Best Mobile Apps For Busy Professionals

External storage provider Western Digital has launched a free app that will give Android and iPhone smartphone users the ability to securely view all photos stored on their home WD network drive anywhere they have an Internet connection.

The Photo Viewer app works with WD's My Book Live, My Book World Edition, or ShareSpace network drive. It's compatible with Apple iPhones and iPads and most Android smartphones, including the Motorola Droid, the HTC Droid Incredible, Nexus One, and the HTC EVO 4G, the Lake Forest, Calif.-based company said. It is available as a free download at the Android Market and Apple App Store.

Once users copy their pictures into the shared pictures folder on their WD network drive, they will have access to their photo library when connected to either their home network or from their compatible mobile devices. The app eliminates the need for uploads to online photo services and having to choose which photos to sync to their smartphone. Users can search for specific photos by name or the date a picture was taken and scroll through thumbnail previews from their Android device.

"Android phones are enjoying a huge success in the market," said Dale Pistilli, VP of marketing for WD's branded products group, in a statement. "By customizing the WD Photos app for Android phones, we provide a greater number of our users a better experience for viewing and sharing the precious photos safely stored at home on their WD home network drives."

Other features of the WD Photo Viewer app include the ability to instantly post pictures on Facebook; create a slideshow with transitions to create digital art; view all photos at once or filter them in a folder or photo album; use search capabilities; email a photo to a friend; assign a photo to a contact; or, on the Apple iOS4, listen to music while viewing photos.

Users must have either a Western Digital My Book Live home network drive (priced at $229.99); a My Book World Edition home network drive (priced at $259.99); My Book World Edition II dual-drive network storage (priced at $519.99); or a WD ShareSpace network storage system (priced at $1,179.99) to use the photo app.

Users must register with WD's MioNet secure remote access service, which is included for free with all WD's network drives, and have an Android device running 2.1 OS or higher, or an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch with 3.1 OS or later.