Here is how it works. Weezo will run a configuration script on the first startup. The script will start the core services and perform connection checks to ensure that the server is accessible from a local network and the Internet.

weezo

A free Weezo account can be created during setup of the server. The account offers the advantage that a permanent url is associated with it which can be used to access the server. This is similar to a service that offers a permanent domain name for dynamic IPs. It is possible to use the program anonymously, but this means that users connected to the computer need the right IP address to do so.

The Weezo server interface is then started on the computer, providing the means to configure the the shared contents and users as well as core configuration options and an activity monitor that displays information about logged in users and server status changes.

All resorts around user groups and resources. Groups are used to allow or block access to resources. The administrator for instance has access to all resources by default while the public group does not.

Groups are protected with passwords and can be further protected by adding allowed IPs. Options to provide a distinct website theme, sounds and sticky notes are provided as well.

Resources are the core of the server. Here it is possible to enable file access and sharing, blog and websites, communication modules like chat or webcam, bookmarks, web TV, a web proxy routing traffic through the Weezo website and additional modules.

Some interesting resources are the following:

• Photos Album: Share photos with anyone connecting to the server.
• Music and Videos: Listen to music or watch videos remotely, great for sharing music and videos with friends.
• RSS Reader, bookmarks: Access and share RSS feeds and bookmarks easily wherever you are

music player

One click install / download options are provided for popular web scripts such as WordPress, Joomla or phpBB even though they are not always offered in the latest version. MySQL can be installed as well as it is a requirement for several of the scripts.

remote access server

Some modules were not completely translated into English, only offered in French. WordPress for instance was available in French. It was however no problem to change the configuration files on the local system to change the language to English. This is also the way to update scripts to their latest versions.

Admins have direct access to MySQL, phpMyAdmin, the Apache configuration and pretty much every other server configuration file. Helpful for instance to import a database or make modifications to the remote server.

Ports can be changed in the configuration, the default port is 80. It is furthermore possible to use a secure connection (SSL) to connect to the server.

Screenshots:

remote access server

remote desktop

remote file explorer

rss feed sharing

server login

Weezo offers a one-click installation server for web scripts, file sharing and remote file access. It provides rights management and an easy to understand admin interface that can be used to configure most, but not all, of the options of the server.

Some operations require manual configuration changes, which definitely will be a problem for inexperienced users. There is for instance no option to update WordPress to the latest version from within the admin interface.

Weezo is available for download at the developer’s website.

T-Mobile G1 users can access the Android Market to download additional applications for their cell phone. One of the interesting applications is the remote PC access software Android Remote which makes it possible to access and control music and videos on the Android phone from any computer system running the server application. To achieve this the Android Remote PC access software has to be installed on the Android cell phone and the Gmote Server application on the PC that the user wants to access remotely.

The Gmote software for remote PC access can be downloaded directly from Android Market to the cell phone. Users can perform a search to find the PC remote application which is located in the Multimedia category. The second required step is to download and install the PC remote access server application (from here) to the computer system that should be accessed by the Android phone. The remote server application is available for Windows, Macintosh and Linux operating systems.

A window will show up after execution of the server application asking for a password that is used to protect the contents from third parties. The very same password has to be entered on the Android phone on first usage.

The user can then add files and folders to the server so that they can be accessed and controlled from the Android phone.

The Gmote application can establish a connection over a wireless network or cellular network’s data connection.

Music can be streamed from the computer system to the Android phone. Everything else, e.g. playing movies, controlling PDF or PowerPoint presentations, is happening on the server system while being controlled from the Android phone. The Gmote application on cell phone can be used as a wireless touchpad and keyboard which extends its functionality further. All in all a very interesting remote PC access application that might come in handy in many different situations.