Astro preps new Android cloud sync service -- get your beta invite here

By JR Raphael (@jr_raphael)

Listen up, Android fans: The makers of the popular Astro File Manager for Android have a new cloud sync service in the works, and you can be among the first to try it out.

Astro is prepping a new Android tool called Astro Backup. The service, set to launch in a private beta sometime next week, adds cloud syncing capabilities into the main Astro File Manager program. The Astro team says the service will let you easily sync photos, music, documents, and other content right from the file manager itself. It'll work on both phones and tablets.

A promo graphic for the new Astro Backup Android cloud sync service

The new Astro Backup service will also offer something the company is calling a "Cloud Trash Can," which will give you a way to keep copies of deleted files on Astro's cloud servers in case you ever want to recover them. You can then permanently delete files anytime you want, similar to the way the Recycle Bin works in Windows.

Astro Backup will compete with several existing Android cloud backup utilities, including SugarSync and Titanium Media Sync. The fact that Astro's tool is integrated into a full-fledged file manager will set it apart from the other options, though only time will tell how its feature-set and usability will compare.

Want to get in the private beta and check out Astro Backup for yourself? Sign up at this link and watch your inbox; you should get an email within a minute or two confirming your admission.

I'm not sure how long those beta invites will be available, so if you're interested, you may want to sign up sooner than later. 

JR Raphael writes about smartphones and other tasty technology. You can find him on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+.

Article copyright 2011 JR Raphael. All rights reserved.