
Mobile Air Mouse
Do you have the same problems using your iPhone / MBP:
- using Apples ‘Remote’ App does’nt allow you to start your iTunes visualizer…
- using ‘Rowmote’ allows you to use different Apps, but you can’t control Applications not in the Rowmote-List…
So – what I was missing is a app which controls the mouse (or is an replacement for the multitouch pad of the MBP) and all the other stuff.
In the app store I found an application called ‘AIR MOUSE’ – and the description sounded really interesting.
To use ‘Mobile Air Mouse’ on your iPhone / iPod Touch you need to be aware about some points:
- Air Mouse is working within you local WLAN topology
- on the target computer has to be installed a little server app which can be downloaded here
- the ‘AIR MOUSE’ app itself has to be installed on your mobile device
The application itself works like an additional multitouch trackpad (note: not all the gestures of your MBP are recognized) which is connected remotely to your computer.
I’m using it to control my MBP when it’s connected to my 42″ LCD TV or to a beamer.
Two main setups are available: portrait & landscape
Portrait mode:
While using the portrait mode you can use the display as a ‘normal’ trackpad – an area on the bottom of the trackpad with two yellow triangles indicates the scroll-control of the touchpad. So moving your finger in the scroll area scrolls the display on the remote computer. Tapping the touchpad is related to a single or double click (one tap –> single click, two taps –> double click). Tapping the touchpad once with two fingers end up in showing of the context menu (right-click).
But you are also able to use the accelerators of your mobile device to move the cursor on the remote screen – click on the ‘swap-view’ icon in the right hand top corner of your device: your device now shows up an additional yellow ‘line-area’ in the top middle position of the device-display.
Click on this area with one finger and hold it – moving now the device over it’s axis will result in movements of the cursor on the remote screen. Clicking with a second finger on the left side of the area does a left-button click, clicking on the right hand side beside the area does a ‘right-button click’ and shows the context-menu.
Landscape mode:
The landscape mode does not provide the accelerators – so you only can use the normal remote trackpad feature here. The scroll-buttons are on the right-hand side now.
This mode can be switched-off by deselecting the ‘Force Vertical’ button at the settings menu.
‘AIR MOUSE’ also accepts shaking moves to show up (or hide) the keyboard on the device’ display.
The keyboard area (if displayed – don’t forget to shake ;-)) is full of additional features:
- controlling your iTunes library (previous song, next song, play / pause, volume +/-, mute, AppStore)
- your browser (previous page, next page, search, home, refresh, stop, favourites, zoom in/out)
- Function keys (including custom setups, page down/up, cursor movements, ESC, DEL, ENTER, HOME)
So – for now it seems to be the perfect application controlling my MBP while it is connected to my external display devices.