Raspberry Software release True Connect preview

[Guest Paul [MVP]]

Friends of MoDaCo 'Raspberry Software' have released a preview version of their 'True Connect' software for Smartphone... i've included the details below - give it a bash and be sure to send them (and post here) some feedback!

Get true control of your Smartphone using the PC mouse/keyboard simply by moving the mouse cursor off the PC monitor onto the connected Smartphone screen.

Currently a free preview release is available for download from the Raspberry web site and we're looking to get feedback on the product before final release which should be in the next month or so!

Benefits:

•        Creates a natural extension of your PC allowing the user to control and view Smartphone applications/data using the PC mouse and keyboard.

•        Makes the Smartphone more accessible as the need to enter text via the 12 button keypad is eradicated.

•        No need to create cryptic SMS messages as messages can be created in full using the keyboard.

•        Directly share information between the Smartphone and PC or between Smartphone applications via Cut/Copy/Paste.

•        Look up Contacts and make hands-free calls without the need to pick up the Smartphone.

•        Thought processes are not disturbed as appointment reminders on the Smartphone can be dismissed using the mouse.

•        Use the Smartphone as a mini PC by executing and controlling applications on your Smartphone.  For example display your favourite personal web page on your Smartphone, avoiding the need to run this application on the PC.

•        No loss of PC screen real estate - there are a number of phone applications showing an emulation of the Smartphone on the PC screen. True Connect uniquely allows the user to control the Smartphone directly using the PC mouse and keyboard as if it were a second monitor attached to the PC.

Features:

•        Full operation of the PC mouse and keyboard on the Smartphone.

•        Ability to map PC keys to Smartphone buttons to further enhance ease of use.

•        Cut/Copy/Paste between PC and Smartphone and between Smartphone applications.

•        Relative location of Smartphone to PC monitor is configurable.  (This configuration sets where  the mouse pointer is dragged off the monitor and onto the Smartphone to initiate focus.)

•        Plug-and-play support.  Connect any Smartphone to a PC running True Connect, no additional installation necessary.

•        Only available on Microsoft Mobile.

Who will use True Connect?

All Smartphone users who regularly connect their Smartphone to their PC.  True Connect will appeal to the business and consumer communities.

Some Technical Details:

True Connect uses the ActiveSync connection to send mouse and keyboard events to the Smartphone.  True Connect uses a PC Client which runs at start-up.  This PC Client will dynamically install the True Connect driver onto the Smartphone.  The PC client and Smartphone driver manage the mouse and keyboard events on the Smartphone.

The process of dragging the mouse pointer off the edge of the monitor onto the Smartphone triggers the focus to switch from the PC to the Smartphone therefore directing all keyboard and mouse event to the Smartphone rather than the device.  The PC focus is regained by simply dragging the pointer back onto the PC monitor.

Given Smartphones typically do not support point and click input the technical challenge in simulating mouse movements and click detection was initially a significant challenge to this project.

Languages Supported:

English for the preview, but full releases will include Spanish, French, German and Japanese.

Devices Supported:

Microsoft Windows based Smartphones.  Developed using SPV C550, SPV C500 & SPV E200.

Operating Systems:

Windows Mobile 2003, Windows Mobile 5

For More Info Contact:

[email protected]

Don't wait any longer - Download Now!

[Guest awarner [MVP]]

It will be interesting to see how this contends with SOTI as I use this onscreen.

After a short play it's certainly interesting but the time it takes to control the phone using the pointer will take longer than just picking up the phone.

Also works on the JasJar :) but it is slow at the moment.

[Guest Disco Stu]

As suggested, I'm unable to use the links and shortcuts in Dr Blow's GVc500 homescreen - specifically the Orange, Facade & RJ Shortcuts plugins.

Another thing I've noticed on the C500 is that when in Multimedia Album I cannot click on the individual files (pics or sounds) to play / show full screen.

I'm also a little dizzy from following the cursor back and forth ! :) :D

Also, how to use copy & paste function ? Does it need xBar (or equivalent) installed ?

Edited December 12, 2005 by Disco Stu

[Guest Disco Stu]

Have just played a game of Bejewelled2 on my Magician.

As stated by the developers there is some flickering of the mouse trail but otherwise fine.....until the screen went off half way through !

Contrary to the problem mentioned above with Smartphone skins, PPC Today screen plugins seem to work. Launch and control of Mortplayer worked perfectly. As did Pocket Breeze and phoneAlarm.

The backlight going off is a pain though.

[Guest pete_at_raspberry]

It will be interesting to see how this contends with SOTI as I use this onscreen.

After a short play it's certainly interesting but the time it takes to control the phone using the pointer will take longer than just picking up the phone.

Also works on the JasJar :) but it is slow at the moment.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Interesting indeed. I can't imagine they will play nicely, since they will both want the full bandwidth between PC and phone, and also the display memory.

Can I ask why you use SOTI if its easier to pick up the phone? For its screen-shot type features rather than controling the phone?

[Guest pete_at_raspberry]

As suggested, I'm unable to use the links and shortcuts in Dr Blow's GVc500 homescreen - specifically the Orange, Facade & RJ Shortcuts plugins.

Another thing I've noticed on the C500 is that when in Multimedia Album I cannot click on the individual files (pics or sounds) to play / show full screen.

I'm also a little dizzy from following the cursor back and forth !  :)  :D

Also, how to use copy & paste function ? Does it need xBar (or equivalent) installed ?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks for giving it a go! To use the homescreen, you could try using the mouse wheel to send up / down presses, or with shift for left / right presses. Usually works OK in areas where clicking with the mouse isn't supported.

To do copy and paste, use ctrl-C and ctrl-V. Only works for edit controls though, otherwise nothing happens.

[Guest confused and hungover]

this is so cool... shame you can't actually drag windows from the monitor to the smartphone, like a true second monitor...

[Guest pete_at_raspberry]

Have just played a game of Bejewelled2 on my Magician.

As stated by the developers there is some flickering of the mouse trail but otherwise fine.....until the screen went off half way through ! 

Contrary to the problem mentioned above with Smartphone skins, PPC Today screen plugins seem to work. Launch and control of Mortplayer worked perfectly. As did Pocket Breeze and phoneAlarm.

The backlight going off is a pain though.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The Magician is a Windows Pocket PC 2003 SE device, right? For the first release only smartphones are supported (I know, I know, but you have to start somewhere). For the tech preview we allow PPC, but some stuff doesn't work too well (copy and paste not at all, some cursor drawing problems etc). And I never coded support for turning the backlight on! I just hope the API is available...

[Guest confused and hungover]

The Magician is a Windows Pocket PC 2003 SE device, right? For the first release only smartphones are supported

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

works absolutely fine on my C500 and M500......

[Guest mwille]

This rocks :) Don't know yet whether I will be using it a lot but its extremely cool nonetheless :cheesy:

[Guest NetGuy2]

Absolulety AWESOME!! I really like this cool stuff for my cellphone!

[Guest awarner [MVP]]

I use SOTI mainly for screen shots but controlling it on the main screen comes in useful sometimes.

As for speed on the JasJar it's slow without SOTI running but that's just the JasJar as it's slow on the communication side.

[Guest bluesmudge]

This is the best show off application for the smartphone EVER! slightly pointless i fear, but deafinatly cool

[Guest pete_at_raspberry]

This is the best show off application for the smartphone EVER! slightly pointless i fear, but deafinatly cool

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Pointless? Surely not... :) Check out http://www.raspberrysoftware.com/trueconnect.htm for some ideas of how it can be useful!

[Guest dearsina]

This is the best show off application for the smartphone EVER! slightly pointless i fear, but deafinatly cool

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Really really really cool. Especialy since I have a dual screen setup from before, I can now drag my cursor from the left screen, onto the right screen, unto my mouse. Excellent cool factor, but I must agree with bluesmudge, a little bit on the show-off-without-much-benefit side. (I already have a program to write SMS from my computer.)

sina

londonistan

[Guest chedabob]

this is cool, but almost certainly pointless.

it is pretty impressive to show to friends tho.

[Guest yoos]

I like it alot and will use it for writing SMS's!

[Guest bluesmudge]

ok i've spent the evening using it, and its moved away from pointless to actually quite useful, mostly for SMS. Im really bad at spelling, so copy and pasteing from word is great. I don't bother with l33t speak in my texts (becuase i have thousands of the things which never get used) so i can atlast speedily write stuff out.

Its perhaps a little slow in places, especially when first plugged in.

Having spent part of my degree on computer interfaces / software useability im glad to say the software is brilliant. The PC based software is nicely layed out, and the functions are obvious . . the dynamic picture of the user's desktop is great and would provide great feedback for the user making it easier to imagine how that concept model applys to them, also well done on sticking the microsoft style guide (even if not intentional) keeping your interface similar to other windows apps will be great for your user.

Though the pointer speed option i feel should be in a pointer options tabs, or perhaps turn the Keys tab into a control tab and move it there. As there isn't alot in the way of functions in the window its not too confusing, but with more options it might be harder to find as it seems slightly missplaced.

OH and some how ( i don't know if this is intentional) but the icon on the task bar opens the settings window with one click. As users will probably have a mental working model of how task bar objects normally work (double click) it may prove to cause accidental opening of the window - though the icon itself is unique, and nicely designed.

The operation of the phone side of thing is great. For anyone who didn't know holding the right mouse button down opens an on screen display of the joystick and home keys and allows the user to complete tasks even if they find click and point isn't working (WMP is the best example of this) this is a great feature

I think this is brilliant app for showing off, and if you spend enough time with it the benifits become clear - considering the technical problems you must of over come to make this, this software should never fail to impress smartphone users.

Future development - well as its a office type of app then perhaps you should incoporate full point and click for the solitare game . . it kind of works with keyboard but mouse would be better.

Hopefully this has all been some help for you

Edited December 14, 2005 by bluesmudge

[Guest pete_at_raspberry]

Thanks bluesmudge! :)

Some comments: When you say its a little slow, is this enough to be a problem i.e. do you think we should try to speed things up for V2? Its not trivial to do, and would be at the expense of something else, as is the way with software...

We spent some time discussing the UI and the dialog layout. Good to hear that you approve, at least in the most part. The single click in the taskbar thing was tricky - some apps behave one way, and some another way (try the network icons, if you have any shown).

Glad you like the navigation pad thing on the right mouse button. For the release we have added phone call and hang-up buttons to it, and mapped them to PC keys as well.

Future developments: There are some other things to do, like PPC support(!) and extend the areas of click support. For things like solitare, given it has no drag and drop interface it might be somewhat awkward to do! Still, if time allows ...

Finally, many many thanks to you and everyone for taking time to try the product and give us feedback. Its extremely useful to get some honest appraisal from people who haven't seen it before.

Pete

[Guest confused and hungover]

drag and drop, drag and drop.... thats it really

[Guest bluesmudge]

By alittle slow i mean, reboot phone, reboot PC then connet and start using it straight away. the mouse pointer moves fine but it seems to take 30 seconds or so before the phone settles down, if you click before it has settled down the command seems to get lost or just executed slowly . . though to be honest its not a major problem, just if the software aims to improve productivity it maybe a little annoying.

**edit ***

my mistake - it seems to become more of a problem when SMS create is open and then connect phone and try typeing straight away. It became slightly confused when i wanted to copy and paste almost immideately

Edited December 14, 2005 by bluesmudge

[Guest Jamma14]

Guys, gotta say I agree with your little caption - this really is an innovative piece of software!

Great for showing off, and useful for texting, and changing homescreens etc. if you keep needing to switch them while coding in xml on the pc - you can do it without taking your hand off the mouse!

I'm sure people will find lots of useful things to do with it, and if not, like I and many others have said, great showing off tool.

Can't wait for the final version! :)

[Guest leoiden]

when i used it the first time it worked but know no matter what i do it never connects it just stays at enabeling connection i am using windows xp home with aol ip??

[Guest Tech]

this is cool, but almost certainly pointless.

it is pretty impressive to show to friends tho.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

sorry folks but i agree :)

[Guest pete_at_raspberry]

when i used it the first time it worked but know no matter what i do it never connects it just stays at enabeling connection  i am using windows xp home with aol ip??

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hmm - Interesting. Does anyone else get this? We would love to know! :)

I'm guessing its an IP issue. Things to try: Confirm you have a valid IP (use ipconfig from a command prompt). Yes I know this is a trivial thing, but its worht checking! Then, consider - is it possible that the IP address has changed since True Connect was started? It grabs the IP address of the PC on start up, and never updates it (its a known issue). If you think it might have done, then try stopping True Connect (choose Exit from the right click menu on the Task Bar icon) and start it again (from the Start menu -> Raspberry Software -> True Connect).

If all this fails, we would be undyingly grateful if you would do the following:

With True Connect running, open the options dialogs and select the Main tab (the first one). Then, watch the status messages as you undock and dock your phone, and make a note of them.

Then send an email to [email protected] with the messages (they don't need to be word perfect, but its good to have some idea of the sequence) along with: Your PC OS, your type of phone, your IP address, whether your phone is locked, whether your phone is passworded (shouldn't matter, but we are starting to wonder if it does), your favourite colour, and your main ambitions in life.

Thanks in advance

Pete