| WinMo phones gain Vista "SideShow" support |
Feb. 25, 2008
 A third-party provider is offering what appears to be the first support for Vista "SideShow" gadgets on Windows Mobile phones. ControlThink's ThinkRemote Community Edition lets Vista users feed content and small applications to their phones, or use their phone to control their PC, the company said.
The SideShow technology, which made its debut with the Windows Vista operating system, features gadgets -- mini-applications such as photo viewers, PowerPoint navigators, email viewers, and Media Player controllers. The gadgets run on the Vista PC, but can send information to external clients connected via USB, Bluetooth, TCP/IP, or other future protocols. Such clients include laptops, front-panel computer displays, displays embedded in keyboards, and digital picture frames, mobile phones, and other display devices.
ControlThink says its ThinkRemote Community Edition supports all SideShow gadgets, including those created by Microsoft and by third parties. Once installed on the phone, the software works whether the phone is connected to the PC via WiFi, Bluetooth, or a cellular data connection, the company said.
There's also a component of ThinkRemote Community Edition that installs on the host PC. This component integrates into Windows Vista's standard control panel for SideShow gadgets (see below), letting users choose which gadgets will appear on their Windows Mobile devices, ControlThink said.
ThinkRemote integrates Windows Mobile devices into Vista's SideShow control panel
(Click to enlarge)
Microsoft touted mobile phone compatibility for SideShow when the technology was first announced. However, the ThinkRemote Community Edition appears to be the first product that actually provides it. ControlThink says versions of the software will also be offered for Apple's iPhone and Nintendo's DS, among other devices. The Windows Mobile version, however, will apparently be the first to offer a dedicated client instead of operating via a web interface.
According to ControlThink, gadgets can be used from any location, without users having to worry about firewalls or IP addresses. This is possible because of the Internet-based ThinkConnect service, which is said to create and maintain a connection between a user's Windows Vista PC and mobile phone.
Recently acquired by Leviton, ControlThink announced a version of the ThinkRemote platform last year that has been targeted at third-party remote control manufacturers. Vendors will be able to create remotes -- ranging from $50 devices with text-only displays, to $300 devices with color screens -- that can control consumer electronics devices using the Z-Wave protocol and receive information from SideShow gadgets.
Availability
ThinkRemote Community Edition is currently available as an invitation-only beta, to which "invitations will be awarded on an ongoing basis." Participants will receive free software and access to the company's ThinkConnect service, according to ControlThink.
To apply for the beta, visit the company's website, here.
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