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I must agree, the RAZR looks cool but is such a pain to use! So many things are wrong with the UI design, it is depressing! can't they get it right? Even my old Motorol Star-Tac in 1997 was better!! I have a Sony-Ericsson phone specifically because of Romeo which lets me use it as a scriptable bluetooth remote control for my Mac, but I hate the form factor of the phone.
--jeffk++

Romeo http://www.irowan.com/romeo/ is a free alternative to Salling Clicker and while it may not be as polished, it's quite cool

I have a Sony Ericsson T630 which works flawlessly with MacOS X. Full iSync compatibility for iCal and Address Book.

It has a nice Apple-style touch which looks pretty good next to my PowerBook G4.

Plus there is Romeo (no I'm not its author just a happy user) which is a nice OpenSource app that lets you do all sort of neat things with BlueTooth (remote control for iTunes, DVD, mouse mode, presentation sliding for both Powerpoint and Keynote, volume control, etc.), proximity reaction, caller ID (with a nice bezel and photo support!) and fully AppleScript'able to add support for whatever app you want.

Did I mention it is now GPL software? Althought it's not directly on the site, its sources can be obtained via CVS from SourceForge and it could surely use some help from experienced and skilled ObjC/Cococa coders.

I'd like to take the chance to ask, if anybody knows if it would be possible to use the computer as a sort of headset for the phone, talking with the built-in mic on the Powerbook and listening through its speakers, it'd be a very nice app for which I've googled around with no positive results.

Finally I'd like to comment that I've been trying to make an iPod-like interface for this software to use with the phone integrated menus, which would let you browse the genres/artists/albums database of iTunes. Anyone interested on it could help me giving it a go.

Regards,

Ringtones let you have an 'unique' sound on your phone in order to be certain when it's *your* phone that's ringing... sure, only if it's unique enough.

I recently got a SonyEricsson T630 and it's a pretty good phone. I uploaded a bunch of MIDI songs to it via Bluetooth which I got on various websites, so I paid nothing for these ringtones. My default one is, however, the sound of an old classic phone. I've put some particular melodic ringtones (all of them of classic TV series) to specific persons so I know when one of them is calling while I'm not close to my phone.

Getting a bit offtopic, perhaps someone could help me out with this one. I've got my T630 to work flawlessly via Bluetooth with my PowerBook. I've found Romeo to be a great piece of software for a great part of the SonyEricsson line of phones (it lets you use your phone as a remote control for a lot of applicationes - iTunes, DVD, Keynote, etc. - and is fuly scriptable via AppleScript). What I haven't been able to find, however (and I'm not pretty sure that such a thing exists) is some software for OS X which lets me use my Powerbook as a handsfree set. That's it, whenever I get a call, besides of being able to see who's calling and to pick up the call, I also want to be able to speak through the microphone of the PB and to hear the calling party through the speakers - just like with iChat, and all this via Bluetooth. Has anyone seen that kind of software, does anyone knows if such a thing exists or if it isn't possible at all to do?

Regards,

Use Romeo instead. It's free and has more nifty features, as well as 3rd party plugins (which are easy as pie to make yourself).

Better than IR remotes, add the internal bluetooth BTO option, and control it with your cellphone using Romeo or Salling Clicker.

Salling Clicker is cool but Romeo is almost as good and is free (OS X only) http://www.irowan.com/romeo/

The OS X Shareware you mentioned, which allows Bluetooth-Phones to remotley control your Mac is correctly spelled: Salling Clicker. That said, there's also a GPL'd one available. It's called Romeo http://www.irowan.com/romeo/ and I am happily controlling VLC/Mplayer from my armchair.

"I listen to music at work on headphones; it would be great if I could come back to my desk, put them back on and have the same song playing that I interrupted when I left. I'm a bit surprised that Apple hasn't figured out how to do this yet....Hey Apple and Oakley -- you listening?"

Romeo can more or less do this. You can have various scripts run when your bluetooth cell phone comes in and out of range, pausing and resuming itunes/dvd player are built in. Good stuff.

I use Romeo on my mac as a remote control; afaik it has similar features to sailing clicker, but with the added bonus of being GPL'd OSS Software :)

i have a free remote.

Or get the free, open-source, and almost-as-feature-complete Romeo. I think it was released after Clicker, but the author claims development started pre-clicker...

If your computer isn't too far away, just use your mobile as the remote and/or display. Bluetooth and Salinger Clicker or Romeo will give you what is effectively a remote with a display.

tell application "iTunes"
pause
end tell

I have Romeo configured to pause it when I get a phone call or when I walk out of bluetooth range with my mobile. Now THAT is a flexible interface.

In my case it was a T68. A few others are supported by Romeo. I can't recommend Romeo enough to any Mac user with a compatible phone. As well as the mouse emulation mode, it also lets you create arbitrary menus on the phone which trigger AppleScripts, and triggers an AppleScript event whenever your phone (or other bluetooth device) enters or exits range. I have it configured on my machine to pause my music, mute my volume and activate my screensaver when I move out of range, and the reverse this when I return.

You would be best off getting an iBook with a damaged screen from eBay. This would have the small footprint you need, and also be quiet. As a remote control, you might want to try romeo and a bluetooth phone (again, look for one on eBay).

Geoffeg

Control system volume and navigation - launch apps - use for timeline and frame by frame manipulation in final cut pro - use for TRON tank turrets and Centipede!

A lot like this device: Shuttle Express You can see the similarities.

This is one reason the Mac is great - I have been able to use lots of devices that I have investments in; in lots of different ways. T68i & Romeo is just one example.

The thing I love about Sony-Ericsson, and the reason why I will continue to buy their phones over Nokia's which I otherwise prefer to use, boils down to this:

Bluetooth.

S-E are putting it in a lot of their phones; Nokia are putting it in very few. You haven't seen how cool Bluetooth is until you run iSync with a mac, or get Romeo controlling your mac from the other side of the room through your phone.

It's very cool :)

-- james