You all reading this are likely Android aficionados, and being such many of you likely own both an Android phone & Android tablet; I do, and I’m always looking for ways to make them a dynamic duo. Incidentally that’s how I came across this app, Tablet Remote. The goal of tablet remote is to allow you to send commands to your tablet from your phone, although it can really go both ways. You can send common input like “Back”, “Home”, “Menu” or “Search” as well as more special commands like “Play”, “Next” or “Previous.” It also has a special input that I’ll get to in a moment.
I’ve been using this app to control my docked tablet playing music through my stereo speakers. It’s superb for that. I can see it being great for video playback as well when your tablet is tethered to the back of a TV through HDMI. It’s also great for Super Nintendo, which incidentally brings me to that special input. Turning your phone to landscape mode changes the controls to either an Xperia control layout or Super Nintendo layout. What’s more, a friend can pair with the tablet at the same time and play Nintendo with you as player two.
It’s a cinch to set up. Just install the app on all the devices you want to interact. On the receiver, simply check all the boxes in Setup. Then on all devices go to Connections and start pairing up over Bluetooth or WiFi. I just have to say I really love the dynamic UI in this app as well, you’ll see. Once you’re paired, go back to the main menu on your controlling device and hit Remote. That’s it, *hopefully.
*It seems not all Androids are created equal. Some of you may experience a “SDP” error. If you do, the app will likely still work, but may continue to toast, or momentarily print to screen, the error message. The only way to stop it is to force close the app. This should currently be under investigation by the developer, but hey you don’t need root and you don’t need money, so its worth a shot.
Now if you’ll excuse me, my friend and I are going to play some vintage video games, co-op style.
Screen Shots
FREE on Android Market
