If you want to securely transfer files between two different locations, it can be difficult to find a slick way of doing it in a way that is also secure. I played around with iTwin ($99), which seems to do just that.
iTwin resembles two flash drives that connect end to end. You plug the pair into your Internet-connected computer — Mac, Linux, or Windows — load the iTwin software from the device and choose a password. Then you break apart the pair, leaving one half in your computer. When you plug in the other half in another Internet-connected computer (again downloading the iTwin software if needed) you can access a special folder or directory on the original computer remotely, and vice versa.
It’s super simple, when you plug half the unit into a computer it automatically launches the software and opens the special sharing folders for each drive, navigating past firewalls and proxies.
It’s a secure transfer as well. The iTwin packs 256-bit encryption, with unique crypto keys generated every time the iTwin units are linked together. There’s even a kill switch so if you lose one of the drives, you can disable it and not have to worry about your sharing folder being compromised.
The natural thought is, why use this and not a cloud-based solution like DropBox or Google Docs? iTwin is great because it really is super easy. As long as both computers are connect to the internet and have USB 2.0 ports, you can collaborate easily and securely. I imagine it’d be a great tool for someone who doesn’t have the time, knowledge, or interest in fiddling around with technology and wants their solution simply to work.
Note that the Mac software is in beta, I didn’t have any difficulties with it but I’ve heard of others who have. I’m told that iTwin is out of Mac beta.
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