I was rather excited when the iTwin came across my desk. It came in a very small package, but you know what they say, “good things come in small packages.” To my delight, this device happened to be a very good thing. I found this device to be perfect for the business professional on-the-go. It looks like two USB flash drives connected to each other. Doesn’t matter what side you plug in, you just plug in and it installs automatically, like a plug and play device (make sure both sides are connected). Once it’s installed, it acts like a private connection between the host computer and the client computer. For those of you familiar with Dropbox, it works similarly. You have a shared folder that you can download files from. An advanced feature over Dropbox is that it will automatically transfer the file to the computer you’re intending it to send to. You simply just copy a file into the “remote” or “local” computer.
Depending on which computer you started with will determine which one is the “local” computer. I found it not to really matter, since I’ve used this on several devices. You simply just have to install it on the new device with both pieces so that it can identify where the local computer is. Even then, there is no master/slave relationship going on. Each end acts alike and with no advantage over the other, they’re just labelled differently. I found the setup to be very easy; however I did hit a snag. When I tried installing it on a non-administrator account on my home computer, it would not allow me to install, even after prompting me to put in my password. I didn’t really like that so much because if you take it from a business angle, large corporations do not let their users be admins on their computer. If someone wanted to use this device, that would have to be an administrator on both computers used. Aside from the installing inconvenience, I found this device to be awesome. You can transfer any file, file size, or folder as long as both sides have an internet connection. Your connection speed between the two devices you’re transferring is the main factor in distribution. It’s great on the go because you can upload all the files you need beforehand, and then download them later when you actually need them. This way if you forget to download the files, but you remembered to bring your iTwin, you’re in good hands because you can still retrieve those files. Just remember, you can’t use this device like you can with a remote desktop connection. You cannot just go into the computer you’re trying to access and grab any file. You must share the file prior to downloading it.
Don’t worry about the security being comprised. It uses an AES-256 hardware-enabled encryption. There are no passwords, VPN logins, nothing. Just simply having the device plugged in is good enough. If you lose your device, your bases are still covered. You can simply use the remote disconnect feature to keep your files safe. For additional safety, you can also put a password on your device if you deem it necessary.
This device is small. It’s 90mm x 21mm x 8mm. It can easily fit in your pocket. The connector on the back of the drive (not the traditional USB end) is a proprietary, patent-pending technology that’s the first of its kind because of its symmetry. The LED indicators denote 1 of 3 things. 1. Constant blue light means it’s fully operational. 2. Blinking blue light means there’s a data transfer happening. 3. A red light which we’ve all come to love and identify as an error.
This product works with Windows XP, Vista and 7. It requires 512MB RAM, 15MBs on your hard drive, a USB 2.0 port and a broadband internet connection. You can buy this file superstar in gunmetal or green at a price of $99. With shipping and handling, attach another $15 and you have a final price of $114. For the price and convenience, it’s totally worth it. The amount of time and headaches that can potentially be saved outweigh the initial cost. I would’ve liked to see this be able to share all files sort of like in a remote desktop connection, but maybe that’s for another version.
