DataCase

Developer: Veiosoft, LLC
Price: $6.99
Version Reviewed: 1.0

iPhone Integration [rating:5/5]
User Interface [rating:4/5]
Re-use / Replay Value [rating:5/5]
Overall Rating:

DataCase provides the iPhone OS functionality that should have been built into the device from the start. Perhaps Apple will get around to it in the future, but for now, DataCase is the wireless drive and document viewer to be beat.

DataCase works with any Mac or Windows computer that is connected to the same wireless network as your iPhone OS device. Once DataCase has been launched, it will appear quickly in the list of network computers. In addition, the shares are also accessible via FTP. The FTP address will be shown on the front screen once the application has started.

One key difference this application has is that it does not require any special application on the desktop computer to connect to it. This makes it very convenient for quickly moving files in one off situations.

Once connected you will see two shares by default, a drop box and a regular read / write share. But you can create up to 16 share volumes, each with their own security settings. Share volumes work just like disk drives on the computer. With respect to the security of the share, you can read/write files just as you would on any drive.

To view the list of volumes or create new ones, you click on the large folder icon on the main screen of the iPhone OS application. From there you will see a familiar iPhone OS list control showing what is has been created with the usual edit button for making changes and additions.

The security options for the shares are very well thought out. You can enable each of the following for each share:

Confirm Connect -- require a confirmation for access on the iPhone OS for each computer that connects.

Hidden -- hide the share -- the user will need to know the name to access it.

Browsable -- connected users can view a list of the files in the share.

Readable -- connected users can read the files in the share.

Writable -- connected users can write to the share.

iTunes Backup -- turning this on will make iTunes backup the files you load onto the device. Always a good idea and a great feature.

But file storage and sharing is just one part of this application. The other function is file viewing. From the list of shares, you can click on any share to view the files in that share. If you click on any Microsoft Office -- Word, Excel, Powerpoint, PDF, text, image, html, or audio / video file, DataCase will allow you to view it. Note that only audio / video files that the iPhone can normally play will work.

The file viewer is a nice addition, but it still needs a little work. While the controls in the viewer are consistent with the rest of the application, they are rather intrusive for a file viewer. With the small size of the screen, the controls need to minimized and maybe even disappear while viewing files to maximize the document space.

Overall Rating:

This is a fantastic application and increases the usefulness of your iPhone by allowing you to store and share files with any computer on your network and view those documents on the go. This application easily eliminates the need to carry a flash drive with you. If this is something you find yourself needing, this is the application for you.