Attention home theater geeks, there’s finally a great solution to control your home theater PC with your iPhone or iPod touch. The application called Air Mouse Pro turns your iOS device into a trackpad and universal remote for your Mac or PC. How does it work and is it right for you? Find out after the break.

At first glance, the app may look like a simple application, but it’s so much more than that digging deeper into it. It doesn’t have just controls for a keyboard and mouse, but controls that change depending on the application you’re currently controlling on-screen. Using iTunes or Windows Media Player? You get media transport controls. Using a web browser? You get controls for home, forward, back and stop. The app also has support for applications like Boxee, Front Row, and VLC.

The app was fairly easy to set up with both our Windows 7-based home theater PC and an Apple MacBook. You simply download the Air Mouse Server application from the Air Mouse Pro website, install and run it, and then select the Mac or PC from the app on your iPhone or iPod touch. The app connects through your Wi-Fi network so there are no line of sight issues that infrared brings to the table.

We were very impressed with the app during our testing. The screen is divided into two sections on launch, the top acts as a trackpad with left and right mouse buttons, and the bottom acts as a variety of controls from the standard iPhone keyboard, media transport controls, customizable function keys, and web browser navigation. The trackpad functionality worked wonderfully and we never experienced a glitch during our testing. A lot of the gestures are very intuitive as well. To hide the keyboard, shake your device and it disappears. This activates a larger on-screen trackpad that takes up more space to control your on-screen cursor.

If you don’t want to use the touch trackpad on your iOS device, there is also a Wiimote-like mouse feature that according to the company, works better on the iPhone 4 because of the built-in gyroscope. We didn’t have a chance to test it on the iPhone 3G or 3GS, but it is an option if you’re fingers get tired.

Another nifty feature is the built-in application switcher and launcher that mimics the Dock on your Mac or the running applications on your PC. Tap on an app icon and it launches or switches to it seamlessly. It acts as a great alternative to the Alt-Tab or Command-Tab features that users are already used to. Air Mouse Pro also has a few other features for remotely waking up your computer and putting it to sleep, and the ability to script your own controls for media and web remotes.

Air Mouse Pro costs $1.99 in the App Store.

1. Alt-Tab

Alt-Tab is a nifty shortcut that is perfect for users who want to keep their hands on their keyboards at all times, minimizing the use of a mouse. Pressing Alt-Tab will bring up a view of running programs, press Alt-Tab more than once to switch to the window of your choice, and then let go of the keys, voila!

Pressing Shift-Tab will go back to the previous window selected, and can be used more than once to switch in reverse.

2. Windows-Tab

This Windows Vista (and Windows 7) exclusive feature called “Aero Flip 3D” gives users a 3D-view of their windows, similar to a rolodex address book. Using the same techniques in #1, you can press Windows-Tab more than once to cycle to a window of your choice, or press Shift-Windows-Tab to cycle in reverse.

Have any Windows or Mac tips you’d like to share with us and the rest of our readers? Leave a comment below!

We covered the new Jump Lists and User Account Control settings in Windows 7, which are cool features, but we haven’t even touched the really cool stuff. Today it’s all about Aero “Peek”, Homegroups, and Libraries. If you haven’t yet checked out part one, check that out first before you head into this one. Peek into Windows 7 after the jump.

We’ll start off with one of the coolest features, Aero “Peek”, which does exactly what the name implies. You can hover over the thumbnail of the window in the application, and peek behind let’s say, Internet Explorer to Windows Media Player. You can even peek all the way to the desktop to see your desktop gadgets by hovering over the button in the lower-right corner of your screen.

The next feature is Microsoft’s ploy to make home networking easier for Windows users (yes, only Windows users). Homegroups are a simply way to setup file sharing and networked peripherals in Windows 7. When you first setup a Homegroup, Windows 7 gives you a password that you’ll enter in on another Windows 7 PC and the rest of the magic happens behind the scenes.

Libraries replace the My Documents, My Pictures, and My Videos folders that were found on Windows XP and Windows Vista machines, with a library for each. Libraries bring files in from different locations on your computer’s hard drive and bring them together. Kind of like Smart Folders on Mac OS X, but in Microsoft’s own special way. I like this idea and I think it’ll keep PC users a whole lot more organized.

We hope to have more on Windows 7 in the near future. Stay tuned.

Just got finished installing the brand new Windows 7 public beta on my MacBook Pro using Boot Camp, and I have to say, I’m pretty impressed. Microsoft has completely changed their game with the new Windows 7, it feels so much snappier than Vista and it’s features make it something to consider later this year when it’s finally released. Microsoft servers are being slammed right now, so you might want to wait until the load settles down a bit, but I’ve been playing around with it for the past couple hours and here’s my take on the public beta.

If you don’t know what Windows 7 is, it’s the next release of the Windows operating system with some big changes, and puts the problematic Vista behind.

The biggest change since Windows 95 is the taskbar, gone are the small icons and buttons of yesterday, replaced with larger icons and can now be rearranged to your liking. Think of it as Microsoft’s version of the OS X Dock. Click on an icon to launch it, hover over it to see the application windows, click on a thumbnail to switch to it. Very simple and elegant.

The second new feature in 7 I’d like to highlight is a new UI control called Jump Lists. They’re available in both the taskbar and the start menu and offer access to the Most Recently Used lists (MRUs) used in different applications. For example, click and drag up on the Windows Explorer icon with your cursor, and up pops the Jump List for Explorer. You can see a list of the most recently used folders.

The Windows Security Center has been replaced by the Action Center, which not only brings Security alerts in, but Maintenance and other alerts that need user attention. Here, you can see I have an alert telling me to install an anti-virus program, and one telling me to run Windows Defender for a quick scan.

The dreaded User Account Control (UAC) has now been tweaked to be less intrusive and smarter about asking you if you really want to do a certain action while running an installer, or something potentially harmful. You can drag a slider up or down in the settings to notify you more, or don’t notify you at all. Great for the power users and systems administrators.

Part 2 comes on Monday with more on the new and innovative features. Have you tried Windows 7 public beta? Sound off in the comments on your experience so far.

Adobe recently introduced two new versions to their Elements line of software, Photoshop Elements 6 and Premiere Elements 4. They’re a perfect gift to give this holiday season, and to purchase for yourself for editing those holiday moments.

Photoshop Elements 6

The latest version of Photoshop Elements brings some great features to the consumer market that were previously only available in the more expensive Photoshop CS3. One-click fixes in Elements 6 allows you to quickly and easily edit your photos with a single click of your mouse. One of my favorite features includes the ability to create themed layouts and web galleries so everyone can view your photos, no matter where they are in the world.

Organizing your photos has never been easier, and Photoshop Elements allows you to tag your photos. Along with its powerful search function, you can find the photo your looking for with a simple term.

Premiere Elements 4

Similar to iMovie ’08 from Apple, Premiere Elements brings easier movie editing to the Windows side. Unlike iMovie ’08, the new version of Premiere Elements has movie themes to add a nice touch to your otherwise plain-looking video.

You can also upload your movies directly to YouTube, so the entire world can see them (or not). If your PC has a DVD or Blu-Ray drive, you can burn them right to disc for watching on your television.

Overall, the Photoshop & Premiere Elements bundle is one of the best software bundles we’ve seen for a while, especially on the PC side. Don’t get lost inside of complicated software, grab a copy of Adobe Photoshop and Premiere Elements today. It’s available in one box for $129.99 or individually for around $80 at Amazon.

• individual file selection, so you can pick only the files you need
• file priorities
• a refashioned downloads pane
• significantly faster searching
• faster downloads

If you’re a BitTorrent fanatic, look no further than Xtorrent on Mac OS X. It’s beautifully designed, and design does not get in the way of function. We reviewed the product earlier this year and loved it.

Adobe’s latest offering for digital photographers is a competitor to Apple’s Aperture, but how does it perform with RAW images? Read on after the jump for more!

After we installed it we filled the library with tons of RAW images from our Nikon D50 digital SLR camera, and it was much much speedier than Apple’s Aperture software. Also at a first glance, Lightroom had much better performance over all on our Apple MacBook and a Core 2 Duo-based PC. It was also very easy to adjust white balance and exposure and compare both versions with Lightroom’s comparison mode.

A nice touch was the ability to revert or undo multiple times without having to worry about the original image. Need to export a batch of files using the same settings? Lightroom includes the ability to save your frequently used settings so you can apply them fast without having to slow down tweaking settings.

Want to show off your photos to clients or family and friends? Lightroom can export your photos as a Flash or HTML-based web gallery, and it works fantastic. Now, some of these features are included in Apple’s Aperture software, but to get the best performance out of that – you’ll need a high end Mac. With Lightroom, you don’t – and it runs on Windows too.

So if you’re looking for a fast, and easy to use photo management application – look no further than Adobe’s Photoshop Lightroom for $299.

Pros

• Ability to go back to the original image without loosing crucial image data.
• Web galleries built-in.
• Easy-to-use image correction controls.
• Fast performance.

Cons

• None.

Final Verdict
5 out of 5 stars.

Today at WWDC07 in San Francisco at the Moscone West convention center, Steve Jobs unveiled Apple’s 3rd application to hit the Windows market – Safari. Apple claims it is 1.6x faster than Firefox 2.0 on Windows and up to 2x faster than Internet Explorer 7. In addition, Safari 3 Public Beta is also available for Mac OS X and adds a ton of new features including movable tabs, inline find, and a whole lot more.

Read on after the jump for a surprise offer!

Plus, with the upcoming iPhone which uses iCal – you’ll be able to sync to it too! Anything that supports the iSync app can sync your Google Calendars! Some applications only sync one way and don’t allow you to see updates on your PC or Mac – Spanning Sync syncs both ways, updates in Google Calendar appear in iCal and vice-versa.

Spanning Sync does a great job at a great price. $25 for a one-year subscription and $65 for a lifetime license. Have multiple Macs? No problem – Spanning Sync is licensed by your Google account, so you don’t have to buy separate licenses.

Final Verdict
5 out of 5 stars.

Giveaway!

Surprise! Comment on this post with what you use Google Calendar for, we’ll pick one randomly and you win a free one-year license!

Update – Big thanks to all of those who have entered, I forgot to mention that the contest will end at 4PM Pacific on Thursday – so stay tuned! Feel free to take a look around on the site or subscribe to our RSS feed.

Update 2 – Contest has been extended to Friday! This is your final chance to enter!

Disclaimer: I do not condone piracy and am not suggesting that you use BitTorrent for illegal downloading.

If you do not know what BitTorrent is, it basically is a file transfer protocol that contests of seeds and peers. Seeds are sharers and peers are downloaders that automatically begin seeding when your download is complete. Someone who does not seed files is considered a leecher and is against most online BitTorrent sites’ terms of service.

Today, I’m taking a look at one of the newcomers in the BitTorrent client arena, Xtorrent for the Mac. Xtorrent combines ease of use and style in a nice Mac interface.

Now you may be thinking, who would pay $20 for a protocol that is in the open-source industry? I thought the exact same thing before I came across this amazing client. A unique feature is the ability to subscribe to RSS torrentcasts that automatically update with the latest and greatest content from your favorite BitTorrent site.

You can also type in keywords in the search bar and search that particular torrent site for specific things like your favorite Linux distribution. Plus, before downloading, you have the option to drill down into a torrent file (the file that holds the bits for downloading) and see exactly what you’re downloading and it’s swarm status.

Overall, I enjoyed the interface and luxury of all these features that cannot yet be found in any other Mac client for BitTorrent and highly recommend this for anyone who lives on BitTorrent for their daily needs. I do understand that developers need their money to provide for future projects and resources, but no one should have to pay $20 for something that can easily be provided free of charge. Xtorrent is now available at the Xtorrent website for $20.00 USD.

Pros

• Unique features like RSS torrentcasts and searching.
• The ability to schedule bandwidth limits depending on time and user-activity.
• Ease of use and very nice interface.

Cons

• Price.

Final Verdict
4.5 out of 5 stars.

Kicking off our first ever software review week at Connect, we decided start it off with a great archiving utility that may look similar to an application you may already use.

You may be wondering what I mean by archiving utility, it’s something you probably use most often but don’t know about it, or you’re still using the one built into Windows XP/Vista. An archiving utility unzips, “unrars”, and unstuffs various file formats that compress multiple files into one usually smaller sized file.

What attracted me to PowerArchiver 2007 was the interface that is similar to the new “ribbon” interface in Office 2007 that you may already be familiar with (see image below).

Besides the interface, PowerArchiver 2007 really isn’t that different from other archiving utilities such as WinZip or WinRAR. Although, one feature that I have yet to try out is the encryption, allowing AES encryption at 128-bit, 192-bit, and 256-bit supported in PKZip, Secure Zip, and WinZip. Another cool feature allows you to automate backups and compress them into a ZIP file or 4 other compression formats of your choice, and also allows you to upload the backup to an FTP or Secure FTP server, great for people with large web space.

PowerArchiver 2007 of course supports the new Windows Vista operating system from Microsoft and is available today for $19.95. It’s worth it alone for the backups!

Pros

• Revolutionary new interface.
• Automated backup system.
• Excellent encryption feature.

Cons

• None.

Final Verdict
5 out of 5 stars.

Headlining Toast 8 are a number of unique new features and enhancements that help redefine the standard for disc burning on the Mac platform. Toast 8 brings TiVo® and the Mac together for the first time, enabling users to enjoy their favorite TV programs on their Mac, burn them to disc, or easily convert them for viewing on a mobile device such as an iPod® or PSP™. Complementing the features of iTunes, Toast 8 enables users to apply professional-quality tools to create superior sounding audio CD mixes and music DVDs. Going beyond the burning options included in Mac OS, Toast 8 introduces Blu-ray Disc burning, as well as automatic disc cataloging, cross-platform data spanning, and disc restoration.

“Toast revolutionized disc burning on the Mac, so it was the natural choice to help us bring TiVo to the platform,” said Jim Denney, vice president, product marketing at TiVo. “Now, our two companies are taking that empowerment to the next level by extending TiVo’s exclusive TiVoToGo feature to Mac users, giving them the ability to enjoy their favorite entertainment on the Mac, on DVD, and on-the-go.”

Come by booth #314 at this year’s Expo and take a peek at Roxio’s new product for the Mac.

]]> http://www.connectreviews.com/2007/01/08/roxio-introduces-toast-8-titanium-at-expo/feed/ 0 http://www.connectreviews.com/2007/01/04/adobe-brings-premiere-back-to-mac/ http://www.connectreviews.com/2007/01/04/adobe-brings-premiere-back-to-mac/#comments Fri, 05 Jan 2007 02:03:15 +0000 ConnectReviews http://www.sparkd.org/reviews/2007/01/04/adobe-brings-premiere-back-to-mac/ Adobe announced today that it would be bringing it’s flagship video editing product, Premiere Pro, back to the Macintosh platform, to be available in mid-2007.

“Our customers wanted all the components in Adobe Production Studio to be available on both the Macintosh and Windows platforms,�? said John Loiacono, senior vice president of Creative Solutions Business Unit at Adobe. “We listened and believe that an innovative new cross-platform video suite, anchored by powerhouse releases of Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premiere Pro and Adobe After Effects, will really shake up the industry.�?

We’ll bring you more on this matter at Macworld Expo later this week.

]]> http://www.connectreviews.com/2007/01/04/adobe-brings-premiere-back-to-mac/feed/ 0 http://www.connectreviews.com/2006/07/17/iclip-lite-a-nano-review/ http://www.connectreviews.com/2006/07/17/iclip-lite-a-nano-review/#comments Mon, 17 Jul 2006 06:39:06 +0000 ConnectReviews http://sparkd.org/blog/2006/07/17/iclip-lite-a-nano-review/

Looking for a cool Dashboard widget that’s aesthetically pleasing, yet easy to use? iClip lite is an easy to use, light version of the popular iClip clipboard application for OS X.

iClip lite is a free Dashboard widget version of the award-winning iClip. It was designed in conjunction with the Widget Machine and features stylish graphics and animation created by the talented GUI artist, Piotr Gajos.

Basically, what iClip lite and iClip does, is allow you to keep more than one clipboarded item at your fingertips, which Inventive Software calls modules. A really nice feature is the automatic mode, if you forget to keep pasting stuff to the widget, it will let you know that it’s doing it for you by indicating a spinning icon.

The interface is excellently designed, and the ease of use of the application will keep this Dashboard widget in your widget collection for months to come. If you like this widget, check out the full-blown application.

¹. A prefix that goes in front of words to denote that they are small, generally on the scale of 10-9 meters.

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