Windows Home Server goes mobile… Phone!

[Today’s post comes courtesy of Joel Burt who is demonstrating Vail + WP7 at the Microsoft Booth at CES]

This week at CES we unveiled a new WP7 add-in to be soon made available for Windows Home Server Code Name “Vail”.  As I have spent all this week showing many of the attendee’s at CES, I wanted to make sure everyone got a chance to see what’s in store for Windows Phone 7 users come the next version, “Vail”.

The Windows Phone 7 add-in creates a new feature on your Windows Phone which is currently called, “My Server”. (However keep in mind as this is in beta, and we expect the name to change when the final product is released.)

The Windows Phone feature requires a Windows Home Server “Vail” setup and running with the Remote Web feature enabled.



Selecting, “My Server” brings us to the first setup screen where you are asked to add your home server connection information.



From here, clicking “add an account” will get you started and on your way to the simple setup wizard.



Enter your Windows Home Server’s Domain name and click Submit.



Once you have submitted the server domain address, you are presented with a request for your username and password. The user account information needed here is the same information that you would use to access the Windows Home Server’s shared folders inside your home. You also have an additional option to add the Administrator Access if you’d like. Adding the administrator’s access will enable you to see your Windows Home Server’s network alerts.



After inputting all the required information, go ahead and click “Sign In”.

If you have entered all the information, including Administrator, you should have 3 screens that you can scroll across; Alerts, Media & Account. Without the Administrator Access enabled, you will only have 2 screens; Media & Account.

Alerts Screen

Just like the Alert option on the Dashboard, you will be presented with all the Alert Notifications on your Windows Home Server.



The Alert information is populated with the same great details the Dashboard would provide. The Windows Phone 7 will display information on the issue at hand and possible ways to resolve the problem.





If you dig further, you are given the ability to Disable/Enable the alert and to even try and repair (when possible – for example, router issue).



Media Screen

With all your music, photos and videos placed on your Windows Home Server, why not take advantage of it? By selecting any of the 3 options, you are presented with your library of content. Smooth streaming music, photos and even videos right from your home to your mobile device away from home!



Music



Videos



Photos



Account Screen

The account screen presents you with the ability to logout of the Windows Home Server Add-in.



 

The Windows Phone 7 “My Server” app also adds an option under picture sharing. This option will upload pictures to your home server if selected as long as you’re still logged in!

Start by taking a picture with your phone and opening the options.



After opening the option menu, select “share” to open the sharing options.



Tap “upload to My Server” and let your Windows Phone 7 handle the rest!

The Windows Phone will create a new folder with its “phone name” called Mobile Uploads within the Windows Home Server pictures folder. Inside this folder, you can view all the photos you have uploaded from your phone both inside and outside your home.



If you are at CES make sure you come by the Microsoft Booth area, and check this out for yourself!


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