Free remote PC access for iPhone and iPod Touch

Remote PC access software company Orb has announced support for iPhone and iPod touch, allowing users to stream their music, movies, and TV without being locked into iTunes.

To start, users must install Orb on their "always on" Windows machine, and then allow Orb to bypass any firewalls and anti-virus software. It then displays the media in the Windows default folders: My Documents, My Music, My Videos and My Photos. Other folders can be added at will by the user.

These directories can then be accessed through Safari on the iPhone and iPod Touch, and with an appropriate media player, any music and video files can be played. Conceivably, any connected device -- other desktops, laptops, properly-equipped handsets and PDAs, and video game consoles -- can access the content.

Yes, Orb is only for Windows, it supports Vista, XP SP2, or XP Media Center ('04 or '05), and requires 512MB of RAM, 100MB of available disk space, and a processor equivalent to the AMD Atholon 3200+ or 2.4 Ghz Intel Pentium IV.

While the remote PC access market has many options, affording the user control of their connected home computer anywhere, most require a monthly fee. Orb is also designed to be used in a social fashion, unlike the more straightforward style of others like Gotomypc.com.

Orb offers a free solution that, in effect, eliminates the drive size limitations of handhelds, and may alter the syncing demands of Apple's devices.