AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Listen Print Discuss
Mac OS X > Excerpts >

Using Your Bluetooth Phone as a Remote Control
Pages: 1, 2

Adding Your Menu Item

You can add your own items to the menu item list by clicking on the New Menu button. Once an item is added, you can add the required actions by dragging and dropping from the list of actions on the right list box.

Besides adding new menu items, you can also assign actions to a numeric keypad. For example, in Figure 9, I have added a new keypad (by clicking on the New Keypad button) to my menu item list and named it MyShortCuts.

Figure 9. Creating a new keypad
Figure 9. Creating a new keypad

I then assign some actions to the displayed numeric keypad (see Figure 10). For example, I dragged the "System: screen capture" action item and associated it with the numeric "5" on the keypad.

Figure 10. Associating actions with the numeric keypad
Figure 10. Associating actions with the numeric keypad

When I click the Apply Now button, my phone will now display an updated menu (see Figure 11). (Note that you again need to go back to the Accessories item, under the Connect menu.) Select MyShortCuts and then press "5" to perform a screen capture!

Figure 11. Using the numeric keypad
Figure 11. Using the numeric keypad

Your Mac will inform you of the action performed (see Figure 12):

Figure 12. Salling Clicker performing a screen capture
Figure 12. Salling Clicker performing a screen capture

Proximity Sensor

The Salling Clicker has one very cool feature called the Proximity Sensor. Imagine that you are listening to iTunes while you are working on your Mac. When you leave your Mac (presumably bringing your phone along with you) you might want iTunes to pause. And when you are back, you might want to continue playing music in iTunes again. This is the use of the Proximity Sensor; it allows you to specify actions to perform when you leave your Mac and also when you are back.

In Figure 13, I have set my iTunes to pause when I leave my Mac, and to continue where it left off when I come back. I tried to simulate leaving my Mac by switching off my phone. Within seconds, iTunes paused! When I turned on my phone again, iTunes continues. This is one really cool feature that has many uses. As an example, you can activate the screen saver immediately the moment you are away from your Mac.

Figure 13. Using the Proximity Sensor
Figure 13. Using the Proximity Sensor

Action Editor

The Action Editor tab shows the definition of the various actions. Each action is actually performed by an AppleScript program. You can examine the script of an action by clicking on an action and viewing its AppleScript code on the right text box (see Figure 14).

Figure 14. Examining the AppleScript code of an action
Figure 14. Examining the AppleScript code of an action

You can create and define your own actions if you are familiar with AppleScript. Alternatively, you can click on the More Actions button to view a list of actions that you can download and install from the Internet (see Figure 15).

Figure 15. Viewing the list of actions available for download
Figure 15. Viewing the list of actions available for download

Creating Your Own Actions

There are seven different kinds of actions that you can create (see Figure 16). These actions are differentiated by their icons:

  • Simple
  • Slider
  • Msg Box
  • Popup
  • Keypad
  • List
  • Txt Field

Figure 16. The different actions that you can create
Figure 16. The different actions that you can create

Please refer to the Salling Clicker web site for more information about the different kinds of action that you can create.

Conclusion

I find Salling Clicker extremely useful and fun. Personally, I like the way I can control iTunes remotely. I can select the songs I want from the comfort of my bed! On the serious side of things, I use the Salling Clicker as a remote control for my PowerPoint presentations (you can also use Keynote). Believe me, you will get a lot astonished stares when you whip out your mobile phone to control your slides!

Wei-Meng Lee (Microsoft MVP) http://weimenglee.blogspot.com is a technologist and founder of Developer Learning Solutions http://www.developerlearningsolutions.com, a technology company specializing in hands-on training on the latest Microsoft technologies.

Return to the Mac DevCenter