iTwin Review

April 11, 2011 - The iTwin is a clever solution for everyone who needs the utmost in security for remotely accessing their files or sharing files between two computers. The pair of USB keys has plug-and-play simplicity, though it works a bit differently than common file syncing and remote access software.

The first thing you'll notice about the iTwin is its ingenious design. The USB device's two halves, when connected together, create a unique "key" -- plug one half into your local computer (a desktop at work or home, for example) and the other into your laptop and you gain secure access over the Internet to files shared on each of the computers. Each half is as easy to carry along as a typical USB thumb drive and the iTwin feels very solid and elegantly designed (the apple green color is very nice, but it comes in silver too). An LED indicator light shines blue when connected.

Unfortunately, even though iTwin installation is typically very easy and quick, I had a few mishaps with the setup, largely due to having misplaced the instructions. So if you decide to get the iTwin for yourself, save yourself some confusion and follow the directions: plug in the entire device -- both halves connected and physically paired via its smart connector -- into your first computer, rather than separating the halves and plugging them right away into the two computers. (Although file sharing and remote access works when you do it that way, you'll miss some important security features.)

The setup program is very lightweight and involves only one screen. You'll be prompted to enter your email address to get a unique code and website link so you can later remotely disable the connection between the two halves if you ever lose one of the iTwin halves. This is a very important security feature, as it's notoriously easy to lose a USB drive. I received the device disable code and link in my email within minutes of installing the iTwin, complete with the IDs of the two halves; that's definitely an email to save for future reference.

The iTwin's security features are largely what make the device a very compelling option for remote file access and sharing, as opposed to using cloud storage or remote access software. With the iTwin, you don't need to remember a password to access the files -- the device itself is your physical key, safe from password hackers. Every time the two iTwins are physically paired and plugged into a PC, a random AES 256-bit encryption key is generated, and that key encrypts all data traffic between the two iTwins. You can also set a password for added peace of mind.

Even though there's a lot of encrypting and authentication going on, sharing and accessing remote files using iTwin is pretty fast. In my testing, the iTwin showed a "medium" connection and data transfer rate of 1-3 Mbps.

Sharing files on the iTwin is much like using Dropbox or Live Mesh and other file syncing apps, with some distinctions. Like Dropbox, you'll find a specific container, called iTwin, on your computer where you can drag and drop files to be remotely accessed. This doesn't, however, actually copy the files to a different folder on your drive or the iTwin device itself, it just makes the files accessible to the remote computer. So even when the iTwin is unplugged, you can still access the files on your local drive. A benefit to this set up is that there's no storage limit (other than the size of your hard drive), and no monthly service fees (you just pay the upfront cost of the hardware, $99 at the time of this writing).

If you're used to other file sharing and remote access programs, getting this unique data access concept down may be the biggest hurdle. It's helpful to think of the iTwin like a cable that connects your two computers -- virtually and without the actual cable. You can access, copy, back up and remotely access files on two iTwin-connected PCs. When traveling, for example, you can use iTwin to copy files from your laptop to your home or office computer very easily by dragging the files over using Windows Explorer.

Although the device would be great for sharing files with someone else -- give a client or colleague one half and then drag and drop the files you want to share into the iTwin container -- it's really not ideal for multi-person collaboration. The reason is that if two people try to edit the same file at the same time, the program doesn't warn you or provide any file versioning...whoever saves last wins.

Even with some of the iTwin's disadvantages (being dependent on your Internet access speed and requiring both computers to be turned on and online to work, for example) the device may be the most cost-effective way to access all of your data on another computer. Its plug-and-play simplicity and standout security features make the iTwin pretty revolutionary.

Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.