Review: WiFi Media Sync
There will soon come a day when wired data syncing will be looked back at as the barbaric and uncivilized practice that it is. WiFi Media Sync ($5.99 in the App Catalog) by 8-bit Development is one of the first steps towards that enlightened future, bringing two-way wireless file sync to webOS powered devices over WiFi (Sorry, Sprint Pixi users).
Installation and setup
The application comes in two parts; the first is a PC/Mac utility that is installed on the computer with which you want to sync with, and the second is the webOS application that's downloaded to the phone from the App Catalog with the initial setup process being generally straightforward on both sides.
On the PC client you create a password and configure which folders you'd like the program to sync with. Handily, The PC client also displays your IP address so that you don't have to go hunting around for it. In my particular case, WiFi Media Sync wouldn't play nicely with my firewall setup, so I was forced to disable it any time I wanted to sync files. 8-bit Development assures me that this isn't a widespread issue.
The webOS client is equally straightforward to get up and running - simply enter the IP address of the computer you're looking to sync with, enter the password, and you're ready to go.
Use
Once everything is set up and your sync folder(s) is configured, the program works like a charm. Syncing isn't as seamless as it perhaps could be, and this is more of a minor annoyance, but you have to manually rescan the sync folders on the PC each time you wish to sync. It would be nice to have the option of automatically syncing between the two clients a la The Missing Sync, but alas. After you have scanned for new files and there are files to be brought over, you're able to browse those files and select which ones you'd like to be synced.
Not only can you bring files from your computer, you can upload files to your computer from your phone. You have to configure turn this option on in the PC software, and once you have, you're able to upload nearly any piece of media from your phone. To select media, you're presented with the file picker that you see across webOS.
In photos, the application creates a new "WiFiMediaSync" area specifically for media that's pulled on to the device.
Summary
WiFi Media Sync works great now, and has continued to evolve and become more sophisticated in terms of feature set over time. It's clear that 8-Bit Development is dedicated to furthering this app, and you can bet that as the SDK's feature set expands (as laid out at Palm's Developer Day), so will the feature set in WiFi Media Sync.
So go then, won't you, and throw off the shackles of wired syncing? Trust me: syncing with your computer while your device is charging atop the touchstone is a sight to behold.
