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Datastore API (beta)

dropbox.com

11–20 of 88 posts

Re: Datastore API (beta)

#11

Something I don't get about Dropbox API: Why can't I just throw URLs at it? If a user wants to save , I have to pull it to my server and push it into Dropbox. Dropbox could just have grabbed it directly and in many cases, won't even have to thanks, to system-wide caching. (This is based on the last time I looked at the API; maybe this is supported now, but I don't think so.)

You're describing the Saver Drop-In: https://www.dropbox.com/developers/dropins/saver

Re: Datastore API (beta)

#12
Such an awesome idea. However, in light of the recent events the first thing to come up in my mind when I see "datastore" and a US corporation is "PRISM integration". I'd like to see proper encryption of Dropbox as the next feature, so that we - innocent users- are not uploading our data to the US government.

Re: Datastore API (beta)

#13

So Dropbox is becoming a more-direct competitor with iCloud. Meh. I'd rather they work on an end-to-end encryption system with a focus on ease of use.

Hacker News is a tiny audience. I don't see any business sense in focusing on features that 0.1% of users want.

Re: Datastore API (beta)

#14

Such an awesome idea. However, in light of the recent events the first thing to come up in my mind when I see "datastore" and a US corporation is "PRISM integration". I'd like to see proper encryption of Dropbox as the next feature, so that we - innocent users- are not uploading our data to the US government.

I combine dropbox with TrueCrypt for sensitive stuff. For me, that's just digital copies of important documents.

Re: Datastore API (beta)

#15

Such an awesome idea. However, in light of the recent events the first thing to come up in my mind when I see "datastore" and a US corporation is "PRISM integration". I'd like to see proper encryption of Dropbox as the next feature, so that we - innocent users- are not uploading our data to the US government.

Can't you just encrypt the data before storing it in your app? Why does Dropbox need to do this for you? Would you even trust Dropbox if they did add it themselves?

Re: Datastore API (beta)

#16

Such an awesome idea. However, in light of the recent events the first thing to come up in my mind when I see "datastore" and a US corporation is "PRISM integration". I'd like to see proper encryption of Dropbox as the next feature, so that we - innocent users- are not uploading our data to the US government.

I combine dropbox with TrueCrypt for sensitive stuff. For me, that's just digital copies of important documents.

So are you just syncing entire truecrypt .tc files to Dropbox? Does that work incrementally or does the entire .tc file have to get resent every time you modify a file within?

Re: Datastore API (beta)

#17

I wonder how Apple will react to @dropbox's new Datastore sync in the long run. Hopefully it won't pull the rug out a la IAP, UDID, OF, ...

I would rather they react positively by opening up their iCloud API for web application for third parties. Apple already has such in place as can be seen from their cloud apps at icloud.com.

Re: Datastore API (beta)

#18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I combine dropbox with TrueCrypt for sensitive stuff. For me, that's just digital copies of important documents.

So are you just syncing entire truecrypt .tc files to Dropbox? Does that work incrementally or does the entire .tc file have to get resent every time you modify a file within?

The entire file is resent.

Re: Datastore API (beta)

#19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I combine dropbox with TrueCrypt for sensitive stuff. For me, that's just digital copies of important documents.

So are you just syncing entire truecrypt .tc files to Dropbox? Does that work incrementally or does the entire .tc file have to get resent every time you modify a file within?

I always assumed it wouldn't work incrementally, but it seems to sync my 200MB tc file too quickly to be uploading the entire thing when I make a small change. Perhaps someone who actually knows something about encryption can speak to this. Does every byte in an encrypted volume change when a piece of data changes? I guess that would be too inefficient to be the case, no?

Re: Datastore API (beta)

#20

Such an awesome idea. However, in light of the recent events the first thing to come up in my mind when I see "datastore" and a US corporation is "PRISM integration". I'd like to see proper encryption of Dropbox as the next feature, so that we - innocent users- are not uploading our data to the US government.

The right approach is to encrypt before pushing down the wire - it's useless if Dropbox just encrypts on their end.
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