remote access

Make use of the built-in VPN service in OS X

If you access your computer remotely, then services like Apple's "Back to my Mac" have their conveniences; however, this and similar services are useful for individual machines only. On the other hand, if you have more than one device on your home network that you might wish to directly access, then using a virtual private network is beneficial as it places your system on your home's network so you can communicate with devices as if you were at home.

Often the implementation of this is to use a hardware-based VPN (likely built into your home router) … Read more

Get LogMeIn Pro and LogMeIn Ignition for $48

Ever wonder how the sausage is made around here? I can't reveal all the tricks of the cheapskate trade, but I do want to shine some light on the "exclusive" deals I occasionally post.

Every so often a developer or vendor approaches me to ask if I'll spotlight one of their products. If it's a killer deal, I'll usually say yes. If it's a product or service I know well and really like, I'll usually say yes.

But sometimes I'll tell the rep or owner outright: This isn't a good … Read more

Get a Pogoplug Family cloud-storage bundle for $29

The ideal backup configuration for a home user is one that combines local and cloud storage, one that works automatically and in the background, and one that's reasonably priced -- for multiple users, not just one.

Bam! Think I've found just the thing, and if you'll excuse a little nepotism, it's right here on CNET.

In fact, it's a CNET exclusive: the Pogoplug Family backup with Pogoplug Mobile for $29 per year. Shipping adds $9.95.

Pogoplug Family is the new Pogoplug cloud-storage service that gives you 100GB of online backup space for up to … Read more

Splashtop for iPad updated to support Retina Display

Users of the Splashtop app, which lets you control your PC from an iPad, will find a few enhancements in the latest version.

Released on Wednesday, Splashtop 2 throws in support for the new iPad's Retina Display, so users can take advantage of the higher resolution. You can also now set up a connection without having to enter an IP address or port numbers. Just install and launch the Splashtop streamer app on your computer and the Splashtop iPad app on your tablet, and your computer automatically pops up as an available connection.

Security has also been beefed up … Read more

Control your Mac from your PC freely and easily

Windows users who want to access and control their Macs can set up a connection using the free Splashtop Remote app.

Accessing a Mac from a PC has always been doable by setting up VNC (virtual network computing) sharing on the Mac and installing a VNC client on the PC. But many people may find it quicker and simpler using Splashtop to create the connection.

Setting up access requires installing the Splashtop Remote app on your Windows PC and the Splashtop Streamer app on your Mac. Both are free and easy to install.

First, download and install the Splashtop Remote app … Read more

Researcher to demo smartphone attack at RSA

A researcher plans to demonstrate an attack on a smartphone at the RSA security conference this week that starts with social engineering via a text message and leads to a malicious Web link that triggers a browser exploit and silently downloads a Trojan.

"It's a demo of a new attack vector on mobile, using a Remote Access Tool" called Nickispy, which showed up a few months ago in China, said Dmitri Alperovitch, formerly of McAfee Labs who is chief technology officer at a brand new startup called CrowdStrike. "No one has publicly demonstrated an end-to-end attack … Read more

Access your computer with your iPhone

TeamViewer is an app that lets you connect to Macs and PCs via the Internet to share desktops, transfer files, walk through presentations, and control other computers remotely--all right from your iPhone. It's even free for noncommercial use, making it a great choice for your pro bono troubleshooting for friends and family, or just for accessing your own Mac from the road.

The interface is simple: you open TeamViewer and you're prompted to either create a session or wait for one. A unique ID and password are created for each session, and you need to have TeamViewer on … Read more

Got a new PC? Get a perfect starter kit - now 83% off

Just in time for the holidays, CNET has partnered with top consumer software publishers to offer an exclusive bundle of six products worth $177.88 for just $30! That's a 83% discount on the leading anti-virus, system care, PDF creator, compression and remote access software.

This great software bundle lets you protect your computer, create and compress documents, and stream media content from your computer to any connected device!

The New PC starter-kit bundle includes the following six software:

Avira Antivirus Premium 2012 - Protect your computer against viruses, malware, adware, spyware, and phishing: reg.$29.99 Smith Micro … Read more

WD My Book Live gets mobile app, personal-cloud features

Owners of the WD My Book Live NAS server can now do a lot more with the storage device via a mobile gadget.

Western Digital announced today the availability of the WD 2go mobile app for the iOS and Android platforms. It turns the NAS server into a personal storage cloud solution.

The app enables users to connect to the NAS server via the Internet using a Wi-Fi network or over a cellular connection. The remote user then can stream to the mobile device digital content, such as music, video, and photos, as well as documents and presentations that are stored on the NAS server.

Multiple users can be granted access to a single WD My Book Live at a time, via different accounts. To do this, the owner of the NAS just needs to create a new user account, using the NAS' Web interface, and enabled remote access on that account. This generates a 12-digit access code, which is entered into the WD 2go app. And that's all it takes for the setup process.

In order to support this new feature and mobile app, the WD My Book Live needs to run the latest firmware, which is a free update.

Other than the mobile platforms, remote users can also access the NAS via any full-featured Internet browser by pointing it to www.WD2go.com. … Read more

Roundup: Remote access iPad apps

There are a number of remote access apps that let you gain control of a PC or a Mac using your iPad. (Many of these apps also work with the iPhone, but I have found that accessing a computer on such a small device is best used only in the case of emergency. Navigating a high-resolution system from the iPad can still feel a bit cramped, but not so much that that you can't use it comfortably.) Remote access apps for the iPad range from the enterprise to the free, and I recently tried out three: LogMeIn Ignition, Splashtop Remote Desktop, … Read more