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Logitech's free Touch Mouse app turns your iPhone or iPod touch into a keyboard and trackpad for your computer
Touch Mouse [iTunes link] is a free iPhone / iPod Touch application from Logitech that turns your iDevice into a wireless keyboard and trackpad for your Windows or Macintosh computer. It's not a remote control application, so you don't get a view of the computer's screen; you simply get an alternative way to control the mouse pointer and keyboard. Touch Mouse works by relying on a small server software component that you install on your desktop computer that listens for connections from the iPhone app.
This is very useful when you have a computer set up as a PVR. Most of the time, you can do what you need to do with a remote control, but occasionally you'll need to navigate the file system or close a pesky dialog box (no, I don't want to upgrade my antivirus, thanks), and for that Touch Mouse can be very useful.
My one small concern about Touch Mouse is that there is no authentication going on; it appears that any computer that is running the Touch Mouse server software on the same wireless network shows up in the Touch Mouse app. That won't be a problem for me since I'm using it at home on my home network, but it could be a problem in other environments.
[via TUAW]
Comments
8
Subscribe to commentsMallocFeb 6th 2010 12:16PM
I sent this around to some people at work and now I see the possibility for some major issues. If they select my computer from their phone, I have no way to block them short of turning off the program.
LuddyFeb 9th 2010 5:47AM
I can see an update adding a password to connect, but for my home network it rocks.
No one, except myself, knows the key to the network. But I can see my sister trying to prank me in the future.
It turned out to be a great little app. I would gladly pay a couple of dollars for it. Just yesterday my mouse died in the middle of revising a term paper and didn't have time to run to the store for batteries. I found a set of rechargeable batteries and put them in the charger but in the meantime my phone worked great as a mouse.
The app was very responsive despite having a screen protector (Invisible shield) and traveled the screen smoothly. I do find that when moving a window I had to use both hands, and occasionally would stop moving the window. It might be a simple issue of momentarily loosing enough contact with the screen.
Certain features would be great in the future such as function oriented buttons, like volume, command, control, and option buttons.
However, for being a free app, from a well known peripherals company, its a great app.
SteveAFeb 6th 2010 1:19PM
Tried it and it works just fine and will be a useful little app when I cant be bothered to get up from my lazy chair to check something on my mac .
As I use this at home, the security issues don't concern me.
sunmorgusFeb 6th 2010 1:44PM
A similar app exists for WebOS as well...
imjustabillFeb 6th 2010 3:45PM
Do you know what it's called?
sunmorgusFeb 7th 2010 8:18AM
Actually, there are two of them...not sure what they are called off hand, but if you search the catalog for "Mouse" they both come up in the results. One is called "Media View and Remote Control" or something similar, and I believe the other is "Touch Pad".
David S. (@seemsArtless)Feb 6th 2010 11:05PM
Sigh. Not available in Canada... pity.
Jordan RunningFeb 7th 2010 10:11PM
Don't miss Mobile Air Mouse, an inexpensive app along the same lines but with more features, including hotkeys and keymaps for popular media players. It also has optional password protection. I'm a big fan, though it's also nice to see Logitech throwing its hat into the ring.