Intel Pair & Share: You Don't Need Apple TV to Do the Trick

Sharing has become part of the virtue when technology comes into the topic. Media sharing that works seamlessly between PC and mobile devices is the dream that software and apps developers have been working very hard to achieve. Not only because the King of post PC devices (iPad) doesn't have a USB port, but also because nobody likes to be cluttered by annoying cables. How about the idea of showing off your vacation photos in your iPad to your friends by mirroring it on your laptop or WiDi enabled HDTV? Some of you might call me an outdated moron (Hey dude, we have an amazing stuff called AirPlay!!!), yes, I'm definitely aware of that stuff, but to be honest, how many of you have an Apple TV?


This is a totally cost free method, as long as you have a intel powered PC with Windows 7 (if your PC is running on AMD processor, you are out of luck), a mobile device running on either iOS & Android, and a stable home WiFi connection. Besides PC, those who own TV sets with built-in WiDi (Wireless Display) can also try this method.


Alright, here comes the method. First, download the Intel Pair & Share Software for PC from Intel Download Center, then install it on your Windows 7 PC. Next, search the Intel Pair & Share app from App Store or Android Market (depends on your mobile device). Download and install the app on your device (as for me, I installed it on my iPad2). When you are done, launch both the PC version and the app version on both your devices. You can now put your full concentration on the screen of your mobile Pair & Share app. On the screen, check if the app manage to detect your PC, if it does, your PC name should be listed on the app display. To connect your mobile device to your PC, just tap on your PC's name on the screen and it will start connecting and eventually prompting you to key in a set of code, which is now displayed on your PC desktop version of Intel Pair & Share. Just key in the code and both devices will be connected instantly. Now, all you need to do is just browse through your device's photo collection (Intel will automatically locate your photo albums for you) and tap on the photos that you want to display on your laptop widescreen or HDTV. You can select multiple photos and as you tap on each of the photo, it will simultaneously appear on your widescreen. Don't worry, only a single photo that you tap on it will be displayed to the public, so you are totally under control.


Once you are done with the show, you can either choose to disconnect both devices from the app, or just simply close both the desktop software and the mobile app to cut off the connection.


This app works on all iOS devices (iPad, iPod Touch, and iPhone) and Android devices. Only photo can be shared through this method. The screenshots below are captured from my iPad and PC.