As you can see, Dropmark is already a really amazing cloud storage tool for collaboration and it just got better! Now you can add files to your Dropmark collections right from your Mac menu bar with the new Dropmark for Mac app. With the app, you’ll still be able upload from your desktop and Web browser, but you won’t have to go to the website to do so. From the Mac app you can also create new collections and search for collections.
3rd Party Integrations and Features
One of the best things about Dropmark is that it also works with the following 3rd party apps and includes the following features:
Courier
Courier is a lightweight Mac app that lets you upload files from your desktop to different Web services at the same time. You can upload to Facebook, Flickr, Tumblr, Vimeo, YouTube, FTP and more.
So, you can install the Dropmark plugin for Courier and then set your Dropmark account as a destination for your files. With Courier’s map view, you can actually see your files en route to their final destination – in this case Dropmark’s servers.
Feeds
You’ll can stay up-to-date with your Dropmark activity via Feeds, a Mac menu bar app for tracking the activities of various Web services. With Feeds you can keep up with Dribble, Basecamp, Github and more – including Dropmark of course.
If you want to be notified about new collection invites and new items from those you’re collaborating with, you’ll need to use Feeds for that (since the Dropmark app does not include this feature). You can also preview each file from Feeds, something else that can’t be done via the Dropmark app. You must purchase Feeds from the Mac App Store to get started. The price is currently $4.99.
iPhoto
You can drag-and-drop photos directly from iPhoto to Dropmark and automatically sync your photos from Dropmark to iPhoto. To sync your photos, you’ll need to subscribe to your collection(s) in iPhoto. You can do this with private and public collections; however, with a private collection, you’ll be prompted to enter your Dropmark email and password.
After doing this, iPhoto will automatically update your collections whenever you make changes and add new images. Also, this is a great way for your friends, family and/or coworkers to subscribe to and keep up with your collections.
iTunes
“Upload a few audio files and you’ve just created a dead simple playlist and podcast.” You can also subscribe to the playlist or podcast in iTunes, and any new files that you add will be automatically downloaded.
This feature is reserved for Pro account holders only, which by the way is only $4/month ($48/year); you can also try the Pro plan free for 30 days. With this feature, you can upload items to your Dropmark account via email. This is good for those who are on-the-go a lot and may want to add something from their mobile phone or tablet. You can upload text, photos, files and links.
RSS
Every collection that you create on Dropmark has its own RSS feed that you can subscribe to, or give to your family, friends and/or coworkers to subscribe to. This is a great way to keep up with shared collections that you’re collaborating on.
Final Thoughts
Aside from all of these 3rd party integrations and features, Dropmark also recognizes content from top social sites like YouTube, Vimeo, Flickr, Instagram, Soundcloud and more. To start using Dropmark, you’ll need an account to login with. So be sure to sign up on their website first. You can also choose to start Dropmark at startup. One of the down sides of the Dropmark for Mac app is that it mainly serves as a shortcut to your Web collections. While you can simply drag-and-drop items onto collections to upload and save in the cloud, you can’t view the actual items from the app. Instead, you’ll first have to click on the name of the collection and then it will open up in your Web browser, so that you can view the files in it. Most of the cool features that Dropmark offers are only available via 3rd party apps, which for some can be a dealbreaker. However, once you start using Dropmark, you’ll see that it really is useful and dead simple. Have you used the Dropmark Web version in the past? What do you think of Dropmark’s new Mac app? Is this something that you can see yourself using on a regular basis? Dropmark for Mac
