Sunday, October 30, 2005

This one is on the techie side of things but the end results are extremely cool. To get this working you will need a computer with either Bluetooth or WiFi; a phone or PDA, also with Bluetooth or WiFi, and Salling Clicker, a very clever piece of software. This program has been around for a couple of years in more or less polished forms, but version 3.0 just came out that makes the whole process of setting it up much simpler and adds a Windows version to the original Mac one.

The basic idea is that Salling Clicker turns your handheld device into a complete remote control for your PC. Not only do you get an interactive remote for iTunes -- adjust the volume, browse your library, skip songs, even view album art -- but you can run PowerPoint presentations and do any basic task on your PC for which you want to write or download a script. Take a look at the photo, that isn't iTunes running on my Treo 650 (ha!), that's Salling Clicker showing what is going on in iTunes while the music plays from my computer through the main stereo. As long as I am within the 30 foot or so range of my computer's Bluetooth signal (my entire condo), I have a remote with me. With some devices (the entire list of 90+ supported models is on their website) you can even have your music automatically pause when your phone rings or when you leave the room. Maybe you set it to start up your email when you walk in the door and your phone comes into range. The software is extensible with scripts, some of which are available for free on the website. Wireless goodness!