I am more often frustrated by Google the last few years that pleased with them. But they do still provide some pretty awesome tools. For example, Chrome Remote Desktop lets you access a computer over the internet (and lets you to allow another user to access your computer securely over the internet).

Chrome Remote Desktop allows users to remotely access another computer through Chrome browser or a Chromebook. Computers can be made available on an short-term basis for scenarios such as ad hoc remote support, or on a more long-term basis for remote access to your applications and files.

Chrome Remote Desktop is fully cross-platform. Provide remote assistance to Windows, Mac and Linux users, or access your Windows (XP and above) and Mac (OS X 10.6 and above) desktops at any time, all from the Chrome browser on virtually any device, including Chromebooks (including Android phones and iPhones). The iPhone app is new.

Some users worry about installing such an app given all the spying and hacking scandals. That is not a completely crazy worry. Google, and others, have been taking advantage of weak user control (and even bugs and work arounds to avoid stated user preferences) to track users and use that information to make money selling ads. With many cool and useful tools there are risk of them being misused. And practices of governments and huge corporations have been so egregious to give a sensible person pause. Still in the right situations this is a pretty cool looking tool (similar things exist but the combination of price [this being free] and simplicity make this interesting).

Related: Chrome Remote Desktop support forum – Using scp (secure copy) to Copy Files Between Computers – Using Rsync to copy Files Between Servers and Computers – Linux/Ubuntu File and Directory Permissions – Governments Shouldn’t Prevent Citizens from Having Secure Software Solutions