QNAP, a Network Attached Storage (NAS) manufacturer based in Taipei (Taiwan), has just announced their beta version of QMobile. QMobile is an Android app that uses QNAP’s NAS servers as hosts to stream user data to Android phones. Or as QNAP explains, it’s the “world’s first multimedia player solution for Android.” If you store your pictures, music and video on a QNAP server, then you will have more room for other data on your phone. You won’t need to sync your multimedia either, since QMobile streams it from the QNAP server.
QMobile v.0.9.1 for Android supports Android 1.5 (Cupcake), 1.6 (Donut), and 2.1 (Eclair). No word on 2.2 (Froyo) support. The NAS itself must be running v3.3.0 firmware. These QNAP NAS units must hold a tremendous amount of network storage, as QNAP is marketing QMobile’s ability to ” view and play terabytes of photos, music, and video files on the NAS by QMobile from anywhere regardless of the actual storage size of your [mobile device] as long as Internet access is available.”
You can download QMobile Beta here (zip file). Install onto your device and log into the site below for a live demo.
Host: demo.qnap.com
Username: qnap
Password: qnap
Oh yeah, they have an app for iPhone too (v.1.0.4). And from looking at this page, it looks like the Android app wasn’t first out of the gate.
Since most of us don’t have our own server network in the garage, and the typical workplace takes a dim view of putting terabytes of personal material on the corporate server, I am curious where the market is for these mobile apps. QNAP does sell NAS servers for the home and SOHO (Small Office/Home Office) sectors.
Additional source:Talk Android