If they're hosting the files, then it is no better than Drop.io.
If the files are hosted off your own computer, then you still rely on them for redirection (same problem with URL shorteners).
I don't like this solution anyways, since a 3rd party will have a server with at least 2 nines, my desktop wouldn't hit that even if I intentionally left it on.
I love my TonidoPlug. I bought one last spring and have been using it as my own storage and sharing for photos, videos, and other media.
This sharing feature works very well, I use it quite a bit to share media files with collaborators (mostly to get uncompressed music scores that I produce for web media up to the director). And no, it doesn't take any kind of 3rd party service-- you could just as easily point a different domain at your TonidoPlug and be all set to go.
It has a lot of other useful features too-- I wasn't home when Ubuntu 10.10 came out, but I was able to log in from my phone and get the torrent started, in a simple and easy way. By the time I got home later that day, there it was, waiting for me. (All of this from a "server" that only pulls 2-5 watts and thus keeps my energy bills lower).
I have really enjoyed owning the Plug (and using the software) for its convenience and ease of use. I would recommend it without hesitation.
If they're hosting the files, then it is no better than Drop.io.
If the files are hosted off your own computer, then you still rely on them for redirection (same problem with URL shorteners). I don't like this solution anyways, since a 3rd party will have a server with at least 2 nines, my desktop wouldn't hit that even if I intentionally left it on.