Pogoplug Beta turns your computer into a personal cloud server

Pogoplug has been best known for hardware up until now. Sure, there's obviously a software component involved in letting you access your files once you've purchased a Pogoplug, but when people think about it, they usually visualize the device and not the software.

That may change, however, since the company behind Pogoplug is getting ready to unveil a software-only solution that will turn your computer into a personal cloud file and printer server. The new software is currently in invite-only Beta stage, and, as such, is being referred to as Pogoplug Beta. To get in, just head to the sign-up page and toss your name in the hat. The Beta is free, but the finished product won't be -- so now's your chance to try before you buy.

Once you've installed the Pogoplug Beta software on your computer, you'll have online access to the files on that computer from almost anywhere, including dedicated apps for iPhone, iPad, and Android. You'll be able to stream music and movies to the aforementioned mobile devices, as well as Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Internet-enabled TVs, and most media players. Remotely printing on your home printer is also possible, just remember to install the Pogoplug print driver on your computer first. There are also some nifty file management features, as well as support for any external drives you have hooked to your computer.

The Pogoplug Beta desktop app is compatible with Windows XP, Vista, and 7, and Mac OS X 10.6 or newer. Sign up for the Beta here.

Tags: apps, audio streaming, AudioStreaming, personal cloud, PersonalCloud, pogoplug, pogoplug beta, PogoplugBeta, remote access, remote file transfer, remote printing, RemoteAccess, RemoteFileTransfer, RemotePrinting, utilities, video streaming, VideoStreaming