Transfer files from your phone without incurring mobile data charges

China's Xender promises to make file transfers from the phone easy while avoiding mobile data charges through peer-to-peer networking.

In phone-to-phone file transfers the app creates a Wi-Fi hotspot that Xender users nearby can use, so that photos, music, files and apps can be transferred from one phone to another. The capability could come in useful for migrating content from an old phone to a new one, for instance. The app does not have file size limitations, will transfer files across different phone platforms, and enables file transfers up to 50 times faster than via Bluetooth, the company said. 

Xender also provides a PC connection function that works through the browser for transferring files from phone to PC or Mac or the other way around. 

Interested?

View the associated video

Download the iOS app, the Android app, or the Windows Phone app

SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick transfers images across mobile devices, computers

SanDisk, a flash storage solutions provider, has expanded its mobile memory solutions suite with the SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick, a wireless mobile flash drive. Building on its award-winning SanDisk Connect Wireless family, the reinvented SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick enables easy sharing, transferring and accessing of photos and videos between mobile devices and computers through Wi-Fi*.

“With more and more content being consumed on multiple handheld devices, we realized there is a need to reinvent our category of mobile memory solutions. The new SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick, compatible with iOS and Android, is designed to meet the growing storage needs of today’s generation at an affordable price,” said Mark Eng, Country Manager, SanDisk Singapore. “The redesigned SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick is the perfect companion to help people expand storage and wirelessly transfer content on their favorite mobile devices.”

The SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick is Windows 10 compatible, has up to 128GB of capacity and allows up to three mobile devices to transfer content at a time. It can support a single stream for up to 4.5 hours on a single charge**. The SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick is bundled with the SanDisk Connect app, which enables easy management of content between devices*** including iOS and Android devices; tablets; Macs and PCs – all via password-protected Wi-Fi connectivity.

Besides the SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick, SanDisk’s mobile memory solutions now include SanDisk microSD cards; the SanDisk iXpand Flash Drive; the SanDisk Ultra Dual USB Drive and the new Dual USB Drive with Type C Connector.

Interested?

The SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick features a two year warranty**** and is available in Singapore at capacities of 16GB, 32GB, 64GB and 128GB at manufacturer suggested retail prices (MSRPs) of S$49, S$69, S$99 and S$169 respectively.

Read the WorkSmart Asia blog post about SanDisk's other mobile memory solutions.

*Compatibility: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n 2.4Ghz capable device. Mobile device: iOS version 8.0 or higher. Other Wi-Fi enabled devices: a web browser, WebDAV client. PC or Mac: Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, or Mac OS 10.6 or higher

**Based on streaming 720p content at 2mbps to one device; actual life and performance may vary depending upon usage and settings; battery not replaceable
***App available for download on the App Store, Google Play store and Amazon Appstore for Android.
****See www.sandisk.com/wug

Prefer Macs? Acronis Access Connect lets you use them with PCs and mobile devices

Acronis, a data protection specialist, today unveiled Acronis Access Connect – a file and print sharing solution for businesses. Acronis Access Connect (formerly ExtremeZ-IP) integrates Macs into businesses.

With this new release, Acronis Access Connect adds broad support for mobile workers to securely access files using iOS, Android, and Windows phones and tablets. This combined support across the range of PC, Mac and mobile platforms lets employees keep using the devices they love, while enabling IT departments to deliver a seamless, scalable, and problem-free file server access and print sharing experience for users.

With Acronis Access Connect, mobile workers and road warriors can now access their work files wherever they need them using the intuitively designed Access Connect mobile clients for iOS, Android and Windows mobile devices. Minimal or no end user training is required for mobile users, especially those familiar with Mac and Windows file sharing environments.

For IT managers and professionals, Acronis Access Connect eliminates SMB protocol bugs, performance issues and compatibility problems related to integrating Macs into Windows environments, reducing help desk calls by as much as 70%. Acronis Access Connect installs in a matter of minutes on Windows servers, delivering immediate time-to-value for IT administrators and support personnel. The solution allows employees to be more productive when working with files on their PCs, Macs and mobile devices – as they choose.

As bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policies continue to transform the way employees work worldwide, Macs in the workplace are becoming more common. A 2014 survey of 376 IT professionals conducted by Dimensional Research found that user preference is the top reason given by IT administrators for supporting Macs. The survey also found that 66% of businesses are already using Macs today, and more than 70% officially support Macs as a company endpoint.

While many employees clearly prefer Macs, there are challenges from an IT perspective when it comes to file sharing, including compatibility, search performance issues, and a poor user experience. Acronis Access Connect allows Mac users to take advantage of key features they expect when connecting to Windows or networked attach storage (NAS) file servers, including:

· Fast, full content searching using Network Spotlight
· Automatic backups using Time Machine
· Fast browsing of network shares
· Glitch-free operations when using key applications, such as Microsoft Office or Adobe Creative Suite

“Acronis Access Connect cures two of the biggest IT headaches when it comes to file sharing,” said Serguei Beloussov, CEO, Acronis. “First, we help IT support the increasing numbers of Mac users by virtually eliminating file sharing support issues, and second, we have opened up filer server access across any device – empowering all of your employees to work and collaborate from anywhere.”

Interested?

View the associated video. 

Dropbox and Microsoft, working better together

Source: Microsoft.

Dropbox and Microsoft are integrating their services for collaboration across Dropbox and Microsoft Office on phones, tablets and the Web. According to the companies, over 1.2 billion people use Office to get work done, and Dropbox has become home to more than 35 billion Office files.

When users choose to edit a document in Dropbox, the appropriate Office app is offered as the editing platform. The apps then work together to automatically save the changes back to Dropbox. The capabilities will first be available from within the Dropbox and Office apps on tablets and phones, and will soon be accessible via the Web.

“In our mobile-first and cloud-first world, people need easier ways to create, share and collaborate regardless of their device or platform,” said Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft. “Together, Microsoft and Dropbox will provide our shared customers with flexible tools that put them at the center for the way they live and work today.”

“People around the world have embraced Office and Dropbox to empower the way they live and work today,” said Drew Houston, CEO and Co-founder of Dropbox. “Our partnership with Microsoft will make it easier than ever to collaborate seamlessly across these platforms, giving people the freedom to get more done.”

Dropbox and Microsoft users can now do the following:

• Access Dropbox from Office apps to get to their files and folders faster.
• Edit Office files directly from Dropbox and sync them across devices.
• Share new or edited files from the Office apps using simple Dropbox sharing functionality.

The functionality will first be included in the next updates to the Office apps for iOS and Android. The Web integrations between the Dropbox website and Office Online will be available in the first half of 2015. Dropbox will also make its application available on the Windows Phone and Windows tablet platforms in the coming months.

These capabilities will be available to all Office users with a Dropbox account. Dropbox for Business customers will need an Office 365 subscription. More information can be found by visiting the Dropbox blog and the Office blog.