Updated version of Google Drive gains new status menu, bandwidth controls

Google Drive will be getting some additional muscle this week, a new version becoming available for OS X and Windows.

Per 9to5Mac and the Google blog, the new version includes an improved status menu to show much more information than before. Now, you can see the files that are being synced up to the cloud as well as a check mark next to them that will appear as they do so. The app will also make it clear which files are currently syncing and which files are yet to be synced. Additionally, hovering over an item will let you share it straight from the menu.

The update also brings a feature that will let you restrict how much bandwidth the app uses in the case that you’re uploading a huge file but would still like to go about your work day without sacrificing your entire connection. To do this, head to the “Advanced” section of the “Preferences” menu. The update is scheduled for a gradual rollout, so you can expect to see the update over the course of the week. If don’t have the app in the first place, though, you can find it on the Google Drive web site.

This is the third in a slew of Drive updates that have hit over the last couple of months. In early December, Google added the ability to convert Microsoft Office documents within Gmail and easily edit them in Google Docs with a single click. More recently, Google announced that it added official support for ODF documents, including .odt files for documents, .ods for spreadsheets, and .odp for presentations.

If you’ve had a chance to play with the new version of Google Drive for OS X, let us know in the comments.