20110616-055113.jpg

The app claims to let you use Flash and you can go to any site you want. Based on that statement it would seem this app is the best thing since ESPN came out with Sports Center. However the app seems more like you are connecting into a computer instead of using a native iOS app. You literally can see the mouse cursor on the screen. The is because it opens up a Firefox browser remotely somewhere. Not to sure how safe that is. Browsing is sluggish on all sites but to its credit; Cloud Browse does run flash.

So after downloading Cloud Browse you still need to sign up for a Premium Account to get full benefits of the service. Some of the listed benefits are . Unlimited session time because now you are cur off after just a few moments. What is a few moments? Just 10 minutes of surf time before you are cut off. Faster streaming video (2x-3x) depending on bandwidth and hardware is one more listed feature. This would be a huge help as of now it’s like watching molasses on hot day drip down a tree. No ads while surfing. This should not be a paid feature but something that is included as part of the $2.99 you already pay. Storage to save bookmarks, history and plugins and is backed up daily so you won’t lose all of your data in case of hardware failure. This concerns me greatly. Where is my data being held and what else is being captured? Some soon to come features are not that spectacular. Users will be able to use the closest data center to service their account and higher resolution for iPhone 4.

20110616-055231.jpg

It would be fine if signing up for a Premium Account was free but no it is not. After some thought if you were able to get past the privacy issues and bit the bullet; you would have one more surprise. The fee for a beta ( yes I said beta) is a recurring fee. I would and have paid for Skyfire. That was a one time fee and it worked just fine. You can pay for the subscription with a credit card or using a PayPal account. They seem to be cutting Apple out of the 30% by not using iTunes for billing.

The beta period is still  TBD. The cost is $5.99/month and surprisingly,  that is a 40% discount from our normal price of $9.99. If you cancel within the 48 hours trial period, you will NOT be charged. As a beta user, you’ll get early access to the features of Premium Account as they are developed.

Pro: The app does indeed let you surf to any flash site. You have a full Firefox browser on your mobile device

Con: The big con is the cost. At a cost of $2.99  you still get ads. Then you have to pay $5.99 to get rid of the ads but the speed does not change. This is more of a cloud based service more so than an app. It should be advertised as such.

Cost: $2.99

Aye/Nay: This is a Nay. This program has been tested on iOS 4 & iOS 5 on iPad 2. It moved just as slow on both. The cost, lack of speed and privacy issues make this app not worth it. $2.99  is not worth it. Get Skyfire instead.

iTunes Link: Cloud Browse

By Rubens Saintel

Proud father, #Haitian, photographer, consultant, writer & entrepreneur. I love video games, movies, plays, technology (surprise), beta testing apps and all things sci-fi. SaintelDaily.com |AppleWatch101.com | NBA101.com