The Kingston MobileLite Wireless G2 is a great update to the original G1 model (see earlier post).
This is a "wireless multi reader" -- primarily for accessing and sharing and copying media and documents from moble phones and tablets -- but also much more...
You can use it with your personal data to copy and move files between computers and your mobile devices and backup your mobile files (and photo roll).
And you can use it to share your media collections or files -- simultaneously sharing photos or documents with eight users or even streaming file HD movies.
What It Does
The MobileLite G2 has two ways to access data, a SD card slot for reading memory cards (including smaller microSD cards with an adapter), and a USB port for reading USB flash drives. This way, you can pull a SD card from your digital camera, or load files from your laptop on a USB drive, and then access one or both on your portable devices.
The MobileLite also has a microUSB port that you can use to connect to a computer to use as a media reader.
But the core use for the MobileLite is a wireless reader, so it has a built-in Wi-Fi hotspot so that you can connect to it from your mobile device and then use the MobileLite app to view and transfer files.
To access the MobileLite from your device, select it from the Wi-Fi settings. However, this means that you will no longer be connected to the Internet. No problem -- the G2 has a second Wi-Fi radio that you can set to connect to your home Wi-Fi, so you can access files from the G2 and still browse the Internet.
The G2 also is mobile, with a built-in battery that can provide up to 13 hours of continuous use. Or you can use it as a 4640 mAh portable power pack to charge a smartphone up to two times.
The G2 also adds an Ethernet port that you can connect to an Internet cable (e.g., from your home or hotel router) and use the G2 as a mobile router to extend the wired Internet signal as a shared Wi-Fi connection.
Using the App
This is impressive flexibility, which is realized through the free MobileLite app (for iOS, Android, and Kindle). The MobileLite app is wonderfully well designed -- clear, staightforward, and consistent in its use.
The main screen connects to the MobileLite over Wi-Fi and displays thubnails of files stored in the three possible storage locations: external SD card, external USB drive, and Offline (local storage on your mobile device). You then can browse each of the three file locations, sort by attributes, search, and directly view individual files and play media in common formats.
Plus you can manage files, rename and delete files, and create folders. Or select one or more files to move or copy between different devices, between SD and USB, or between the external storage and the local storage on your device.
You also can use the built-in iOS features to access and copy files between applications, using Open In to transfer a file to another app, or from other apps to the MobileLite app. For photos and videos, you can copy (and backup) selected photos or albums from the Camera Roll.
The Kingston MobileLite Wireless G2 provides a welcome bridge between your mobile devices and your larger collections of files and media. You can transfer and save and backup your own files, and share photo collections or important documents with a group. Plus the built-in Wi-Fi and Ethernet connections extend the bridge to the Internet so you can work locally and access the Web at the same time.
The Kingston G2 is about 5.08 x 3.11 x 0.76 inches and just over 6 ounces, and is available for around $31.
Find the Kingston MobileLite Wireless G2 on Amazon.com