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Engadget's Holiday Blues-buster 2011: win an unlocked iPhone 4S, courtesy of Wyse!
Day two of our week-long contest is upon us, and we're just getting started! Today we'll be giving away an unlocked GSM / HSPA+ iPhone 4S thanks to Wyse, the company behind PocketCloud. The usual rules apply, with one caveat: in the comments below, simply state how you plan on using PocketCloud this holiday season (keep it family friendly, please). Sound good? It's just going to keep getting better and better throughout the week, so keep coming back every day! Note: The above picture is not the actual iPhone being given away. The unit we have is an unlocked GSM iPhone 4S, though gift receipts are available if the winner prefers to exchange it out for a CDMA model.
PocketCloud Explore arrives for Android, enables file searching and viewing across multiple computers
A new product has hit the Android Market and we think you might find it quite nifty. Known as PocketCloud Explore, the app allows users to search for and view files across their PCs and Macs, all without ever needing to surrender data to the cloud. Simple file management is also part of the game, as users can remotely create, rename and delete both folders and documents, as well as upload files from their smartphone to the remote destination. The basic version of PocketCloud Explore retails for $4.99, which is limited to two associated computers. For users juggling additional boxes and lappies, the developer plans to introduce a premium service that will allow access to a greater number of systems. Even the basic product, however, offers unlimited transfers, which means your files will always be within reach. Curious for more? You'll find the full PR after the break.
Wyse PocketCloud aims to get your desktop anywhere you are
If the name Wyse sounds familiar, it's probably because the company has been doing remote access since the days of acoustic couplers and 300-baud modems. Founded in 1981, it has evolved from its early days of creating 'dumb terminals' to become an industry leader in virtual desktops, giving users access to servers or virtualized PCs through protocols like VNC, RDP or VMware View. Expanding the Wyse offerings to the smartphone and tablet space wasn't that big a leap, and it's been pretty successful. Last week the company announced that its PocketCloud products for iOS and Android have been downloaded over a million times. The current version of PocketCloud Pro for iPhone and iPad (US$14.99) delivers both local connectivity and a handy Google App Engine locator service for remote machines. You can install the desktop client on your Mac or PC, authenticate with your Google account, and immediately operate all your active computers as though you were sitting in front of them. With a $0.99 monthly in-app purchase, you can also get file browser/file transfer access to your PCs, AirPrint printing, video streaming from the remote RDP server or VMware View service, slimmed-down browser mode (including Flash and audio) and more. (Compare to the $29.99 LogMeIn Ignition app, which I'm also quite fond of.) PocketCloud also comes in an ad-supported free version, which only allows you to keep one computer in your destinations list among other limitations; for everything except VMware View, however, it's a good way to test out the app and see if it suits you. The PocketCloud UI is about as friendly as I've seen in remote access apps, with a clever 'smart pointer' tool that gives you precise mouse positioning, left/right click and rapid keyboard access. Like all the apps in this category, it takes a while to configure it and get comfortable with operating the remote machine, but once you get your legs (or fingers) under you, it becomes second nature. Obviously, remote access tools are vital to system administrators or IT support folk -- even for supporting family and friends -- but Wyse is interested in expanding that audience. I spoke to David Nagy last week, Wyse's mobile unit director of product marketing, and he pointed out that mobile businesspeople and small business owners don't really want to bring their laptops everywhere when they can manage with an iPad. Still, there are moments when they need access to specific desktop apps or files, and tools like PocketCloud (combined with file storage options like Dropbox) can make that happen. There's also a growing market for virtual desktops provisioned for business, student or home users; Nagy suggested that the long-anticipated rental market for desktop applications ("Need Excel for the day? That'll be $2, thanks!") could be kickstarted by ubiquitous, inexpensive remote access on devices like the iPad. That'd certainly bring new meaning to the term 'thin client.' There's a brief PocketCloud overview video below.
