Don’t leave the couch: These 5 apps let you remotely control your PC from a phone

There are plenty of reasons to have a remote control for your computer. Maybe you need a way to access your files from outside your home, or you use a "headless" system without a monitor, or you want an easy way to control a home theater PC without a mouse and keyboard cluttering up your coffee table.

There are two general ways to achieve remote control. You can use a full remote desktop client, which will transmit images from your monitor (and sometimes even speaker sound) to your phone or tablet. This option is generally more powerful, but it's also a bit more complicated, and is preferred by more advanced users.

A standard "mouse and keyboard" app doesn't transmit video or sound, and works more or less like a TV remote control for your computer. For all of them you'll need an active connection on the local network (preferably Wi-Fi, but you can connect your computer to the router via Ethernet). Most remote desktop clients offer control over the Internet as well.

Here are the five of the best options on Android, iOS, and Windows Phone.

Google Chrome Remote Desktop

If you're a regular user of Google's Chrome browser on your desktop, this is probably the best bet for remote controlling your PC. Once you install this Chrome extension on your computer (Windows or OS X), you'll have easy access to it from the corresponding official app on Android or the iPhone.

Despite "Chrome" in the name, the app can in fact access anything your computer as if you were sitting in front of it — file browsers, administrator tools, whatever you want. Google's interface makes it easy to connect to your computers, even on mobile networks. Installing the extension into your desktop's Chrome browser also lets you access it from other laptop or desktop operating systems.

Available from:

Google play iTunes

Microsoft Remote Desktop

Long-time Windows users will be familiar with Microsoft's first-party remote desktop solution. While it will only connect to Windows machines (and even then, only "Professional" versions of Windows or better), it's available on Android, iOS, and (naturally) Windows Phone. Microsoft updates this app on a pretty regular basis; Android users can even give the beta app a spin for newer fixes and features.

Available from:

Google play iTunes Windows Phone Store

Virtual Network Client (various)

The VNC protocol has long been a favorite remote access solution for engineers and power users — long before the rise of smartphones, in fact. The original design is open source, so there are a variety of clients on both desktops and smartphones, some paid, some free. Most of them should work with each other, though the various versions and branches can create compatibility issues. For free users TightVNC on the desktop is a common Windows favorite, and there's a cross-platform Java version available. OS X actually includes a VNC-compatible remote desktop feature built in.

The TightVNC developers have an official and free Android remote access client, Remote Ripple. On iOS, Mocha VNC Lite is a free option, with paid apps from the popular RealVNC Viewer and iTeleport offering more support and reliability at a high price. On Windows Phone TinyVNC is the current favorite, and it's free. Keep in mind that VNC apps are intended for more advanced users — if you don't know how to find your computer's IP address, you might want to look for something else.

Remote Mouse

Unlike the remote desktop options above, this app emulates a computer's mouse and keyboard only. You'll need to be able to see your screen or monitor in order to use it, and it only works on local Wi-Fi networks.

That said, using a simpler app is sometimes preferable, especially for the mouse/touchpad functionality. Remote Mouse is a free download on both Android and iOS, as is the Windows, OS X, or Linux server program you'll need to run on your computer to operate it. Extra features like media controls and access to function keys requires an in-app purchase upgrade. This is probably the best bet for anyone who just needs to use basic commands via their phone or tablet.

Available from:

Google play iTunes Windows Phone Store

Unified Remote ($4)

This app is similar to Remote Mouse, but includes more functions built-in, like wake on LAN support, voice commands, infrared and NFC tools for supported phones, and controls for various music services like iTunes, Spotify, and VLC.

The app is free and works with the free server on Windows and OS X, but you'll need to unlock the full version for all the advanced features. On Android this is done with a separate app, on the iPhone and iPad you can unlock the features with an in-app purchase, and on Windows Phone you can either pay or use the Windows Store's trial feature. It will cost you $4 whichever version you use, which isn't unreasonable for the expanded functionality.

Available from:

 Google play iTunes Windows Phone Store

These aren't the only options for remote control, but they're the most economical and the best-reviewed. If you're willing to spend a little more money, end-to-end solutions like Splashtop and TeamViewer offer paid tiers with easy interfaces and more hands-on user support. Some remote desktop clients offer file transfers right in the app, but in general it's much easier to use a cloud storage tool like Dropbox or Google Drive to move files to and from your phone.

Source: Don't leave the couch: These 5 apps let you remotely control your PC from a phone

Microsoft Lumia 640 XL LTE vs XOLO Q1011 : Comparison of Features and Specification

New Delhi, Tue, 07 Jul 2015 NI Wire

Microsoft Lumia 640 XL LTE is the smartphone from Microsoft with 5.7 inches screen and the resolution of the screen is 720 x 1280 pixels pixels. Phone was announced in 2015, March. Screen of the phone comes with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection.

XOLO Q1011 is the smartphone from XOLO with 5.0 inches screen and the resolution of the screen is 720 x 1280 pixels pixels. Phone was announced in 2014, June.

Here we are taking about comparison of the features and specification of the devices Microsoft Lumia 640 XL LTE and XOLO Q1011. Microsoft Lumia 640 XL LTE device comes with Li-Ion 3000 mAh battery. This phone is powered with Quad-core 1.2 GHz Cortex-A7 processor which gives maximum performance. While XOLO Q1011 device comes with Li-Po 2250 mAh battery. This device is powered with Quad-core 1.3 GHz Cortex-A7 processor which gives maximum performance.

Microsoft Lumia 640 XL LTE phone comes with 8 GB, 1 GB RAM and it provide support for microSD, up to 128 GB.

XOLO Q1011 phone comes with 4 GB, 1 GB RAM and it provide support for microSD, up to 32 GB.

The primary camera of Microsoft Lumia 640 XL LTE is 13 MP and the specification of the primary camera is 1/3'' sensor size.

Microsoft Lumia 640 XL LTE phone comes with a front camera and its specification is: 5 MP, 1080p.

The primary camera of XOLO Q1011 is 8 MP and the specification of the primary camera is Geo-tagging, touch focus, panorama, face detection, HDR.

XOLO Q1011 phone comes with a front camera and its specification is: 2 MP.

Main Features comparison of the devices Microsoft Lumia 640 XL LTE and XOLO Q1011.

Touch

Microsoft Lumia 640 XL LTE provide the support for multi-touch and the screen comes with 720 x 1280 pixels (Approximately 259 ppi pixel density) resolution.

XOLO Q1011 provide the support for multi-touch and the screen comes with 720 x 1280 pixels (Approximately 294 ppi pixel density) resolution.

BatteryBattery of the Microsoft Lumia 640 XL LTE is Li-Ion 3000 mAh.Battery of the XOLO Q1011 is Li-Po 2250 mAh.

DisplayDisplay size of the Microsoft Lumia 640 XL LTE is 5.7 inches and display resolution is 720 x 1280 pixels pixels.Display size of the XOLO Q1011 is 5.0 inches and display resolution is 720 x 1280 pixels pixels.

OSThe mobile device Microsoft Lumia 640 XL LTE runs on Microsoft Windows Phone 8.1 with Lumia Denim. Whereas XOLO Q1011 runs on Android OS, v4.4.2 (KitKat).

ProcessorMicrosoft Lumia 640 XL LTE is powered with Quad-core 1.2 GHz Cortex-A7 processor. Whereas XOLO Q1011 comes with Quad-core 1.3 GHz Cortex-A7 processor.

Storage

Microsoft Lumia 640 XL LTE device comes with the 8 GB storage supported model(s).

XOLO Q1011 device comes with the 4 GB storage supported model(s).

Camera

Microsoft Lumia 640 XL LTE comes with Primary camera is of 13 MP and the second camera is of 5 MP.

Primary camera is of 8 MP and the second camera is of 2 MP in the device XOLO Q1011.

Check the full specification of Microsoft Lumia 640 XL LTE.

Check the full specification of XOLO Q1011.

Check Microsoft Lumia 640 XL LTE vs XOLO Q1011 : Comparison of Features and Specification in detail..

Source: Microsoft Lumia 640 XL LTE vs XOLO Q1011 : Comparison of Features and Specification

Microsoft’s new Tossup app wants to help you make it easier to wrangle a group of friends for a night out

Igor Bonifacic

July 6, 2015 6:13pm

Let's be honest here, getting a group of friends all in one place can be a pain in the butt. Thankfully, there's a new app that aims to resolve that particular butt pain point.

Developed by Microsoft's Garage team, a small group within the company that's focused on developing experimental software, Tossup allows users to suggest and vote on event ideas. The intent here is to help take away the type of indecision that tends to plague any occasion where a large group of flakey people need to decide what to do on a given night.

To help expedite this process, it's possible to add a countdown clock to each decision. And once a decision is made, anyone that voted on it gets a calendar invite. If, after all that, your friends still bail, then it's probably time to get a new set of friends.

Tossup is, unfortunately, only available on Android and iOS smartphones right now. Sorry, Windows Phone users.

Besides being a no show on Windows Phone, the app has at least one other idiosyncrasy that differentiates it from most of Microsoft's other mobile releases.

When a user launches the app for the first time, they're asked to input their phone number and wait for a verification code. Once that step is completed, the user inputs their name and email address. In other words, no where in this process is a person asked to log in using their Microsoft account. This, I suspect, was done to make signing up for the app as easy possible. After all, it's easy to imagine how an app like this live and dies by the number of people that sign up to use it.

That said, as with the Garage team's other releases, it's tough to say whether Tossup will evolve into something substantial. The team's other recent effort, InstaNote, is an interesting and helpful app, but it is not like it's setting the world on fire right now. The division also released an Android lock screen and a number of interesting apps for various platforms last year.

Those that would like to try out Tossup, can do so by downloading it either from the iTunes App Store or Google Play Store.

>

Source: Microsoft's new Tossup app wants to help you make it easier to wrangle a group of friends for a night out

Xiaomi Mi Note Plus vs Microsoft Lumia 640 XL LTE Dual SIM : Comparison of Features and Specification

New Delhi, Mon, 06 Jul 2015 NI Wire

Xiaomi Mi Note Plus is the smartphone from Xiaomi with 5.7 inches screen and the resolution of the screen is 1440 x 2560 pixels pixels. Phone was announced in Exp. announcement 2015, Q2. Screen of the phone comes with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection.

Microsoft Lumia 640 XL LTE Dual SIM is the smartphone from Microsoft with 5.7 inches screen and the resolution of the screen is 720 x 1280 pixels pixels. Phone was announced in 2015, March. Screen of the phone comes with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection.

Here we are taking about comparison of the features and specification of the devices Xiaomi Mi Note Plus and Microsoft Lumia 640 XL LTE Dual SIM. Xiaomi Mi Note Plus device comes with battery. This phone is powered with Quad-core 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 & Quad-core 2 GHz Cortex-A57 processor which gives maximum performance. While Microsoft Lumia 640 XL LTE Dual SIM device comes with Li-Ion 3000 mAh battery. This device is powered with Quad-core 1.2 GHz Cortex-A7 processor which gives maximum performance.

Xiaomi Mi Note Plus phone comes with 64 GB, 3 GB RAM and it does not provide support for microSD card slot.

Microsoft Lumia 640 XL LTE Dual SIM phone comes with 8 GB, 1 GB RAM and it provide support for microSD, up to 128 GB.

The primary camera of Xiaomi Mi Note Plus is 13 MP and the specification of the primary camera is Geo-tagging, touch focus, face/smile detection, HDR, panorama.

Xiaomi Mi Note Plus phone comes with a front camera and its specification is: 4 MP, 1080p (1/3'' sensor size, 2?m pixel size).

The primary camera of Microsoft Lumia 640 XL LTE Dual SIM is 13 MP and the specification of the primary camera is 1/3'' sensor size.

Microsoft Lumia 640 XL LTE Dual SIM phone comes with a front camera and its specification is: 5 MP, 1080p.

Main Features comparison of the devices Xiaomi Mi Note Plus and Microsoft Lumia 640 XL LTE Dual SIM.

Touch

Xiaomi Mi Note Plus provide the support for multi-touch and the screen comes with 1440 x 2560 pixels (Approximately 515 ppi pixel density) resolution.

Microsoft Lumia 640 XL LTE Dual SIM provide the support for multi-touch and the screen comes with 720 x 1280 pixels (Approximately 259 ppi pixel density) resolution.

BatteryBattery of the Xiaomi Mi Note Plus is .Battery of the Microsoft Lumia 640 XL LTE Dual SIM is Li-Ion 3000 mAh.

DisplayDisplay size of the Xiaomi Mi Note Plus is 5.7 inches and display resolution is 1440 x 2560 pixels pixels.Display size of the Microsoft Lumia 640 XL LTE Dual SIM is 5.7 inches and display resolution is 720 x 1280 pixels pixels.

OSThe mobile device Xiaomi Mi Note Plus runs on Android OS, v4.4.4 (KitKat). Whereas Microsoft Lumia 640 XL LTE Dual SIM runs on Microsoft Windows Phone 8.1 with Lumia Denim.

ProcessorXiaomi Mi Note Plus is powered with Quad-core 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 & Quad-core 2 GHz Cortex-A57 processor. Whereas Microsoft Lumia 640 XL LTE Dual SIM comes with Quad-core 1.2 GHz Cortex-A7 processor.

Storage

Xiaomi Mi Note Plus device comes with the 64 GB storage supported model(s).

Microsoft Lumia 640 XL LTE Dual SIM device comes with the 8 GB storage supported model(s).

Camera

Xiaomi Mi Note Plus comes with Primary camera is of 13 MP and the second camera is of 4 MP.

Primary camera is of 13 MP and the second camera is of 5 MP in the device Microsoft Lumia 640 XL LTE Dual SIM.

Check the full specification of Xiaomi Mi Note Plus.

Check the full specification of Microsoft Lumia 640 XL LTE Dual SIM.

Check Xiaomi Mi Note Plus vs Microsoft Lumia 640 XL LTE Dual SIM : Comparison of Features and Specification in detail..

Source: Xiaomi Mi Note Plus vs Microsoft Lumia 640 XL LTE Dual SIM : Comparison of Features and Specification

Neowin's 7 Days of Microsoft's tough decisions, Xbox insights and BlackBerry's Android phone

7 Days is a weekly round-up of what's been happening in the world of technology - written by Neowin's editors with a dash of humor, a hint of exasperation, and an endless supply of (Irish) coffee. Here's a especially edited version for TechSpot readers from the full article.

It's been another action-packed week in the tech world, stuffed full of exciting announcements, spicy rumors and other eyebrow-raising moments. But the weekend is here again, and that means it's time once more for 7 Days to take your hand and guide you through the labyrinth of the week's top stories.

We begin this week on a sad note, as Matti Makkonen – often dubbed the 'father of SMS' – passed away at the age of 63. While he didn't single-handedly invent the technology himself, he is credited with developing the idea of sending text messages via mobile networks. However, Makkonen was always eager to share the credit, both with his colleagues who shared in development of the short message service, and with Nokia, for popularizing text messaging on its early-1990s handsets.

Microsoft rolled out a technical preview of new Skype for Business services in Office 365, including – among other things – the ability to broadcast a meeting online to up to 10,000 people simultaneously.

It wasn't all that long ago that Microsoft was drawing criticism for the slow pace at which it was rolling out new builds of its Windows 10 Insider Preview. But such criticisms seemed like a distant memory this week, as the company rolled out three new builds in just four days:

10162 remains the most recent build available of the OS, although release notes for the slightly newer build 10163 have since been leaked. Microsoft has also released ISOs of build 10162, and says that this build will be released to the Slow ring.

The company said earlier this week that upcoming builds would include new popup tips to help users familiarize themselves with Windows 10. Microsoft's Joe Belfiore said these tips would quickly become "personal, service-driven and designed to skip stuff you already know". As we found when putting together our screenshot gallery of build 10162, the new tips are already appearing in the latest build.

A new Windows 10 SDK also rolled out this week, including various API changes and additions.

We've heard a lot about Windows 10 in recent weeks, but one aspect that Microsoft hasn't been eager to talk about is what will happen to Windows RT. Unfortunately, the company still isn't ready to discuss details, but it did say this week that its promised update for the dead-end Windows RT will arrive around the same time as its Windows 10 rollout.

Microsoft has now outlined the process for its Windows 10 rollout – and it seems that not all users will be able to install the new OS as soon as it launches on July 29.

The company also published new comparison charts, showing a breakdown of key features that are included in each version of Windows 10: Home, Pro, Enterprise and Education.

By the way, owners of Microsoft's latest Surface tablets may be pleased to know that the newest Windows 10 Insider Preview builds have brought fixes for both of these devices. The Surface Pro 3 now has better battery performance when running preview builds; and after crippling performance issues for the smaller Surface 3 with earlier builds, the latest Windows 10 previews now run well on that device too.

Many people had been hoping that Microsoft would soon unveil a new 'Surface Pro 4' tablet to coincide with the release of Windows 10 – and given that it's now just over a year since the Pro 3 was announced, that seemed reasonable. However, it looks like the Pro 3 will be sticking around a while longer, as Microsoft made a new addition to the range this week.

The company also opened up pre-orders on Wednesday for its gigantic Surface Hub touchscreen PC, designed to improve workplace collaboration. You'll need deep pockets to buy one though – even the entry-level 55-inch model costs $6,999.

Microsoft has also revealed more details about its new Cortana integration in Office 365, including the digital assistant's new ability to proactively serve up information on upcoming meetings and the people that will be participating in them.

We recently reviewed two of Microsoft's latest Windows Phones – the 5-inch Lumia 640, and the super-sized 5.7-inch Lumia 640 XL. Both devices are now on sale around the world, including in the UK – but there's a bit of bad news for British buyers planning to buy one of these handsets.

On Tuesday, the offer of a free one-year Office 365 subscription with the 640 and 640 XL expired in the UK, so if you buy either device now, you won't be eligible to claim that freebie.

Over in the United States, Microsoft is hoping to entice a few more buyers into purchasing a Windows Phone. The company is currently giving away a free set of Nokia Coloud Boom headphones (MSRP: $34.99) with the purchase of any Windows Phone handset.

It emerged this week that a staggering 97% of all Windows Phone handsets are Microsoft's own Lumia devices – that's a new peak, which is particularly odd, given that Microsoft has signed up dozens of new hardware partners to the platform in the last 18 months. It seems that the combined sales of all of those manufacturers is negligible, given that Lumia sales continue to outstrip them all by some margin.

While Microsoft delivered three new preview builds of its new OS for PCs, no new Windows 10 Mobile preview arrived this week. But just over a week after the last build, 10149 rolled out, we asked our readers for their thoughts on how that build is working out so far. Be sure to join in the discussion, and have your say!

On Tuesday, we went hands-on with Microsoft's Phone Companion, its new app designed to make it easier to share content and connect your account between your Windows 10 PC, and your iPhone, Android handset or Windows phone.

On the same day, Microsoft detailed a range of new features in its Xbox for Windows 10 app, for those on its Xbox Preview program, including the addition of 'Game Hubs', a revised 'Xbox Avatars' app, and more.

The company also revealed that its Xbox press conference at Germany's Gamescom gaming expo, at which it has promised to "share some exciting announcements", will be held on August 4 at 1600 local time.

In an interview with IGN this week, three generations of senior Xbox executives talked about the history of Microsoft's console efforts, sharing a few interesting insights into some of the key decisions that the team made over the years.

Now under Microsoft's ownership, the developers of Minecraft, Mojang, revealed that over 20 million copies of the game have now been sold for PC and Mac.

Mojang also announced that Minecraft: Story Mode is heading to consoles, mobile, PC and Mac later this year, and on top of this, it unveiled Minecraft Windows 10 Edition, which will be released as a beta alongside the launch of the new OS on July 29.

Incidentally, if you fancy wasting a few minutes with a bit of idle fun, you might want to try out a few games of Bing Pong.

When Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella recently unveiled the company's new mission statement, he ominously hinted at a need to make some 'tough choices' over some parts of the organization. This week, we saw the first effects of those decisions. On Monday, Microsoft announced the sale of some of its mapping technology to global ride service Uber, along with the transfer of around 100 employees to that company.

Microsoft later made a further statement regarding that sale, announcing that it will no longer collect its own mapping imagery and data for Bing Maps, and will instead license this data from third parties, while focusing its resources on developing the Bing Maps user experience.

And in a further example of Microsoft ditching non-'core' operations, the company also announced that it is selling most of its advertising business – including display, mobile and video ads – to AOL, in a deal that will also see AOL ditch Google as its search partner, in favor of Bing.

Microsoft revealed on Monday that Visual Studio 2015, the latest version of its software development suite, will be released on July 20.

The company's research division has also been teaching Oculus a thing or two about virtual reality. Microsoft Research released a set of specs to enable owners of the Oculus Rift VR headset to 3D-print better lenses than those that the device ships with.

But we end this week on a particularly disturbing note, as Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg shared his vision for the future of the company, saying he believes that one day, we'll be able to share our thoughts and feelings on the social network through telepathy.

For the full 7 Days roundup go here.

These articles are brought to you in partnership with Neowin.

Source: Neowin's 7 Days of Microsoft's tough decisions, Xbox insights and BlackBerry's Android phone

Can Microsoft Corporation’s (MSFT) Rumored “Surface Pro 4” Transform Tablet Industry For Good?

Microsoft Corporation's (NASDAQ:MSFT) is about to launch it's Surface 4 Pro hybrid, probably to coincide with the appearance of the eagerly awaited Windows 10 operating system on July 29. The new CEO, Satya Nadella who took over from Steve Balmer, might have been expected to scrap the Surface when he said areas that were losing money would be closed.

We expect the device will be running Windows 10, designed to run on phones and tablets as well as laptops and desktops. It will support a resolution of 2,160 x 1,440 on a 12inch display, similar to that of its predecessor, Surface Pro 3. The Pro 4 is thought to be the first device powered by the Intel Corp. (NASDAQ:INTC) Skylake chipset, another possible reason for the hybrid device's delayed launch. Some reports have speculated that Microsoft might launch a bigger variant of its Surface Pro 4, sporting a 14inch display. We believe it's unlikely.

The Surface Pro 4 will be released, alongside the upcoming Lumia handsets, Lumia 640 and 640XL. The latest model will be competing with Apple Inc.'s (NASDAQ:AAPL)iPad Air 3. We don't believe Microsoft will compete the Cupertino-based tech giant on the tablet front. The Surface series hasn't really taken off amongst users and it seems likely that the upcoming Pro 4 will be the last edition of an unsuccessful hybrid series.

Windows 10 might be the only thing that helps the upcoming Surface Pro in competing with Apple. With Microsoft charging a premium for its Surface Pro 3 and most likely Pro 4, we don't see it being adopted by many. Users are more likely to switch to laptops than a hybrid, which offers less.

The Surface Pro 4 might be Microsoft's last shot at the prize, but it might not be enough. We will provide more details on the Surface Pro 4, nearer its launch.

Source: Can Microsoft Corporation's (MSFT) Rumored "Surface Pro 4" Transform Tablet Industry For Good?

A Peek at WIFI calling on T-Mobile USA

Windows Phone 8.1 includes native support for WIFI calling, which means on the right carrier you can make and receive phone calls over WiFi, and also send and receive SMS messages and MMS messages.

The feature was previously available via an app on T-Mobile, but now that the service is integrated users report it is much more reliable.

When on WIFI a phone icon overlays the WIFI icon, indicating the option is now available. The phone tile on the home screen also switches from saying T-Mobile to saying WIFI.

Users have the option of preferring  WIFI over cellular or vice versa, or switch to WIFI only, which can be useful in a roaming situation.

The option is now available on the Lumia 640 and other Update 2 handsets when they arrive on the carrier.

Have our users tried out this feature? Let us know below.

Source: A Peek at WIFI calling on T-Mobile USA