Content streaming service QuikIO has added AirPlay integration that will let users send media from their iPhones and iPads to an Apple TV while still multitasking on their devices.
QuickIO works by linking up a PC or a Mac with an iOS device to provide access to files on your hard drive. With the new integration, it’s possible to transfer or stream from a computer to an iPhone or iPad and then send it on to an Apple TV.
The iOS apps have been available in the App Store for free since launching, but the iPhone version will eventually cost $0.99 and the iPad app will go for $1.99.
This service has massive potential to take the headache out of cross-device media management. From my initial tests of the app, it’s quite fast and highly intuitive. Once you install the desktop app, you login either via Google, Facebook or QuikIO account and tell it what folders to index (it can handle documents, photos, movies and music). It took a couple minutes to index a few thousand files, and then they were instantly accessible from my iPhone. When I went to stream a video, it began playing automatically. If you want to share files, you can use the QuikBox feature to email links to your friends.
It’s worth pointing out that QuikIO isn’t a cloud service, so it doesn’t store your files on a separate server. That’s either a plus or a negative depending on how you look at it, but it does make things faster and hopefully more private. The downside is that you’ll need to keep the app open in the background on your computer if you want to get at files that you haven’t locally stored on your mobile device.
QuikIO CEO Michael Chen says the service has already attracted tens of thousands of users and is growing “exponentially.” Moving forward, the company plans to add the ability to transfer among iOS devices and Android-based products.
The startup, which is comprised of Cisco veterans, emerged out of stealth mode in November 2012 before launching its iPhone app last December. It has raised $1.28 million from Enspire Capital and angel investors.
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