Get an additional 5GB of Dropbox storage for free

Using the Internet to store, copy and share files is the new floppy disk -- everyone has some space tucked away in Dropbox, SkyDrive, SugarSync or some other service for convenient file storage. Dropbox is one of the most popular cloud-storage services, and the company keeps coming up with new ways for you to get gigabytes of additional space for free. Here's a way to get as much as 5GB more just by uploading some files.

Here's the skinny: Dropbox is beta-testing some new software and wants your help. The new desktop client lets you upload photos directly from your camera (or memory card) to Dropbox via the AutoPlay feature in Windows. Attach your camera, and when Windows asks what you want to do, tell it to "Import pictures and videos using Dropbox."

The first time you upload a photo this way, you get 500MB of free storage space.

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After that, you get 500MB of space for every 500MB of photos you upload, up to an additional 4.5GB. That's a lot of space for very little effort.

To get started, install the latest beta of the new desktop client. And if you have additional questions, you can read the Dropbox Help for additional details about this offer.