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<H2 class=entry-title><A
title="Permalink to Moving data between devices is as easy as U-S-B"
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<DIV class=entry-content><BIG><FONT size=4><STRONG>Plug-and-play remote access
and data sharing </STRONG><BR></FONT></BIG><SMALL><BR></SMALL><STRONG>The iTwin
(</STRONG><A
href="http://WindowsSecrets.com/links/$P20d/bbbf93h/?url=www.itwin.com%2F"><STRONG>info</STRONG></A><STRONG>)
is a clever, peer-to-peer, file-sharing set of USB dongles. On first glance, the
U.S. $99 device looks like a single USB flash drive with a male connector at
each end. But pull the two ends apart, and voilà — you have two parts for
connecting devices. No data is stored on either half, except for the code needed
to install the device on PCs.<BR><BR>Nor are there any wires connecting the two.
Instead, the dongles communicate through a Web-based, remote-network portal that
uses 256-bit AES encryption. (To work, both devices do need a live connection to
the Internet.)<BR><BR></STRONG><IMG title=iTwin height=198 alt=iTwin hspace=0
src="http://download.windowssecrets.com/images/wsn/W201200322-BH-iTwin.jpg"
width=300 align=left vspace=3><BR clear=all><STRONG>Figure 1. The iTwin takes a
novel approach to remote access.</STRONG><BR><BR><STRONG>The set-up is a snap.
You plug the iTwin, with both halves joined together, into your primary PC. The
device creates both an encrypted ID shared by the two parts and a new folder
that iTwin places on your PC. Drag and drop the files you want to access
remotely into the folder. (The files are not moved; you’re simply creating a
pointer to those files.)<BR><BR>Next, keep one half of the iTwin in the primary
PC (leave the PC on and connected to the Internet), and take the other iTwin
half with you. When you want to create a remote connection from some other PC,
simply plug the half you’ve kept with you into any other PC that’s connected to
the Internet. Almost immediately, you’ll see the iTwin folder residing in the
primary system. Now you’re ready to view or transfer any of those files, as you
like.<BR><BR>Along with rapid set-up, iTwin’s strength is security. Remove
either part of the iTwin, and the device’s virtual folder vanishes — as if it
had never been there. So if you’re copying files from one system to another,
it’s crucial to drag and drop the files from the iTwin folder to an actual
folder on the local system <EM>before</EM> removing the iTwin. (If you look in
My Computer, you’ll see two iTwin virtual drives: iTwin Local Files and iTwin
Remote Files. When the iTwin pair is plugged in, the files show up in both
folders. If you remove an iTwin half and try to peer into either folder, a popup
warns, “Please plug in iTwin.”)<BR><BR>Despite the over-the-Internet connection,
transfers start almost instantaneous. Of course, the main drawback to the iTwin
is that both halves must be connected to the Internet, and the primary system
must have a persistent connection. If you lose half of the iTwin set, you can
purchase another half for $50 and re-pair it. (You can also disable iTwin if one
of the halves is lost.)<BR><BR>Recently, iTwin added a software-based update —
iTwin Multi — which lets up to 20 remote computers share data simultaneously
with the primary PC. This could be a great collaborative tool if you’re willing
to pay $50 per extra half.<BR><BR>Although there are numerous free collaboration
sites, none provides the simple plug-and-connect convenience of iTwin. It’s
pretty cool.</STRONG></DIV></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>