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Box's redesigned Android app opens almost any file you put in the cloud
Box overhauled its iOS cloud storage app early this year with a simpler, speedier interface; now, it's Android's turn. The just-launched Box 3.0 for Android shares much of its iOS cousin's look and feel, including minimalist controls and a high-speed previewer that opens over 100 file types right in the cloud. In other words, you won't have to fire up Office Mobile just to get a quick peek at that PowerPoint presentation. You can search text in any document, too, and it's easier to open content in Box-friendly apps through a built-in OneCloud gallery. The upgrade won't necessarily lure you away from the likes of Dropbox or Google Drive, but it may be welcome if you regularly deal with exotic file formats -- or if you just have to catch up on work while on the road.
Box releases new API, more OneCloud apps
Cloud filesharing service Box has released a brand new version of its API, allowing iOS and Mac developers to make even easier use of Box in their apps. There several new features in the update, including Instant Mode, which lets developers instantly create and use Box accounts on behalf of their users, smoothing the process for everyone. You can learn more about the API in the video below, and devs interested in using it can find more info on the official blog. Box has also announced fifteen new iPhone and iPad apps for its OneCloud program. OneCloud highlights apps that can pull files from Box's cloud, edit them, and then send them back, where they can be accessed from anywhere else. Among those apps are a device-to-printer solution called Breezy and a sales catalog app called Handshake. All of the apps added to OneCloud can be found in the full updated list inside the official Box iOS app.
Box releases new API for developers, announces 15 more OneCloud apps
It's been quite a week for cloud storage, with Dropbox rolling out a significant new update, Microsoft's SkyDrive getting a new Windows Phone app, and Google Drive making its long-awaited debut. Now Box is getting in on the act, announcing the release of a brand new API that is says makes it easier than ever for developers to integrate the Box platform into their products. Along with it, the company has also announced 15 more Box OneCloud apps for iOS devices, and teamed up with the NYC-based General Assembly and TechStars in an effort to "drive innovation in enterprise software." You can get a quick rundown of the new API in the video after the break, and find all the details on how to get started with it at the links below.
Connect by QuickOffice and Box OneCloud attack iPad file round-trip challenge
The baseline of iOS document sync and editing rests with Apple's iCloud, which allows the company's three productivity apps (Keynote, Numbers and Pages) to automatically back up, synchronize versions across devices and accept uploaded files via the web browser -- or, if you're sneaky, you can use a Mac folder that ties into the cloud storage service. That's all well and good, but it doesn't deliver the syncing magic of services like Dropbox, Box.com, Egnyte or SugarSync for easy and rapid file access on the iPad. Of course, getting your files onto the iPad is only half the trip -- specifically, half of the round trip. "Round tripping" files means that your iPad productivity apps need to be able to save modified documents back to the cloud, creating new versions automatically rather than having to be manually emailed, uploaded or copied over. Cracking that challenge is a key advantage for apps that aim to address the enterprise/mobile professional market. This week, two major players announced new round tripping features for their productivity platforms; one's from an application vendor moving into the cloud, and the other's from the cloud storage side opening up new opportunities for app developers. First, we have Connect by QuickOffice. QuickOffice was founded in 2002 and grew up in the smartphone space, but CEO & co-founder Alan Masarek told TUAW that "things have really gotten off the hook for us with tablets." In fact, the flagship QuickOffice HD product is the #2 highest-grossing iPad app in the store, sometimes trading spots for #1 with Apple's Pages app. QuickOffice HD already allows solid document, spreadsheet and presentation editing (including the XML/Office 2010 and 2011 formats for Excel and Word), with good round-trip cloud storage hooks for most popular services. The recently-released Pro Select HD product allows administrators to set data security policies and turn off specific file access methods. With Connect by QuickOffice, the company is moving towards providing a proprietary, highly tuned cloud storage system of its own with the viewing and editing prowess of QuickOffice HD on the front end. The new app will allow users to sync immediately, save round-trip and access files stored on remote computers (either in designated folders, or via remote access to the full volume) while still providing sync with other cloud services besides the core Connect service. Collaboration options include file sharing and commenting; you can manage your shared files online via the Connect web portal. Connect will be offered on a free/subscription basis -- the free version lets you view files and sync up to two devices. Premium and Pro subscriptions (at $19.99 or $69.99/year, with Premium going up to $44.99 after an introductory period) add editing features while bumping up the device limits and file sync capacity. Connect by QuickOffice should be available as a free download in the App Store within the next few days. The second new wrinkle is from cloud storage vendor Box.com (formerly Box.net). The company's free iPad app has been revamped as Box OneCloud, providing quick links to over 30 Box-friendly iOS applications for viewing and editing files. Four of those apps get pride of place as "premier apps," offering -- wait for it -- round-trip file saves directly back to Box.com for the simplest possible integration and file management. Rockin' demo video below. The four premier apps available at launch with Box OneCloud are portable document reader/annotation tool PDF Expert, speech-savvy notetaking app PaperPort Notes, remote signature & authorization app Adobe EchoSign and, surprise surprise, QuickOffice HD. All four should gracefully save back to Box, and there will be more premier apps coming in the future. Box accounts are available free for personal use (5 GB storage, with paid upgrades available), and business accounts start at $15 per user per month. The iPad may not be the ideal tool for office applications, but if these two vendors have anything to say about it the story is going to get better.
Box OneCloud learns from Dropbox and iCloud, allows simpler document editing on-the-go (video)
If you're an avid Box user, what we're about to say is apt to have a great, positive impact on your life. For everyone else -- well, chances are you aren't about to swap out of whatever cloud ecosystem you're already entrenched in. In an effort to create a somewhat unique take on iCloud and Dropbox, Box has introduced OneCloud for iOS, a self-proclaimed "enterprise mobile framework to bring together your mobile content and the mission-critical apps designed to work with it." For now, it'll support over 30 iOS programs, four of which add "round-trip" integration; in other words, OneCloud will enable you to open a document in QuickOffice, edit it, and save it back without ever having to manually switch programs. To its credit, this is about as close as one could come to being genuinely productive on a device that tends to have productivity a bit lower on the priority rungs, but the video after the break still shows just how clunky the whole operation is. For our money, an ultralight laptop still makes more sense for business professionals on the go, but it's certainly not a bad backup to have around for making tweaks in a pinch.
