Although we live in a world saturated with powerful pocket devices, it’s often surprisingly difficult to get a simple file from one device to another. We have to contnd with multiple connection methods, multiple operating systems and multiple apps — sometimes even multiple authentication tags.
The Egg (by Eggcyte, naturally) is — true to its name — an egg-shaped device that acts as a personal server. Mobile devices such as iPhones, iPads and Android devices connect to The Egg to receive and send files sent by other mobile devices via a Web browser or companion app. It can also be used to stream HD movies that can take up a lot of room on a phone; the company claims 10 to 12 hours of battery life. Unlike some other products, The Egg can also be attached directly to PCs via USB and also be accessed remotely from home.
But other than its shape, what sets it apart from similar products is a small screen that allows previews of files. The Egg is available in a number of capacities starting at $199 for a 64 GB version and moving up to $399 for a 256 GB version. Unlike competitive products, there’s n way to expand The Egg’s memory with a microSD card. (Such a slot would also be helpful for transferring files to and from The Egg.) Preordering requires a $10 deposit and shipments are slated to begin in October.
The Egg is a nice twist on a category that has seen interests from flash memory giants such as SanDisk and Kingston along with a high-capacity hard drive-based version from Seagate . It’s unclear how well the small screen will work for previewing full-length movies or text documents but it should be helpful for photos as long as they’re visually distinct enough.