The cloud, the final frontier. Endless. Silent. Waiting. This is the story of the Google Chrome extension Cloud Save. Its mission: To provide Internet users with a way to save files that they have found on the web to the cloud, without saving them first on the local computer.

Cloud Save is a new extension for the Google Chrome browser that integrates several popular cloud based storage solutions into the browser.

How does it work? The Chrome extension adds a Cloud Save entry to the Google Chrome mouse context menu. The new option appears therefor on every right-click in the web browser ui.

Cloud Save offers to send the data to online storage providers. The available context menu entries change based on the source file type. Flickr and Picasa are for instance displayed among other options on image right-clicks, but not on document right-clicks.

Popular cloud based providers that are supported by the extension, other than the two image hosting providers, are Dropbox, Google Docs or Twitpic.

The extension redirects the request to the website of the selected provider. The next step depends largely on the selected service. Some, like Twitpic and Twitter, require that the user allows the extension, or more precisely its back-end, access rights. On other sites it is just required to log in, or stay logged in, to save the selected file online.

Cloud Save has a few problems, which may be attributed to the fact that the developer finished the first version in less than 40 minutes.

For one, users who select Google Docs may get an error message when they try to upload unsupported file types, unless they are enterprise customers who do not have file type limitations. Another problem related to Google Docs is that images are saved as documents, and not in their original image format.

Some commenters mentioned that they were unable to save files to specific folders which would be a serious problem if true. The Save As option of the context menu can be used to save files to specific folders and with different file names.

Uploading to Picasa lastly does not seem to work right now. It is likely that the developer will improve the Chrome extension as he is actively answering questions in the comments that indicate it.

We've shared a handful of Google Chrome context menu extensions before, and this weekend we discovered a new one which is oozing potential: Cloud Save.

Install Cloud Save, and you'll add the ability to right-click files on Web pages you visit and zap (or sideload) them to various online services like Google Docs, Dropbox, Picasa, Flickr, Posterous, CloudApp, and Box.Net. The extension appears to be based on drag2up, another handy little Chrome extension, as you'll see some of the auth dialogs refer to it instead of Cloud Save.

By default, Cloud Save shows you desktop notifications when a transfer completes -- though you can shut them off if you like. It's a handy extension for zapping found files to your cloud storage without having to download them to your desktop first.

Chrome-only: If you often find yourself discovering images and files you want to save but don't really want to deal with them right this moment, Cloud Save attempts to solve that problem. By right clicking on an image or download link, you can opt to send that file to one of many cloud-based services. More »

2010 has been one heck of a year for software development. We've seen scores of great new apps released and major updates for many of our favorites. "Release early, iterate often" has become the norm -- with alpha and beta downloads coming at us fast and 0.1 becoming the new 1.0.

The speed of change with some apps has been mind-boggling at times. Can you believe that Google Chrome's stable channel began this year at version 3? Let's take a look at some of our favorite apps which released major updates or debuted in 2010!

Continue reading Top new and updated Windows apps of 2010

Top new and updated Windows apps of 2010 originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 30 Dec 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Windows/Mac: Chrome syncs nearly everything about your browser choices. Everything, that is, except the "search engines"/keyword bookmarks you've painstakingly set up. One clever Lifehacker reader has fixed that, albeit in a round-about, script-fired, Dropbox-synced kind of way. More »

HP and other manufacturers are gearing up to release a set of new printers that will allow the user to remotely print document. If you are using Dropbox you can have this same functionality now.

Amit Agarwal at Digital Inspiration has written a simple VBS script that allows files uploaded to Dropbox to automatically print.

To set-up the remote printing function you must do the following /> id="more-22640"> /> 1. Install Dropbox

2. Download the zip file

3. Double-click the eprint.vbs file. A sub-folder (PrintQueue) will be created inside your main Dropbox folder.

Now any file that is placed inside the PrintQueue folder will automatically be printed. There is no need to run any additional commands or navigate any dialog boxes.

I have tested this with a variety of files, including txt, doc, xls, and jpg and they all print without any problems. Of course if you require any specific formatting you will have to manually do this before uploading the file into the PrintQueue folder.

Taking photos with smartphones and uploading them to the Internet instantly is nothing to brag about these days. Even point-and-shoot cameras have optional Wi-Fi solutions available to upload images as soon as they’re taken. But what if your needs are a little more complex? What if you need to use the lens choices only available with a full-blown Digital SLR configuration, but still want to get some form of the image online as fast as possible? Whether you are in the field with a mobile MiFi-like hotspot, or at a location with Wi-Fi access available, the following solution will allow you to take stunning images in full resolution, and still streamline the upload process with correctly sized images for immediate sharing with family and friends.

Filed under: Utilities, Productivity, Web services

With the evolution of cloud based file hosting services, more and more users are attracted to online file back up services which allows you to store files on the cloud.

This is because a 260 GB hard disk is not enough anymore. You need more and more space and most importantly, you want to access those files from any computer you want.

With an online file hosting service, you can sync all your computers and mobile devices with ease. One of the very popular services is Dropbox. The free plan of Dropbox allows you to store up to 2 GB of data in the cloud and the pro plan costs $9.99 a month for 50 GB while $19.99 for 100 GB of space.

If you are looking for a cheaper alternative of Dropbox, here is another web service called iDriveSync, which offers considerate plans with more space. /> id="more-20351">

Chrome: Google Chrome extension Dropbox hooks up your browser with the popular file-syncing service, Dropbox so you can easily browse and download your Dropbox files without opening up the web site. More »

Google Chrome: If you're a frequent Chrome and Dropbox user, this unofficial Dropbox extension puts one-click access to your Dropbox files right on the Google Chrome toolbar.

Once installed, the Dropbox extension places a small Dropbox icon in your Google Chrome toolbar. After your initial sign-in, clicking on the icon presents the menu seen here. You can select between your recently updated files and your folder structure to quickly navigate to the file you're looking for. Clicking on any given file will either display or play the file in your browser or download it to your computer for local viewing.

Dropbox extension is a free and unofficial extension for accessing your Dropbox files and works wherever Google Chrome does. Have a favorite extension or tool for getting the most out of cloud-based services? Let's hear about it in the comments.