“Take it to the Cloud,” is what we hear nowadays to do anything with your mobile device, whether it’s printing, file sharing, or transferring of files. But what is “The Cloud?” The term is a little disingenuous. In technical terms it is a computer or “server” that is connected to the internet. Subscribers to this server gain access to a variety of services that can include everything from email functions, to printing, to word processing. Connecting is just a matter of logging in through a web browser after an account has been set up.
The benefit, especially to those using a mobile device is that the Subscriber/User does not have to necessarily install a program to perform a particular function or work on a document. The User makes use of the server’s programs. While many of the giant tech companies offer these services for free, they are not without cost and limitations. While the monetary cost may be minimal, the price of your privacy may be high. In many cases, all of your activities while logged into these “Cloud” services are monitored. What web sites you visit, what documents you print, and what files you are storing or sharing.
While that scrutiny may not bother some people, it is a serious concern for many.
Security researchers discovered Apple’s iPhone and iPad will save the actual latitude and longitude of users’ locations with a time period stamp. The Iphone also duplicates the data towards the customer’s personal computer anytime the two are synchronized. This would strongly indicate to mean sending and retrieving files and print jobs through “The Cloud” are recorded by Apple in some fashion and readily available to those who might be interested in taking a look at it.
Recently, Google has openly admitted handing over its’ European “Cloud” data to the US Government under the authority of ‘The Patriot Act.”
We reported that photos taken with a smart phone are automatically “geo-coded,” with location information. When that photo is uploaded onto a public site such as FaceBook® or Photobucket®, that location code can be retrieved by anyone with a browser and an open-source plugin. The result is the user’s location is discoverable by anyone, potentially exposing that user to unnecessary risk.
This means that no data stored in “The Cloud” is safe from prying eyes of any sort. Not from Governments, Hackers, or the Cloud Hosts themselves who simply “review” your activities to “better serve you.”
Up until recently Motocast®, the free streaming service from Motorola previously known as Zumocast®, billed itself as the User’s own direct-connect personal cloud. Well that was a little disingenuous. Motocast®, according to Motorola’s own promotional video, connects like every other “Cloud” service: via web browser login and connection to their servers.
However where Motocast® diverges from conventional “cloud” services is that files exchanged are not stored on their public server, but rather on the user’s own computer. The claim is this method is safe and secure, however there is a twist.
To have the user’s files available at any time, your computer must be connected to a Motorola server on one end and your phone logged into the same Motorola server from the other end. Motocast® must also have full permission to read and write to your hard drive in order to store files on your disk.
Motorola’s servers act as the go-between the two devices funneling files back and forth. Unlike conventional “Cloud” services the difference here is the connection from your computer must always be open to the Motorola server for you to receive files on the other end with your Motorola phone. According to Motorola’s promotional video, a user’s entire hard drive can be accessed by Motocast®.
This difference is significant, instead of YOU deciding what to upload to the cloud for storage or streaming, which was bad enough considering recent privacy scandals, Motocast® is connected to your computer actively waiting for you to decide which files you want to fetch to your Android. In essence, Motorola via the Motocast® service has the potential to access and modify any of your files on your computer’s hard drive.
It is clear we are in the age of smartphone tracking by Corporations and Governments alike. Motocast® makes this is a little too convenient and tempting for illicit snooping, hacking, or theft.
Enter FileLinx.
FileLinx allows the direct connection between your Android device and PC without “The Cloud” as well as the ability to print to your PC-connected printer, all from anywhere in the world.
Unlike Motocast® or Zumocast®, your files never pass through our servers…or any other server. The connection runs from your Android through the internet to your PC.
With FileLinx Professional, the User has the ability to access the entire “C” drive of a PC, going into any folder and retrieving or sending any file anywhere on the computer’s hard drive using your Android device. FileLinx will print most file types.
Additionally, FileLinx Pro stores the settings of up to 10 (ten) PC’s. This allows Professional Users the ability to login up to ten (10) different computers with the touch of a button using their Android device, effectively creating 10 (Ten) private “Mini-Clouds.”
The result of these capabilities mean that any FileLinx User has what amounts to their own private “Cloud,” sharing information between their Android device and computer without ever having to resort to logging into a third-party server, or storing information in an off-site location.
FileLinx, on the computer side functions by installing a small Java-based program that allows the PC to communicate with Android. This download is freely available to all users from the DroidLinx website.
With FileLinx’s ability to support multiple simultaneous Users, it is possible to share resources and information with an unlimited amount of FileLinx Users, all connecting to the same, or multiple computers.
FileLinx is sold on the Android Market, connects via a WiFi, 3G, or 4G connection and works on any Android tablet or phone.