Romeo: More T68i Remote Control Software

interdigitate writes " There is another piece of beta Mac OS X software called Romeo which also allows you to control your Mac using the Sony Ericsson T68i Phone. It works like the Sony Ericsson Clicker except it is freeware." For now, it does not support arbitrary AppleScripts like Clicker does, but it does allow using the phone as a remote mouse. Also note that Apple has put up a page of Clicker scripts.

How about Nokia?

[(iii)]

Both apps are available for the S.E. phones. Is the Bluetooth implementation on Nokia's phones so shoddy? Or is there no Nokia support because the developers haven't got around to it yet?

Darn, maybe I should have bought a 68i!

Re:How about Nokia?

[rohanl]

I believe the reason it only works for Ericsson phones is because it relies on support for publishing menus onto the phone. Something that Nokia does not support.

Any one know which part of the bluetooth spec this is? I've had a look here [bluetooth.org] but I can't find it anywhere.

Re:How about Nokia?

[(iii)]

Don't know about those specs, but the Nokia does support Java: that may be the solution for support.

Remote Mouse

[Oculus Habent]

I've never thought, "Gee, I wish I could use my computer from across the room, but dammit, I don't have a wireless mouse with the sufficient range... Wait! I've got a cellphone! If only..."

I suppose it actually has some practical use - Maybe Steve Jobs will use his cell phone to control his KeyNote presentations, or does he already?

Re:Remote Mouse

[gl4ss]

consider having the computer in another room.
maybe upstairs.

and consider that maybe you use that computer with the big ol tv downstairs(by either long video cable or wireless video transmitter that are available for cheap)..

Re:Remote Mouse

[JHromadka]

consider having the computer in another room. maybe upstairs.

Bluetooth only has an effective range of 30 feet. I haven't tried Romeo yet, but Clicker is very sweet. I can use a Y cable to connect my PowerBook to my home stereo system and then control iTunes from the couch or kitchen. PowerPoint/Keynote users will also love these apps, as you don't have to use the keyboard/mouse to advance slides.

From the Author

[Lebannen]

Wow... I made slashdot :) There goes my monthly bandwidth, on the fourth day of the new month...

As a quick note in response to the most frequently asked questions:

1) Romeo will always be free. I may need to start a bandwidth fund, but it'll always be free.
2) 1.0 will include not only full user scripting - and key press scripting for apps like mplayer which don't use applescript - but also several other cool features, including tweaking it's status as an Application.
3) 1.0 will be out soon. No, really. On the order of a single-digit amount of days, although possibly on the high end of that.
4) Support for other phones apart from Ericsson would be nice, but may be impossible. Nokia and Simiens phones with bluetooth should connect quite happily with the current codebase, but won't display any menus because they don't have the necessary hooks. I'm looking into this, potentailly by means of a java app on phones that support it, but if anyone knows an accessory-menu equivalent for Nokia/Siemens do please drop me a line.
5) The P800 will be supported when the next version of the firmware for the P800 is released.

And finally, a few cool functions most people don't seem to notice:
* Try the slider on the side of the phone when in mouse mode. (Note: in 0.5 you need to have Zoom enabled in the Universal Access prefpane)
* Make sure you have mute-on-ring enabled in the prefs, and then get someone to phone you on the mobile :)

Re:From the Author

[ciryon]

Excellent work! Is this Open Source by the way?

Ciryon

Re:From the Author

[Lebannen]

Not yet -
- Frankly, I want the kudos for now :)
- The code is still mucky, as this is the app I learnt Cocoa and objective-c on.

But eventually, yeah, I'd quite like it to be.

Re:From the Author

[blalor]

What makes this application specific to the SE phone? Is it using a profile that, say, a Palm Tungsten T wouldn't have? Shouldn't be too hard to throw something together on the TT written in Java to do the same thing...

Re:From the Author

[Lebannen]

The SE phones allow construction of a menu via AT commands, which is trivial. As soon as you start getting onto other phones/devices, you need several things: ideally, a way to send a file/program via bluetooth and then run it, a way for that program to display menus and dialogs and send key presses, and a way for that program to communicate via bluetooth. It's a tricky combination, and one I'll have a look into after 1.0.

Re:From the Author

[Lebannen]

Eeek, can't believe I forgot to submit it to the most important download site of all!

The registration has been started :)

/me thanks Arstechnica for a good supply of beta-testers when it was first mentioned

Excellent, but a little unstable

[nickovs]

This seems to be an isanely cool bit of code! If they add support for AppleScript then it would be even better (and a potential Clicker beater). My only problem is that while it works wonderfully at the Mac end it crashed my Ericsson T68 (needing the battery to be pulled to reset it) after I went in and out of the Accessories->Romeo menu a number of times in succession :-(

It's Watson all over again.

[lllama]

I have a sneaky feeling we may well see Apple's own version of the Clicker in 10.3.

SEC and Romeo - Make Script repository, not war!

[gsfprez]

Any plans in the works on the two superpowers coming together to put together the truly great aspects of each software package?

Right now, it seems that SE Clicker has the jump as far as expandability, as well as the unofficial support from Apple - Romeo seems to have mousing and crashing (i know its .5, i know) down.

Together - a unified app wouldn't require one to jump between the two apps (of course, it would only take two scripts to jump between apps, wouldn't it?) may be able to more quickly focus expandability, functionality, bug squashing, etc...

right now - these are both great apps, but the bugs are still too many to be "trustworthy" for me to use my phone as a PowerPoint and Keynote clicker (i am a PowerPoint ranger - it is my life's blood).

And finally - maybe one single repository for quality checked scripts. Maybe a slashcode site? Maybe a sourceforge website? I dunno, but i do know that going between a ton of sites looking for a script here and there kinds sucks. I'd host it, but i've only got a DSL link at home.

Star-crossed lovers...

[Anonymous Coward]

I thought, "how cool, I have to install this immediately." No luck; very unstable, lots of application crashes.

Then I realized why... My computer is named Juliet.

Romeo

[Anonymous Coward]

Brilliant app, I tried it today when I was lecturing students, real cool, all the windoze users drooled at the seamless integration, especially when I used it with keynote, played them some music and a qt trailer all by using a t68i and this app. bloody marvelous....