Have you ever found yourself on the way to the airport only to discover you left your flash drive at home -- the one with the only copy of the PowerPoint presentation you're scheduled to deliver tomorrow?
Do you enjoy sharing photos with family and friends but hate spending hours uploading images to the Web?
The
Pogoplug eliminates situations like these, by linking USB flash drives to the Internet and instantly making their contents accessible from any web browser or Pogoplug-enabled mobile device.
You can connect the Pogoplug to your home network quicker than you can brew a pot of coffee. All you need is a high-speed Internet connection and an available Ethernet switchport on your router. If you want to share more than one USB storage device at a time, you'll also need a USB hub.
The device resembles an external AC power supply, and only three hardware connections are required. First, plug the Pogoplug into any wall outlet. Next, run a CAT5 cable (included) from the device to an Ethernet port on your router, and then insert either an external USB 2.0 hard drive or USB memory stick.
Lastly, go to
my.pogoplug.com, create an account (supplying only an email address and password), and enter the product's serial number. Presto! Your Pogoplug is ready to use.
The beauty of the system is your files stay safely at home. As long as you have access to the Internet, documents, images, MP3s, or other content stored on connected USB storage devices are accessible over the Internet. You can upload files as well. Transferred files are protected from prying eyes using SSL/TLS encryption, just like e-commerce transactions and online banking.
You can also download an add-in for Windows Explorer that lets you use your Pogoplug like a local hard drive. It appears as drive P:, right alongside your C: or D: drive. A similar extension is available for the Mac OS X finder, and there's even an iPhone application to send pictures directly from your iPhone to your Pogoplug-attached USB drive.
No monthly fees are involved, and your friends and family don't have to download special software or register to gain access to files you share.
Cloud Engines, the company behind the Pogoplug, even provides an open API (application programming interface) so programmers can create new ways to use the device. Sources say the device will eventually connect directly to popular sites that offer backup, file synchronization, photo printing and more.
More information about the Pogoplug is available in Jerry's Links. The device has an MSRP of $99, and orders can be placed at Pogoplug.com.
