PogoPlug: Access Remote PC Files, Easily and Secure

An interesting little piece of hardware promises to eliminate wasted upload time when sharing computer files, while reducing stresses associated with forgetfulness.

The Pogoplug is a simple device that remotely accesses and shares files on a home computer over the Internet. Users connect the Pogoplug to their home network router (via an Ethernet cable), plug in a USB hard drive into Pogoplug, and the device pretty much does the rest.

Leave Your Flash Drive and Worry at Home

Since the files from your home hard drive are accessible via the Internet, forgetful people never again have to worry about leaving their storage mediums behind. Now, users can fetch files remotely, provided there is Internet access available. When done editing a document from a remote location (for example), users can upload these files back onto their home drive.

The retrieving process is rather simple; just visit my.pogoplug.com and log in to grab your files. Alternatively, users can download software onto their PC or Mac that will let them access files on their computer through Windows Explorer or Mac Finder, just as if they were "local" drives. (Source: usatoday.com)

Share Files with Friends and Family, Not the Online World

Also exciting about Pogoplug is that it allows users to share their video, music, and picture files without having to upload them onto a specified website first. Now, users provide their own email addresses for sharing, and Pogoplug will inform these designated people about the file share via a link.

There is also an additional area which can be checked off to give these designated people even more privileges, including an RSS feed that notifies these people when a change or update has been made to a shared file.

iPhone Compatible... Someday

Rumors suggest Pogoplug will one day be compatible with the popular Apple iPhone.

Rumors also suggest Pogoplug owners will be able to access multimedia files (within limits) off the connected drive and onto an iPhone. Of course, this is dependent on Cloud Engines receiving the final approval from Apple to make a free Pogoplug application available in the App Store. (Source: istockanalyst.com)

There are a few downsides to the product, however. The presence of an Ethernet cable means that there is no wireless way to use the device, at least for the time being. Other shortcomings include a lack of automatic backup software and the fact that it does not support the new Internet Explorer 8 browser (yet).

While the ability to access files on a remote computer is hardly new, products that offer features similar to the Pogoplug have been very expensive. There are no fees associated with the Pogoplug after the $99 initial purchase, while emergent Cloud Engines is doing a nice job of eliminating all other hassles.