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Control Your Mac With Bluetooth Phone

Posted by pudge on from the computers-can-do-that dept.

reidconti writes "Ever wanted to control your Mac remotely? Now you can, with the Sony Ericsson Clicker by Jonas Salling. Play MP3s or DVDs, command Keynote and PowerPoint presentations, all from your Sony Ericsson Bluetooth phone. Nifty proximity mode lets you pause your music when you leave the room and automatically resume when you re-enter." It uses AppleScript, to control whatever AppleScript can control.

5 of 69 comments (clear)

  1. Finally by neillewis · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Bravo, if this works, it looks like Bluetooth might finally turn the corner to become more than just a way to have a wireless headset...

  2. Need longer battery life now.. by davo39 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This is really a geek tool. I love it .. especially the proximity sensor. You can actually program your Mac to execute a task via Applescript when you leave the BT radius, or re-enter it.

    We need longer battery life now. Bluetooth is a real drain on your cell phone (or your Palm for that matter).

  3. Hmmm... by DJPsychoChild · · Score: 0, Insightful
    Doesn't it worry anyone else that someone can control their computer with a cell phone? I'm sure there is security in place to keep hackers from using it, but they're tricky, and damned smart. I can see it now:

    "We lost years of work"
    "Any idea how it happened?"
    "Yeah, we were hacked by a cell phone".

    Great idea, but was it really thought through all the way?

    --
    CODITO, ERGO SUM: I Code, therefore I am.
    1. Re:Hmmm... by DJPsychoChild · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I didn't say it would be quick and easy for someone to do. Are you willing to take the chance, however, that someone COULD take over your computer with a cell phone? It may never happen to you. Chances are, unless you're high profile, no one cares. But are you willing to take the risk?

      --
      CODITO, ERGO SUM: I Code, therefore I am.
    2. Re:Hmmm... by tbmaddux · · Score: 4, Insightful
      It's quite safe - robably more so than having WiFi connections.
      If it's so safe, why is security guru Bruce Schneier using it as an example of failed authentication schemes? A quote from the bottom of that Cryptogram section:
      "I said something like: 'I can hardly wait for Bluetooth to become universal, because I really want a wireless keyboard and mouse with the "base station" built into my computer.' He said: 'Yes, but you really probably don't want to use Bluetooth for that, because then somebody could stuff keystrokes or mouse clicks into your system.' I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Talk about not getting it."
      At least WiFi has "progressed" to the point that we all know it's insecure and those of us who are concerned about security can easily workaround it by using secure tools, just like we already do with email.
      --
      Can't you see that everyone is buying station wagons?