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Turn Your iPhone Into a Web Server

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the because-you-can dept.

miller60 writes "A Japanese company called Freebit has released ServersMan, an app that turns the iPhone into a web server. It debuted in Japan in February, has now been launched in the US, and is being touted as a 'Personal Data Center.' Freebit also has a video with additional information on server-enabling your iPhone. 'Once the app is installed, PCs on the internet can access the iPhone to upload or download files through a browser or they can use the webDAV protocol. If the PC and the iPhone are on the same network, the PC can connect directly. If they are on separate networks, then FreeBit's VPN software will engage the connection.'"

14 of 158 comments (clear)

  1. Hah, you wish by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Banned from the app store in 3, 2, 1...

    1. Re:Hah, you wish by MBGMorden · · Score: 4, Insightful

      if it does contain some limits, like they say unlimited* phone calls and sms (* max 3000 mins per month).

      That just seems so deceptive it's terrible that it's allowed to go on. Basically: "Unlimited* internet and phone service! (*Not really, we lied.)"

      I can understand that they don't REALLY want to sell unlimited, but in that case it should instead be listed as:

      3000 Minutes per month and 10,000 SMS messages per month - $45

      Or whatever, rather than stating it as unlimited and then "defining" unlimited as something clearly NOT unlimited. It's like telling your buddy that you just "hung out" with his girlfriend last weekend and nothing more, but then trying to hide somewhere you're redefining "hung out" to really mean "banged like bunnies". In all other walks of life that's just called a lie.

      --
      "People who think they know everything are very annoying to those of us who do."-Mark Twain
  2. How long until... by orkybash · · Score: 4, Insightful

    ...apple/AT&T decides that running web servers from iPhones is taking up too much of the network's bandwidth and they flip the kill switch on this app though? I guess as long as people are just using it for personal file storage...

    1. Re:How long until... by jez9999 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Exactly. I'm surprised Apple are letting this fly as it is. They don't even want you running Flash on your iPhone, let alone using it as a web server.

      --
      == Jez ==
      Do you miss Firefox? Try Pale Moon.
    2. Re:How long until... by rm999 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Yeah, I don't see why they are referring to this as a "server", it's bad PR. No ISP technically lets you run a server, so why would a provider let you run one through their cell towers?

      Instead, they should call it a personal data syncing app or something.

    3. Re:How long until... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      No price gouging, monopolist, cheapskate, massively overselling, American or eastern Canadian, residential ISP technically lets you run a server

      FTFY.

    4. Re:How long until... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Why do (task)? Why not just do (alternative)?
       
      Just because you don't see the utility in this doesn't mean there isn't any.

    5. Re:How long until... by NeoSkandranon · · Score: 2, Insightful

      "I can easily imagine AT&T jumping for joy over anything that will produce more billable traffic"

      I think the iPhone only comes with "unlimited" data, so I don't know that ATT will be that thrilled...

      --
      If you can't see the value in jet powered ants you should turn in your nerd card. - Dunbal (464142)
  3. Re:apache? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Well...

    Once the app is installed, PCs on the internet can access the iPhone to upload or download files through a browser or they can use the webDAV protocol. If the PC and the iPhone are on the same network, the PC can connect directly. If they are on separate networks, then FreeBit's VPN software will engage the connection

    From the summary... That is something apache does not do out of the box.

  4. just because you can by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    doesn't mean you should.

  5. iPhone App Saturation... by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I have friends who been encouraging me to get into iPhone apps to make a million dollars. That would've make sense if I was into developing for the iPhone before there was an apps store. Now, a gazillion apps later, the market is getting saturated with useless apps. I got better things to do than put a web server on an iPhone.

  6. No, it's called Mobile Web Server by upside · · Score: 2, Insightful

    It's been done before and it's $0.

    My mobile webserver

    My mobile site

    --
    I'm sorry if I haven't offended anyone
  7. Go ahead and turn your iPhone into a web server by al0ha · · Score: 2, Insightful

    If you are completely unconcerned with security of the data on your iPhone.
    Just because it can be done does not mean it should be done.
    Dang, and we'd finally gotten companies to isolate web servers from sensitive data systems and now this stupid idea.

    --
    Did you ever wake up in the morning, with a Zombie Woof behind your eyes? -- FZ
  8. You're accurately describing next month's happenin by Herve5 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Indeed. VoIP by Apple.
    Why do you think they are reworking the iPod touch?
    Apple has the way to relay from one market to another like noone else.
    While all others still are working to duplicate iTune store they already switched to micro-application sales (iApps); similarly, they are preparing for a world where internet connections via GSM phones (call it 3G or what) will be more complex than via Wifi.
    You can bet they'll be running their supersimple, proprietary VoIP solution for months when the others just begin to understand.
    And at the beginning people will just tell, well, what you just told...

    --
    Herve S.