App Review: Couch Surfing the Web (and More!) with Mobile Mouse Pro

ByMike Moffit

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.

Similar Posts

  • Need to Charge Multiple iPhones or iPods?

    This day in age a vast majority of us have iPods–and now many of you have iPhones. As much as we love our gadgets, it can sometimes be a pain to charge one at a time, so which one do you pick?

    Leave it to Griffin Technology to solve that issue–one that I am surprised was not figured out sooner! The “PowerDock 2 Charging Cradle for iPod and iPhone”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/73013 will let you charge two iPhones, two iPods or an iPod and an iPhone at once! It can sit on your desk, beside, by the front door, wherever you will remember to charge it. This gadget won’t hook up to your Mac–it has no ports other than the AC on the back–but I like the fact that you don’t have to have everything plugged into your Mac at all times.

    I also like the “Griffin PowerDock 2”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/73013 because the thought of having my iPod or iPhone in the dock is more calming to me than just leaving my Apple gadget on the desk (in case it fell off–iPhone screen replacements are expensive!). A $39.99 price point seems fair to charge your devices to me! Most single iPod/iPhone chargers are about $19.99-$29.99 and this way you don’t have to worry about buying a sync cable as well. It’s also made out of brushed aluminum, which matches the MacBook Pros and iMacs very nicely (which is obviously super important!).

    “Check out the Griffin PowerDock 2 here!”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/73013

  • Prey for Mac – Review

    Apple’s current notebook line is among the most impressive the company has ever released. From the extreme portability of the MacBook Air, to…

  • Starbucks Card Mobile – App Review

    Recently, Mike D wrote a great article on the future of mobile payments on iPhone. One of the apps mentioned in the article…