Box.net brings cloud storage to the iPhone
If you're done playing around with Google Earth for the iPhone, you might be interested in checking out something with some everyday utility. Last week Box.net dropped its iPhone application on the App Store. Just like the mobile Safari-friendly version of yore, this lets you access your cloud-stored files on the go, including documents, music, and movies.The big difference is that this new version takes advantage of your phone's hardware, letting you upload snapped photos and keep an eye on any updates.In the future, once Apple flips the switch on its live notification service this means you'll be able to keep track of file changes as they happen, which makes Box.net's collaborative features all the more attractive. Currently, the only way to see updates is to hit a big refresh button, which will show you any additions or edits to existing files since you launched it. One thing to note is that while the tool lets you see all the files in your cloud storage folders, items must be specifically formatted to play back on the device. I tried to play several Quicktime files (including MP4s, which are supported), and got error messages. This may seem like a no-brainer, but if you're trying to view something important that hasn't been formatted correctly, you're out of luck.That said, if you do have a properly formatted file, it plays great--and in full quality, meaning you don't even need to use iTunes to sync up your content if you're near a high-speed connection. Box.net's iPhone app is completely free and available on the App Store. Box.net's service offers 1GB for free, with two paid monthly plans that cost $8 and $20 and offer 5GB and 15GB of space, respectively.[via Macrumors iPhone blog]
