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Dropbox users can now share video simply by emailing a link
Upgrade for 50-million-user start-up
Storage start-up Dropbox valued at $4 billion
Microsoft upgrades 'SkyDrive' service
Google's service 'to launch' this week

Published: 04:39 EDT, 24 April 2012 | Updated: 05:00 EDT, 24 April 2012

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Online storage company Dropbox has made it easier to share content such as videos via its 50-million-user 'cloud' storage service, in advance of the launch of a rival from web giant Google.

Google is expected to launch 'Drive', an online storage service that will store large files online instead of in PC hard drives this week.

Dropbox has altered its service so users can share simply by sending an emailed link rather than sharing folders.

Google is expected to launch 'GDrive', an online storage service that will store large files online instead of in PC hard drives this week

Microsoft's SkyDrive service has also been upgraded in advanced of Google's launch, with users able to drag files into SkyDrive from Windows 7 machines.

'Our gallery pages give your photos, videos, and even docs the gorgeous, full-browser view they deserve,' said Dropbox via a blog post this week.

'This means that people who follow your link can see pictures, look at presentations, and watch home videos without having to download and open them separately.'

Bono performing at Glastonbury: The star has been revealed as an investor in online storage start-up Dropbox

Online storage start-up Dropbox has some high-profile support - U2's Bono and The Edge have personally invested in the company.

Singer and activist Bono has been a high-level investor in tech companies through the private equity firm Elevation Partners, of which he is a co-founder and Managing Director.

The Dropbox investment is the first time Bono has been publicly named as an individual investor in a company.

'Dropbox is excited to welcome Bono & The Edge as investors. Thanks for the support and look forward to great things,' said the company in a Tweet this week.

The 'cloud' storage start-up was recently valued at $4 billion.

Services such as Dropbox have become hugely popular as people increasingly use computers 'on the go' - offering simple 'cloud' storage where users can access their files from anywhere via apps or web browsers.

Google's service is expected to offer 5GB of storage, and appear as an icon on Windows and Mac desktops into which users simply 'drop' files.

Google has spoken about launching a 'G Drive' service in the past, but the company has been tight-lipped on the subject recently.

Videos, documents and music would be stored remotely in Google's data centres, instead of in individual hard drives.

Google Documents already lets users store 1Gb of files online.

Dropbox's CEO Drew Houston reportedly turned down a 'nine figure' offer from Apple for the company.

Apple now offers a similar service, iCloud, which stores music, books, films and apps online, and is free to all users of iOS 5, the latest version of its mobile operating service.

Google HQ: Google sources told the Wall Street Journal that the new Drive service was a response to a response to the growth of web-connected devices such as smartphones and tablets, and to 'cloud computing' services which allow people to store files online instead of in PC hard drives

Microsoft also offers similar - but paid-for - services such as Office365 and its free SkyDrive, previously aimed at phone users.

Google's service, though, is likely to be a simple, 'one stop shop' file storage system like Dropbox's, which allows users to store anything, anywhere.

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