Google Drive
Google Drive is a way to store your files on Google's servers, or "in the cloud." If you run the free Google Drive application, then you get a folder on your computer (Windows or OSX) that looks just like a directory on your hard disk that you can drag your files in to. Anything stored in that folder is kept on your hard disk and also copied to your account in the cloud. You can access those files from drive.google.com or from other computers, including mobile devices.
Google Drive is also the new name for Google Docs, which is Google's suite of Web-based productivity tools -- its word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation app. Documents you create using these tools now show up in your Google Drive.
Google Drive encrypts data between your computer and the Google servers. If you're using your Drive over the Web, the connection defaults to secure (HTTPS), and when you use the software that makes your Google Drive appear on your computer like a local hard drive, the data between your computer and Google is likewise encrypted. No casual hacker will be able to grab your files by monitoring or intercepting your Internet connection to Google.
Your data is stored under lock and key at Google itself, but it is not encrypted on the Google servers. A Google rep explained why to me: Encrypting files stored at Google would prevent you from previewing them on the Web, and it would also prevent services like Google Goggles and its OCR engine from accessing files on your behalf. (I presume it would also prevent Google's ad-serving algorithms from scanning your data to serve you more targeted messages -- and this is how Google makes its money.)
A Google Drive user asked me if files could be stored in an encrypted container like aTrueCrypt file. Google's response: "We see no reason why it would not work." However, a geek here at CNET said that accessing a TrueCrypt virtual drive remotely might be very slow.
Google Drive is also the new name for Google Docs, which is Google's suite of Web-based productivity tools -- its word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation app. Documents you create using these tools now show up in your Google Drive.
Google Drive encrypts data between your computer and the Google servers. If you're using your Drive over the Web, the connection defaults to secure (HTTPS), and when you use the software that makes your Google Drive appear on your computer like a local hard drive, the data between your computer and Google is likewise encrypted. No casual hacker will be able to grab your files by monitoring or intercepting your Internet connection to Google.
Your data is stored under lock and key at Google itself, but it is not encrypted on the Google servers. A Google rep explained why to me: Encrypting files stored at Google would prevent you from previewing them on the Web, and it would also prevent services like Google Goggles and its OCR engine from accessing files on your behalf. (I presume it would also prevent Google's ad-serving algorithms from scanning your data to serve you more targeted messages -- and this is how Google makes its money.)
A Google Drive user asked me if files could be stored in an encrypted container like aTrueCrypt file. Google's response: "We see no reason why it would not work." However, a geek here at CNET said that accessing a TrueCrypt virtual drive remotely might be very slow.
What is it?
Google documents is an online word processor designed to make collaborating with friends and coworkers easy. No more wondering if you are on the most current revision. With revision history, you never have to worry about losing your pre-version.
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Google Drive is a cloud-based file storage and syncing system. It works on multiple operating systems, browsers, as well as mobile devices. There is no more wondering which flash drive your document is on or what computer was used to create it. You have it anywhere you are and at any time.
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Intro to Google Drive
There are different ways of getting started using Google documents: you can create a new online document, you can upload an existing one, or you can use a template from the templates gallery.
You can create a folder by clicking on the file folder with a plus sign icon button. You will be asked to name the folder. At this point you can name the new folder or cancel.As soon as you name the document or start typing, Google Docs will automatically save your work every few seconds. At the top of the document, you'll see text that indicates when your document was last saved. You can access your document at any time by opening your Drive at
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When you first get to it, notice that it looks a lot like google docs.Your files are now stored in Google Drive, and you can access them anytime at drive.google.com.
Just like before, you can upload, edit, share, and create files online. But with Google Drive, you can access your files wherever you are, from any device. And you can work with even more file types by installing Google Drive apps. |
Google Docs Voice Comments
You can now give students voice feedback about their writing in Google Docs. This short video will show you how. You will need to teach students how to hit the comments button to access the link to your feedback. To make sure you know when I post tech tutorials follow me on Twitter @JenRoberts1