Western Digital has just unveiled its WD 2go App for iOS and Android devices. The app gives your iPhone, iPad or Android device access to all of the files stored on your WD My Book Live hard drives – even when you’re far from home.
WD 2go Apps get you to all of your files – that’s photos, presentations, documents, videos (e.g., backed-up copies of your DVDs), etc.
Additionally, WD 2go’s access is not subscription based (like the recently announced Adobe Carousel cloud storage/access). Buy a hard drive, then download a free app (or the $2.99 Pro version), and you have your own personal cloud and access to your files anywhere in the world for free.
As noted above, the “pro” version of the WD 2go app costs $2.99; however, it lets you send private links to your files on your personal cloud that sits in a box at your house.
While the WD 2go App is pitched somewhat on the consumer side, I think media professionals could benefit from this sharing feature – particularly those who work remotely on collaborative projects. It could eliminate the need to use middleman services (e.g., Drop Box) in order to get large files to colleagues. Plus, if you are working off a computer, instead of a mobile device, you can authorize those you share files with to copy files back onto the My Book Live hard drive.
Check out the Western Digital My Book Live hard drives at B&H Photo and Amazon.
The WD 2go Apps are available now in the Android Market and Apple App Store.
Western Digital WD 2g0 Press Release
IRVINE, Calif., – Sept. 13, 2011 – Western Digital® (NYSE: WDC), the world’s leader in external storage solutions, today introduced its WD 2go™ and WD 2go Pro mobile apps for its My Book® Live™ personal cloud storage solution. WD’s My Book Live drive connects to the home network creating shared storage that users can access within and outside the home. Secure remote access to the My Book Live is available on any computer through www.WD2go.com, while the WD 2go apps provide mobile access to files stored on the drive using an iPad®, iPhone®, iPod touch® or Android™ compatible mobile device.
Combining the benefits of both public and private cloud solutions, My Book Live personal cloud storage allows users to keep media and files safe at home on their own physical drive and yet access them over the Internet with any PC or Mac® computer or on tablets and smartphones through WD’s mobile apps. Using My Book Live, users can share files, stream media, and access content anywhere with no monthly fees and secure in the knowledge that their data resides in their own home under their exclusive control. In addition, the WD 2go Pro app enables private sharing of files with friends, family and colleagues. Almost any file can be shared, from pictures and personal videos to work documents and presentations.
WD 2go web access marks WD’s second generation of remote access technologies that leverage a peer-to-peer connection between the My Book Live and remote PCs or mobile devices to maximize the speed and throughput.
“Consumers demand the anywhere, any device access they can get from ‘the cloud,’ but don’t want to pay monthly fees or lose control of their personal data. They want access to all their files without worrying about what files are synched to what device,” said Jim Welsh, executive vice president and general manager for WD’s branded products and consumer electronics groups. “With the new WD 2go mobile apps and WD’s My Book Live personal cloud storage, consumers now have a simple and fast way to securely store, share, and access all their digital content from their mobile devices wherever they are.”
The WD 2go apps add to WD’s vision of providing secure storage and access to digital content on any screen, on-the-go or at home. The app supports a variety of media file formats for streaming movies and music or accessing files such as Microsoft® Office documents. In addition to all of the features currently available in the free WD 2go app, the WD 2go Pro app includes several advanced features, including:
· Clipping: Users can clip files, photos, songs, videos or folders to download a copy from the My Book Live drive to a mobile device, enabling subsequent access even without an Internet connection.
· Automatic sync: New or modified files added to the My Book Live automatically sync to mobile devices.
· Content sharing: The WD 2go Pro app allows users to email files, share files as a link, print and open files with third party apps.
· Additional security: Users can leverage an additional layer of security by locking mobile access to the My Book Live drive with a 4-digit pass code.
In addition to remote and mobile access to the personal cloud, WD’s My Book Live features a built-in media server that streams music, photos and movies to any DLNA-certified multimedia device such as a WD TV® Live™ network media player, Blu-ray Disc™ player, Xbox 360®, PlayStation® 3, and connected TV.
Capacity and Compatibility
My Book Live personal cloud storage is available in capacities of 1 TB, 2 TB and 3 TB and is compatible with Windows® XP, Windows Vista®, Windows 7, Mac OS® X Leopard®, Snow Leopard®, or Lion™, as well as DLNA/UPnP® enabled devices.
Price and Availability
WD 2go (free download) and WD 2go Pro ($2.99 USD) are currently available for download from the iTunes® Store and Android Market. My Book Live personal cloud storage is available at select U.S. retailers and online at the wdstore.com. MSRP is $159.99 USD for 1 TB, $199.99 USD for the 2 TB, and $249.99 USD for 3 TB.