RemoteTap: Control your Mac from your iPhone

With more than 12,000 apps already in the App Store (and counting), sometimes great apps can get lost in the crowd and easily slip by even the most attentive eyes. Such a fate befell RemoteTap by ReadPixel; an app that allows you to control your Mac from your iPhone. This is truly unfortunate not just for the developer, but more so for the end users who have really been missing out. RemoteTap may very well be the most powerful utility available for the iPhone!

Now, the other VNC-based clients available for the iPhone (Jaadu VNC and Mocha VNC) are great, but when it comes to features and functionality, they honestly don't stand a chance against RemoteTap. Set-up is very easy. First download the server software to your Mac's preference pane from ReadPixel's site, set a password and go ahead and enable it. Launch the RemoteTap on your iPhone. If you're on the same wi-fi network, hit scan, select your computer and enter the password. Voilà, you now have full control of your Mac from your iPhone. Now this really isn't anything groundbreaking as the other apps offer a fairly easy set-ups also.

You strike gold with RemoteTap however, when it comes to performance and control. Rather than just following the traditional path of simply giving you access to the mouse, screen and keyboard, RemoteTap takes it to the next level. The app features a built in application launcher that allows you to launch, hide and quit any applications with a single click. From the Applications control tab, you can view all running apps, docked apps or all the installed applications on your machine. Access couldn't be any easier.

Another neat trick that RemoteTap boasts is Keynote and Powerpoint support featuring a remote 'laser pointer'. Use the control arrows to navigate through slides and your finger to control the remote laser pointer. I had a chance to use these features during a business presentation and they worked flawlessly.

RemoteTap is blazing fast and you can change the settings to make it even faster. I used the app to control a 24" iMac and a 13" MacBook and they both displayed perfectly on the iPhone. You can access your Mac both over local wi-fi or over the 3G network. (Please note that if you are using a router from your ISP, it will require additional set-up as your IP address will change from time to time.) If you are using a data network without a flat rate like in the US, you can apply a bandwidth limit from the App's settings page. From there, you can also opt to remote wake or sleep your machine or control all the displays of your multi-headed macs.

ReadPixel provides excellent support for the app and are constantly adding new features. Last night, I has a quick look at the upcoming version and all I can say is go grab your copy of RemoteTap from the App Store now! You will get all it's present functionality plus a lot more for just $6.99 :o)

What we'd love to see:

• The app features detailed instructions, but unfortunately they cannot be accessed unless you already have session running. Please move the info button to the main page.
• Include a pop up message on the first launch to inform the user that the desktop server software must be installed first
• A better icon...so this is a personal preference, but I think everyone loves a good looking icon on their iPhone and I'm just not feeling this one.

P.S. If you are looking to find out how to set-up your router and internet connection for remote access (over a data network), check out the instructions on ReadPixel's site.