Store Clipboard Data Online: A Simple Guide

The Ubiquitous Online Clipboard

The clipboard is a tool utilized frequently, often without conscious thought. It functions as an unseen assistant, facilitating the transfer of copied or cut data throughout a computer system.

Traditionally confined to the desktop environment, clipboards have now expanded into the online realm. These digital equivalents offer similar functionality, yet often remain underutilized compared to more prominent communication methods like email and social networking platforms.

The Rise of Online Clipboards

The primary impetus behind the proliferation of online clipboards is the ease with which they enable saving and sharing of information. Whether it's short text passages, web addresses, or visual content, these tools provide a quick method for capturing and transferring data without requiring local storage.

Online clipboards offer increased versatility. Some support visual communication through image inclusion, while others incorporate security measures to safeguard sensitive data.

Diverse Functionality and Applications

Certain clipboards are particularly valuable for software developers, allowing for rapid code snippet sharing. The range of available options is extensive and caters to a wide spectrum of needs.

Below are seven online clipboards worth considering:

• These tools provide a convenient way to manage and distribute information.
• They streamline workflows for various tasks, from simple text sharing to complex code collaboration.
• Online clipboards represent a powerful, yet often overlooked, resource for modern digital users.

iClippy

iClippy presents itself as a desktop application boasting a refined and user-friendly interface.

Functioning as a robust image capturing clipboard, iClippy facilitates the capture of visuals from diverse sources including the screen, a connected camera, or a scanner, and subsequently renders them searchable.

The service offers three distinct account tiers. The free account, which is the focus here, permits the storage of up to 100 images.

However, it's important to note that image resolution is automatically adjusted downwards to a maximum of 800 x 600 pixels – a setting generally adequate for everyday applications.

Users of the free account are allocated 1000 transfers per month, each accompanied by a subtle signature.

iClippy is installed as a convenient desktop sidebar, providing quick access to its features.

Any image captured using iClippy can be immediately shared via Twitter.

Key Features

iClippy is compatible with both Windows and Mac OS X operating systems.

The application is capable of automatically monitoring the Windows clipboard for new content.

A Sleep mode is also available, enabling manual image capture when desired.

Captured images are stored indefinitely.

Should the free storage limit be exceeded, the oldest images are systematically replaced with newly captured ones.

Images are readily searchable, both through the web interface and directly from the local sidebar application.

Searchability is a core component of the iClippy experience.

ControlC: A Comprehensive Clipboard Management Solution

ControlC functions as a desktop application designed to track your clipboard usage. It automatically saves any content you copy – including text, images, and PDF documents – to your secure ControlC web account.

Whenever you copy information to your clipboard, it is synchronized with your ControlC account. This ensures your data is readily accessible.

Key Features and Functionality

ControlC provides options regarding the privacy of your copied data. You can choose to keep your clipboard history private or share it publicly with other ControlC users.

Important features include robust search capabilities and advanced management tools, accessible through the application’s settings.

• Users can personalize their experience by selecting from a variety of account themes.
• Data security is enhanced through encryption and password protection options.
• Clipboard history is searchable from any device with internet access.
• It's important to note that free account users have a 5-day limit for storing privately set clipboard content.
• The platform allows for the storage, editing, sharing, and management of both text and links copied to your clipboard.
• A blacklist feature enables you to exclude specific programs from sharing clipboard clips.

With these features, ControlC offers a versatile solution for managing and accessing your clipboard data across multiple devices.

WePaste

Following the comprehensive capabilities of iClippy, we now examine the straightforward functionality offered by WePaste.

WePaste functions as an online clipboard, enabling users to create a new, shareable webpage simply by entering text. As illustrated in the image, a page is generated upon pasting content, and a shareable link can be activated for quick distribution.

Saving the content privately is also an option, should immediate sharing not be desired. Basic formatting tools are included for content presentation.

Key Features

Features to note: WePaste provides several useful options for managing your pasted data.

• Notes can be directly emailed from the webpage itself.
• An expiration date can be set, after which the page and its content will be automatically deleted.
• Password protection can be enabled to restrict access to authorized individuals only.

CopyTaste

CopyTaste provides a method for generating unique web addresses to share information, functioning similarly to WePaste.

However, a key distinction lies in CopyTaste’s versatility, enabling the sharing of text, images, videos, or simply web links with others.

Sharing Options and Privacy

Users have the flexibility to designate their shared notes as either public or private.

Publicly shared notes integrate users into a community forum where comments are permitted.

For those prioritizing anonymity, a privacy option is available to maintain confidentiality.

Key Features

CopyTaste offers a range of functionalities designed to enhance the user experience.

• The platform incorporates a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) text editor, facilitating the creation of richly formatted notes.
• Multiple images can be uploaded and securely stored on the server.
• CopyTaste supports a multilingual interface, making it accessible to a global audience.

These features combine to make CopyTaste a comprehensive solution for sharing diverse content online.

Pastie: An Online Code Snippet Sharing Service

Pastie functions as a dedicated online clipboard, designed particularly for developers and programmers. It provides a platform where code snippets can be easily pasted, stored, and distributed.

The service offers syntax highlighting for a comprehensive range of programming languages, spanning from ActionScript to YAML, and many others.

Technical Foundation and Capabilities

Built using the Ruby on Rails framework, Pastie incorporates several advanced functionalities. These include syntax highlighting for improved readability and integration with IRC channels for convenient sharing.

Key Features of Pastie

Pastie distinguishes itself through a number of notable features:

• Permanent Storage: Code snippets remain accessible indefinitely, without any expiration dates.
• No Account Required: Users can utilize Pastie's services without the need for registration or login.
• Customizable Themes: A selection of themes, ranging from minimalist to visually striking, are available to personalize the viewing experience.
• Embeddable Pastes: Snippets can be seamlessly integrated into other web pages using provided embed codes.
• Privacy Options: Pastes can be shared publicly via a unique URL or kept private for exclusive access.

Sharing code snippets is simplified through the use of direct URLs. Furthermore, the option to designate pastes as private ensures confidentiality when necessary.

Pastebin: A Convenient Online Clipboard

Pastebin functions as a readily accessible online clipboard, proving particularly useful when quick text sharing is required. While favored by programmers, its utility extends to anyone needing to store and share various text formats.

Users have the option to configure their Pastebin accounts as either public or private, ensuring control over the visibility of their stored content and maintaining online anonymity.

The service allows usage without mandatory registration, though unregistered users are limited to 10 pastes per day. Creating a free account increases this allowance to 20 daily pastes.

A premium PRO account is available, offering an expanded capacity of up to 250 pastes each day.

Key Features of Pastebin

Several features contribute to Pastebin’s functionality and user experience.

• Users can define the lifespan of their pasted content by setting an expiration period.
• Integration with Click.to enables streamlined storage and sharing of code snippets.
• A range of supporting tools, including mobile apps (iPhone, iPad, Android), browser extensions, and a Windows application, enhance accessibility.
• Pastebin provides syntax highlighting for a more extensive selection of programming languages than Pastie.

These features collectively make Pastebin a versatile tool for developers and general users alike.

ClipSync

ClipSync provides automatic synchronization of your Android device's clipboard with that of a Windows computer, and conversely. The Android application functions in conjunction with the ClipSync Server software, installed on your Windows PC, establishing communication via your network or Wi-Fi connection.

For clipboard synchronization to occur, both the Android device and the Windows computer must be connected to the same network.

Key Functionality

Multiple computers and phones can be connected to the same network, enabling shared clipboard access. A simple CTRL+C command on your computer will transmit the copied text to your Android phone.

Notable features include:

• The Android application is available for free download through the Google App Store.
• The ClipSync app automatically identifies and adds available servers present on your network.

This allows for seamless transfer of copied information between devices, enhancing productivity and convenience.

The system relies on a client-server architecture, with the Android app acting as the client and the Windows application serving as the server.

Bringing It All Together

Most online clipboard or clipboard sharing applications available will likely offer functionality similar to the seven apps detailed here. These online clipboards provide an additional method for rapid sharing, complementing established tools like email and social media platforms.

However, a crucial consideration, as with any web-based sharing platform, is security. The level of security offered by these services warrants careful evaluation.

The vast majority of these platforms allow users to maintain privacy or intentionally make content public. Features like password protection, as seen in services such as ControlC and WePaste, add an extra layer of security.

Furthermore, setting an expiration date for automatic content deletion is a practical security measure that should always be considered. Unfortunately, specific encryption standards were not readily apparent in the documentation of any of these services.

Therefore, it's advisable to refrain from storing highly sensitive information on these platforms. For such data, encrypted cloud storage solutions represent a more secure alternative.

However, if your need is to share non-critical clipboard data and files quickly and without undue concern, these services are certainly worth considering and potentially bookmarking.

What are your thoughts on this topic? Do you currently utilize online clipboards for sharing snippets of information? If so, which services do you prefer? Please share your experiences and opinions in the comments section below.