Estava procurando algum software para utilizar meu celular (um nokia 3250) como controle remoto do meu note, principalmente para controlar minhas apresentações. Depois de um post compartilhado pelo Google Reader do BrLinux [1], cheguei ao BluePad [2].
Instalei o mesmo no note sem maiores problemas, no celular também não foi diferente, tudo tranquilo durante a instalação, o problema começou quando fui usá-lo. No note tudo funcionou, mas quando fui executá-lo no celular, a decepção: não funciona no meu celular… depois que fui ver que na página oficial, eles comentam que não está funcionando em celulares da série 60.
Fazendo uma busca por outras possibilidades, encontrei o software Amora [3], que prometia fazer o mesmo que o BluePad. Verificando no site, quão grata surpresa em verificar que o client foi implementado em Python para S60! Já o servidor, é feito em C. Então baixei os arquivos necessários conforme consta na página de ajuda à instalação (em português) [4], seguindo o tutorial, bem passo-a-passo por sinal.
Compilado o server, hora de baixar e instalar o Python no celular, coisas simples de serem feitas, basta selecionar a versão correta para a sua versão de Symbian (no meu caso a 3). Após uns testes com o Python, incluindo um Hello World no Console Interativo, instalei o client do Amora no Celular, tudo sem nenhum problema e com a vantagem que este funcionou sem nenhum problema.
O software que roda no celular, é muito intuitivo, por padrão fica na tela principal uma imagem com os controles, o que torna a navegação extremamente fácil.

Além da navegação através do controle do cursor e das botões do mouse e algumas tecla do teclado, pode-se tirar um screenshot da tela visualizando no celular, como também usar uma fução de onde cada enter no celular, envia um screenshot atualizado ao celular, na resolução da tela de seu celular.

A tela ao lado é a que aparece no celular após iniciar o aplicativo e escolher o dispositivo que se deseja controlar.

Já do lado do server as coisas mudam, não há uma interface gráfica, ele roda no terminal e para encerrá-lo apenas utilizando [ctrl+c] mesmo.

Resumindo, o aplicativo é muito útil, e faz o que se propõe, apenas poderiam serem feitas algumas melhorias tais como fazer com que o server fosse acoplado à área de notificação, ao invés de ficar um terminal aberto. E talvez permitir a criação de perfis no client para que pudessem ser criadas teclas de atalhos para controle de determinados programas, como por exemplos tocadores de áudio e vídeo, mudança entre aplicativos abertos, entre outros.

[1] http://br-linux.org/linux/transforme-seu-celular-num-controle-remoto-linux-bluepad
[2] http://bluepad.sourceforge.net/
[3] http://code.google.com/p/amora/
[4] http://code.google.com/p/amora/wiki/portuguese

Promis, j’arrête de vous bombarder avec ma blogosphère, mais je ne résiste pas à la tentation de vous présenter BluePad.

BluePad, c’est le blog d’un étudiant journaliste du CFJ, Paul Gypteau, qui livre au gré de ses humeurs ses impressions sur l’actualité.

http://bluepad.over-blog.com/

Pourquoi vous présenter ce blog-là? Parce qu’il reflète assez bien une des nombreuses manières qu’a le Net de faire partager les news. Le journaliste, indépendant de toute structure médiatique dont il devrait respecter la ligne éditoriale, fixe par lui-même les limites de son écriture, ses sujets, son format, ses angles.

Ca a bien entendu ses avantages et ses inconvénients, à commencer par le fait que personne (l’auteur excepté) ne s’engage sur la vérité ou la qualité des informations. On peut toutefois accorder un plus grand crédit à un journaliste chevronné qu’au blog de Madame Michu (quoique…). Une démarche comme celle-là est intéressante par la liberté dont elle fait preuve. C’est pourquoi je vous encourage chaudement à faire un tour du côté de BluePad

Bien entendu, ce blog n’est pas un cas unique et exceptionnel. Au gré de votre surf, vous rencontrerez très certainement de nombreux sites dignes d’intérêt dans le même type de structure. N’hésitez surtout pas à nous en faire profiter (… par un petit commentaire, par exemple ).

the reason I’m posting this blog is to remind myself what to do in case I forget the steps that need to be done in order to remote control my machine by using my bluetooth-ed mobile phone (or for yanks “cell phones”).

ok, let’s get started – it might look mega complicated, but in fact it’s a few steps and loads of text explaining why. so don’t panic

this is a mini how-to for ubuntu/linux computers, windows and mac users may look out for a proprietary software called “salling clicker“. linux users don’t need to pay money for the same effect
ok, so here’s a checklist what you need or already should have:

1. a bluetooth enabled sony ericsson phone e.g. W300i or V630i. why sony ericsson? because they come with a special application called “remote control” that you’ll later need.
2. a bluetooth usb dongle …. can be found here: Amazon.com
   shouldn’t cost you more than a few $, pounds, €, etc…
3. ubuntu or any linux distribution installed

ok, after this is sorted, we move on to pair our phone with the computer.
first make sure the usb dongle is plugged into your computer and bluetooth is “switched on” on your phone.

I’m testing this with Ubuntu 6.10 «edgy eft» so if you have a newer release e.g. «feisty fawn» configuration settings might look a bit different.

<EDIT>:

YOU DON’T NEED THESE FOLLOWING STEPS IF YOU’RE USING UBUNTU GUTSY (or even FEISTY) — all of this should be already configured and correctly installed.

Here we go:

First you start a terminal/konsole and install the bluez-utils

sudo apt-get install bluez-utils

next you open the file “/etc/init.d/bluetooth” in your favourite editor (make sure to be root!)

sudo nano /etc/init.d/bluetooth

and search for “HIDD_ENABLED=” it’s probably set to 0 and change it to 1. You’ll need that later to successfully connect your phone to your computer. Apart from that nothing needs to be changed, so just hit ctrl+x, save and you’re set.

Now you need to restart your bluetooth services by typing

sudo /etc/init.d/bluetooth restart

</EDIT END>

The next step is to “pair” your phone with your computer. But how does your computer find your phone? There’s something called MAC Address that your computer needs to identify your phone.
To find out what’s your phone’s mac address is, simply just type this into your terminal/konsole

hcitool scan

Your output will be something like this: 23:57:F2:0R:78:L4 W300i (note this is a made-up MAC address)

The final step is

sudo hidd --connect YOUR MAC ADDRESS

You will be asked for a password both on your computer as well as on your phone. Make sure it’s the same
This connects your phone with your pc, asking you to allow using sony ericsson’s remote control feature on the phone.

Now you should be all set, you can use it for an Open Office/Power Point presentation, or controlling your mp3 player (Amarok, XMMS, ….) from your bed, or just simply show off in front of your friends by moving the cursor on the desktop

If something doesn’t work, because I may have skipped a step, then you may find this link helpful.

Ubuntu Help
(here you’ll find other remote control plugins/configuration files for your linux machine! amarok.hid , totem.hid, xmms.hid files…..I thought they all work pretty much the same, you might be fine by using the default ones…)

EDIT from the 16th November:

If you’re using the KDE Window manager and enjoy using these KDE applications, like Amarok, Kaffeine, KDE Desktop (you can now even shut down your PC with your phone), then you may find these hid files useful – I did!

http://www.kde-apps.org/content/show.php/Sony+Ericsson+HID+profiles+package?content=60288it works great! It even has a profile for the VLC and Open Office Presenter – you won’t have to configure anything, just transfer them onto your phone, install them and you should be fine!

In order to send these .hid files to your computer you need to type this in your terminal/konsole:

gnome-obex-send -d YOUR MAC ADDRESS /path/to/filename.hid

ALTERNATIVES:

If your phone doesn’t support hid (Human Interface Device) files (as far as I know only Sony Ericsson and Nokia phones support HID) then you may want to have a look here:

http://tuxmobil.org/bluetooth_cell_apps.html

There are several applications (mostly java applications) that do the basically the same – note your phone has to support JAVA. I recommend checking out,

• Bluepad – http://bluepad.sourceforge.net/- works great if you have a larger phone display
• Bemused – http://bemused.sourceforge.net/ – check it out, seems great
• Remuco – http://remuco.sourceforge.net/index.php/Remuco – seemed a bit complicated from the start, but I’m it’s great!

If you found an error, or something doesn’t work the way I explained it, then please leave me a comment or shoot me an email to rockprinzess@gmail.com

Enjoy your new remote control!