I was listening to the [latest episode][1] of “Unprofessional” with Lex Friedman and Dave Wiskus, and found myself quite intrigued by one of their sponsors, [Transporter][2]:
Transporter is a private “off-cloud” storage device for syncing, sharing, accessing, and protecting your digital life. No cloud, no fees, no privacy concerns. Your files are only stored on your Transporters and computers and mobile devices that you authorize.
Basically, you purchase a Transporter device — empty or with a hard drive pre-installed — plug it into your router, and then use it just as you already use Dropbox or Google Drive. Files are accessible on devices you authorize, and you can share individual files or folders with friends and family.
There is [an iOS app][4] for accessing your data on-the-go, and while it’s certainly not the prettiest app in the world, at least [the icon isn’t blue][5].
I can see something like this being a fantastic solution for people who [may have concerns about their privacy][3] when it comes to a cloud solution. And, though there is [a higher up-front cost][6] compared to Dropbox or Google Drive, there are no recurring fees. A Transporter with a 1TB drive is $299, 2TB is $399, or if you have your own drive you can buy an empty Transporter for $199.
I’m going to pick up a Transporter with the 2TB drive this week, and will report back once I’ve had a chance to play with it.
[1]: http://www.muleradio.net/unprofessional/38/
[2]: http://www.filetransporter.com/learn-more/
[3]: http://brooksreview.net/2012/07/dropbox-security-4/
[4]: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/connected-data/id613859212?mt=8
[5]: http://brooksreview.net/2010/10/seeing-blue/
[6]: http://filetransporterstore.com