If you own a Synology NAS (network attached storage) box, then life just got a lot better for you. Why? Because the company just released a pair of apps for your Android device that will let you control/access certain aspects of your NAS unit.

First off, we have DS Video. Just like it sounds, this lets you stream any of the video content stored on your NAS directly to your Android device. It automatically sorts the videos into categories: movies, tv shows, home videos, and recorded programs. And if you have a DTV dongle on your NAS, you can even remotely manage the recording schedule. It's worth noting, however, that some of this functionality requires the newest beta (4.2) of DiskStation Manager.

Secondly, Synology also released DS Download. This app allows you to view your download task list directly from your mobile, as well as information about each task, and control (pause, resume, or delete) individual tasks, create new tasks, and more.

Naturally, both apps are free of charge, other than the prerequisite of actually owning a Synology NAS.