Wouldn’t be easier if you could control your PC from your bed. You do not need Infrared Receivers/USB Gadgets and remotes for this purpose. Instead all you need is your iPhone or iPod Touch and a wifi connection to your PC.

What You Need:

• PC (The Software is available for Windows, Mac and Linux. This tutorial covers Windows)
• PC HippoVNC server software. (Linux users can use the included VNC server software)
• HippoRemote Lite app. (Available from the Apple App Store)
• A WiFi router.

Installing the HippoVNC Server

Download the free HippoVNC Server file. (Link Included at the bottom). Choose a folder to extract the file.

And run the WinVNC.exe file.

You may get a Security Warning. Click Allow Access.

Important Step: In the Settings Page, enter a password for the VNC.

Now you will need to obtain the IP address of your host machine. This is only needed if you do not have iTunes installed on your PC. Easiest way to find your IP address is by hovering your mouse over the HippoRemote Lite icon int he System Tray.



Note: If you have iTunes installed, HippoRemote can automatically detect the IP address.

Running HippoVNC as a Service

If you want  HippoVNC to run every time your PC boots, you can run it as a service.  To run HippoVNC as a service, right click on the System Tray icon and select Install Service.

Now connect your iPhone/iPod Touch to your WiFi network. Then open the HippoRemote Lite App and select Add Connection.

Type in the IP Address for host and the password you entered earlier on the HippoVNC Settings window. Tap Done when finished.

You should now see your computer’s IP address appear under Saved Connections. Select it to connect to your PC.

HippoRemote Settings screen will pop up where you can make certain adjustments such as tracking and scrolling speed. Tap the Trackpad button at the top left to switch to the trackpad.

Note: Some options, such as setting macros, are only available in the full (commercial) version of HippoRemote.

Now you’re ready. To move the cursor on the computer screen, flick or drag your finger across the trackpad.

The buttons at the top act as right and left mouse buttons. Simply tap them for right and left mouse clicks.

Selecting the Keyboard button will bring up the onscreen keyboard mode to enter text.

The Split Screen button will give you both the keyboard and trackpad at the same time.

Conclusion

HippoRemote application is a cool way to Control your PC. Just make sure your computer screen is big enough for you to see while you far away sitting on your bed. Works like a charm for me (24″ Wide screen here) when i am watching TV shows/Movies and need to put on next one from my bed itself.

Leave your comments below.

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HippoRemote Lite

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Want to know just how much memory Google Chrome and any installed extensions are using at a given moment?

How Much Memory is being used?

Here is a test page

Access Chrome’s Task Manager using the Page Menu -> Developer -> Task manager.

Or right click  Tab Bar and select Task manager.

Here you can see the Memory usage on a idle browser. Certainly a killer because not all the extensions are being used at the time.

You can get more than just the memory consumption.

For our example Shared Memory & Private Memory.

Using the about:memory Page

Want even more detail? Type “about:memory” into the Address Bar and press Enter.

View the Memory & Virtual Memory statistics.

All the processes.

The Difference with the Extensions Disabled

Just for checking it out.

The Task Manager Window is looking rather empty now but the memory consumption has definitely seen an improvement.

Comparing Memory Usage for Two Extensions with Similar Functions

For our next step we decided to compare the memory usage for two extensions with similar functionality. This can be helpful if you are wanting to keep memory consumption trimmed down as much as possible when deciding between similar extensions.

First up was Speed Dial.

The stats for Speed Dial…quite a change from what was shown above (~3,000 – 6,000 K).

Next up was Incredible StartPage.

Surprisingly both were nearly identical in the amount of memory being used.

Purging Memory

Perhaps you like the idea of being able to “purge” some of that excess memory consumption. With a simple command switch modification to Chrome’s shortcut(s) you can add a Purge Memory Button to the Task Manager Window as shown below. Notice the amount of memory being consumed at the moment…

One quick click and there is a noticeable drop in memory consumption.

Conclusion

We hope that our examples here will prove useful to you in managing the memory consumption in your own Google Chrome installation. If you have a computer with limited resources every little bit definitely helps out.

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Streaming recorded TV to your hotel room. Grabbing files off your home computer from work. Checking on the dog walker. Your computer can do amazing things while you’re nowhere near it, and these 10 killer remote access apps help you do them.

Photo by Xjs-Khaos.

10. DJ Your iTunes Playlists From Any Room

The Remote app for iPhones and iPod touch is a convenience in letting you control a single computer’s iTunes output from anywhere within range of the same Wi-Fi network. Throw in an AirPort Express and some other gear, and Remote can become a multi-room wireless remote for as many iTunes setups as you’ve got going during your ultimate birthday party.

9. Install Wake-on-LAN for Remote Power-Ups

The coolest remote streaming apps in the world won’t do a thing if all your computers at home are powered off. Set them up to wake up whenever you ping them from afar by configuring them with Wake-on-LAN. Sometimes written as WOL in geek circles, Wake-on-LAN’s weakness in this modern age is that it requires a wired ethernet connection, so your wireless laptop won’t be able to wake up. Your media center PC or desktop, though, will be glad to hear from you.

8. Be At Home Anywhere with OpenVPN

Getting at shared folders, accessing sites restricted by corporate firewalls, and hooking into your iTunes library as if you were on the same network. VPN connections can make such convenience happen, and OpenVPN is the free, open-source way to get there. It works as a server running on a computer you keep going all the time, and it’s also integrated into the Tomato and DD-WRT firmware that we’ve used to upgrade our routers into home network superstars. (Original post)

7. Watch Recorded TV with Remote Potato

Once you get Remote Potato set up, you’ll get nearly full access to your Windows 7 Media Center anywhere you have a browser up and running. Through a Silverlight plug-in, you can watch shows you’ve recorded, set up new recordings, and otherwise fine-tune your fairly awesome setup. (Original post)

6. Control Torrent Downloading Remotely

When you’re not home, or away from home, you can still make use of that broadband connection just sitting dark around your house. We’ve gone in-depth on uTorrent and its great remote web interface, but other torrent clients, like Transmission, can just as easily let you add, throttle, start and pause, and cancel your torrents. Whether you’ve just thought of something to watch when you get home, or your spouse can’t figure out why their web access is glacial, it can be quite a helpful feature.

5. Give Remote Tech Support with CrossLoop

What if the computer you’re trying to fix, or grab a file from, isn’t your own, and so isn’t set up with all kinds of neat VNC servers and remote desktop access? That’s where CrossLoop comes in. The free PC and Mac application pares down the remote control protocols to simply require the person giving up control to provide the controller with a small authorization code, and from there, it’s like magic net juice. You’re connected, you can grab files and click on things, and you’re good until the other party decides to disconnect. It’s one of the best ways to give tech support, and receive it, too.

4. Keep an Eye On What’s Happening at Home

Unless your dogs perform amazing tricks when you’re not around, this away-from-home setup isn’t quite as fun, but it can elicit some ooh-neat responses. Setting up a motion-sensing, remotely monitored webcam, like Vitamin D, Motion Detection, or HighlightCam, lets you see what’s happening in your home when you’re not there, and maybe even keep tabs on the paid dog walker. (Original posts: Vitamin D, HighlightCam, Motion Detection)

3. Stream Media Anywhere with Orb

What Orb does isn’t new or entirely novel, but Orb does make streaming your media very easy. Whether between PC and Mac computers, from computers to a Wii, or to an iPhone app, Orb is the pain-free way to ensure that if you’ve invested in ripping CDs and DVDs, or downloading good stuff from the web to your main computer, it’s always available to wherever else you happen to have a screen in front of you.

2. Do Everything Else with a Home Server

Whether you’re creating a dedicated Windows Home Server, modifying a desktop to be a personal web server, or getting a bit more geeky with reader favorite Ubuntu Server Edition, having a server at home, and opening it beyond your home network, can be really useful. You can easily assign a domain name, run an FTP server, stream music through Jinzora, and do much, much more.

1. Use Your Home Computer Through LogMeIn

It’s available for free on Mac and PC, it’s a reader favorite, it makes setting up a remote VNC connection between systems fairly simple, and it has many uses. It’s good at remote tech support, running boring maintenance while you’re away, and you can go beyond the free offerings by augmenting it with other free apps. With a strong enough connection, you can theoretically do anything on your computer from a distance with LogMeIn, and that’s a great thing.