App Review: Couch Surfing the Web (and More!) with Mobile Mouse Pro
My home theater setup is pretty straightforward: my MacBook Pro (MBP) connected to a TV using a Hammerhead HDMI cable and a Dr. Bott Mini DisplayPort to HDMI adapter. This worked great for watching movies on DVD or streaming from Netflix or TV shows on Hulu. However, every time I wanted to pause the show or select which commercial experience I would prefer (my current preference is the daycare run by robots, although I don’t remember what company the ad is for so it is more successful as a short film than as an ad) I would have to get up off the couch to make the selection.
I was considering a Magic Trackpad and an Apple wireless keyboard when I thought to myself: “The iPhone has a touch-screen interface and an on-screen keyboard, so there must be some way to make it work as a controller for my computer.” A quick Google search led me to Mobile Mouse Pro.
This app is exactly what I was looking for. It combines a trackpad with a keyboard, is rated 4.5 stars at the App Store, and only costs $1.99. I immediately installed it on my iPhone and installed the free companion software on my MBP. I opened up the app and it connected almost instantly to my computer through the Wi-Fi signal in my house. The default screen is a trackpad on top and a keyboard below, so I was ready to test it out.
At first it was a little difficult to move the cursor where I wanted, as very small motions would make it take large jumps across my TV screen, but with a little practice I was able to keep it under control. The keyboard is very similar to the iPhone’s native keyboard, so I was able to get used to it very quickly. This app works great for media and surfing the Web from its default screen and also has specially designed screens for these functions, which makes browsing even easier.
The movement of Mobile Mouse Pro’s cursor is a little clunky and the keyboard is pretty small, so if I were using software that required more precision in my movements, the Magic Trackpad and Apple wireless keyboard connected with a Magic Wand would be a much better solution, but for my purposes this was exactly what I was looking for.