences between Android 4.1 and iOS 6. I can tinker and mess around with Android all I want, but unless I force myself to use it all the time, I won't truly learn the operating system. At least, that's my theory.

So, I made a list of all the things I use on iOS/OS X and started looking for a way to replicate it on Android. One of the items … Read more