The Download Blog

The Remote Media Streaming feature in Windows 7 lets a user on the go access music, photos and video from their home PC. However, the feature has a variety of constraints and requirements that limit its usefulness, says CNET's Ina Fried

(Credit: Ina Fried/CNET)

With many versions of Windows, Microsoft chops features as it gets closer to release.

With Windows 7, Microsoft has actually added a few features as it has gotten closer to launch. One of the most intriguing is a feature that debuted with the most recent release candidate (download) allows a user to stream media from one PC to another over the Internet, a la the Slingbox.

There are some noteworthy limitations. The streaming feature works with unprotected video and music files, so one can't watch video from iTunes or other copy-protected content.

Also the remote media streaming, as the feature is known, requires both computers to be running Windows 7 and requires some setup work. That said, the feature is nice for the scenarios and locations from which it works. It seems particularly well suited to a Netbook or laptop user that wants to listen to some music or view some photos that they don't have on their on-the-go machine.

To get a better sense of the product, I decided to put it through its paces. The feature didn't seem to work when one of the PCs was attached to CNET's corporate network, but worked fine when I went to a coffee house and streamed the media off of a Windows PC at home. (The remote media streaming requires the PC that houses the content to be part of a home network.)

In addition to music and pictures, Windows 7 also supports video streaming, provided the content is unprotected, such as the HD wildlife clip that ships with Windows 7.

(Credit: Ina Fried/CNET)

Set-up is not overly complex, but nor is it elegant by any means. To get the PC ready, you have to turn on Internet streaming in Windows Media Player. The other piece is associating both machines with the same Windows Live ID. (The feature may eventually support other ID providers, but for now it's only Windows Live.)

Getting up and running required downloading a Windows Live ID Assistant from the Internet, which sends you to a browser. Again, this wasn't super-technical, but it would have been nice if it did all that without opening a browser and requiring so many clicks.

Once I thought I had everything set up, I decided to put it to the test. Rather than go too far from home, I headed to Nervous Dog Coffee, my favorite spot for getting caffeinated and trying out new technology.

I started with what I thought was the easiest task--opening a photo. The library showed up quickly but opening the photo was slow. Also unexpected was the fact that instead of just opening that photo, it launched a slideshow of the whole folder.

From there I moved on to music, streaming the Indigo Girls album "All that We Let In." It sounded good, with no noticeable skips, although I could only listen in short bursts as I forgot to bring along headphones.

I then moved onto video, playing a built-in HD clip of wildlife footage that came as part of Windows 7. The clip played with its accompanying audio, though the video was a bit jerky in places.

Satisfied with the results, I packed up the PC and headed into the office. Interestingly, the media-sharing feature didn't appear to work on the same PC once I got into the office. I tried labeling my office network as both a home and an office network, but perhaps a network firewall or something got in the way.

TV shows recorded in Windows Media Center can also be streamed, although the quality and performance seemed to vary.

(Credit: Ina Fried/CNET)

Once I switched from a hard-wire connection to CNET's public wireless network, I was once again able to see content stored on the computer at home. I was even able to stream a Sesame Street episode that I had set to start recording after I left the house.

The quality of that viewing experience varied dramatically. In the best cases, the TV showed up in a small but passable window, while in a couple cases it was in a tiny window or took an unacceptably long time to buffer.

Microsoft says a variety of factors go into the size and quality of the video stream, including the characteristics of the content, the available bandwidth, and the processing power of the serving computer.

At its best, the ability to watch recorded TV is handy; it's not quite the live TV option that Slingbox provides, but still could be useful for road warriors stuck in an airport or at the hotel. But sometimes the delay was enough to send me over to Hulu for sure.

Overall, I found the media-streaming feature to be a nice addition, but both the limitations and the somewhat complicated set-up leaves me the feeling that it will be the enthusiast rather than the mainstream user that gets around to trying this out.

Applications that let you access the files on your desktop from anywhere else are wonderful things, but the traditional remote-desktop app has one annoying flaw--you must browser for an e-mail, photo, or document in often tall, brambly file trees. Copernic Mobile (see slide show), in a sturdy prerelease build for Windows XP and Vista, offers the thorough indexing of a remote-access tool, but with a search component that makes finding those individuals files as simple as using a desktop search tool like Google Desktop--or Copernic Desktop Search.

Copernic Mobile--for XP and Vista--simplifies remote access from your phone's mobile browser.

(Credit: CNET)

It works by downloading Copernic Mobile's remote access application to your desktop and registering for a free account. If you're using Copernic Desktop Search in the free or pro version, or Windows Desktop Search, the app will connect up with the desktop search tool's index of your computer's contents to let you search for files, e-mails, music, photos, videos, contacts, favorites, Web history, and anything else the search app keeps tabs on. It doesn't yet play nice with Yahoo or Google's desktop search apps, which is a missed opportunity to engage some stalwart users before either company begins marketing a similar solution.

After logging into mobile.copernic.com from any Internet-equipped cell phone and entering your credentials, you'll be able to launch a search (clink the proffered link to enter a secure server.) The search return interface works on the spectrum of mobile phones and browsers (I tested it on three), with a more stylized look for iPhone. Depending on your phone's capability, you'll be able to view, download, and e-mail a result. The search function worked flawlessly during our tests, and navigating the app was fast and easy on Wi-Fi, 3G, and Verizon's regular, old data network on a BlackBerry Curve, iPhone, and Samsung Omnia. While other remote access apps like the mobile-specific Sugar Sync, the Internet-portal LogMeIn Free, and others do remote access equally well, the seamless search function makes Copernic Mobile my current favorite.

Copernic Mobile: View Windows files from your phone--photos

Forget the iTunes Remote. The newly released Air Mouse 1.5 ($5.99) makes a mean universal remote out of the iPhone and iPod Touch. With it, you'll be able to control almost any program on your Mac or Windows computer.

I was always a big fan of this app, which works with the help of a Windows and Mac servers to establish a local network between the computer and the iPhone. It then gives you two modes for controlling the keyboard and mouse: a touch pad, and a slightly less effective (read: higher learning curve) and more traditional air mouse that you activate by pressing a button and arcing your arm. Version 1.5 completely blows away every competitor we've seen by adding an incredible array of new features without bumping up the price.

(Credit: LogMeIn)

There's some good news for BlackBerry owners with broken or misbehaving phones on their hands: starting Monday, service providers and company IT departments using LogMeIn Rescue+Mobile to remotely cure mobile phones from whatever ails them can now support BlackBerry phones.

LogMeIn Rescue+Mobile is desktop software with a mobile component that lets technicians access the phone's entire file system from their remote dashboard (previous coverage). Prior to this release for BlackBerry OS 4.3+, the remote control software was compatible for Windows Mobile 5+, Symbian UIQ 9.0+, and Symbian S60 7.0+, in addition to Windows desktop and Mac OS X platforms.

In case you start fantasizing about trying out LogMeIn Rescue+Mobile on your little brother's phone, one look at the price will remind you of the app's business purpose: the cost starts at $1,956 per technician per year.

Individuals who want to stick to LogMeIn's more casual remote log-ins for productivity or diagnostic desktop purposes should turn to LogMeIn (Windows | Mac) or LogMeIn Free (Windows).

If you want to hear songs on your Google Android phone, open up the default player or pull up TuneWiki. If you want to hear songs play on your computer without ever putting down the Google Android phone, get Gmote.

Gmote is a free application that turns your Google Android phone into a remote control to pick, play, and pause music and videos on your Mac or PC. Not to be confused with the Firefox extension gMote ("g" as in "gesture"), this version works in tandem with the Gmote server you install on your computer. When both apps are buzzing on the same WiFi connection, you've got yourself a network that gives you access to your media files from your phone.

(Credit: Gmote)

Gmote achieves this with two somewhat awkward, but still functional interfaces. The main interface groups the Play, Stop, Skip, and Volume buttons in the center. In the top left there's a button to browse your entire file system for media, and on the top right is a power button that kills the player you've remotely opened.

When you click Browse, Gmote will show you the file path you laid out during setup that will lead to your media. You'll save yourself headache if you create paths to your most-visited folders rather than to the entire C drive.

If you select Touchpad from the context menu, Gmote converts into a remote mouse you control by dragging your finger around the screen. You can use it to open folders and launch your videos and music. Unlike the browsing feature, which presumably is as sensitive to distance as your Wi-Fi is strong, using the touch pad is something clearly done best within visual range. Unlike other remote cursor applications I've seen (I'm thinking specifically of Air Mouse for iPhone,) Gmote's touch-pad movements are slow and jerky, and you can't adjust the sensitivity and speed to your personal style.

There's certainly room for improvement, but Gmote can stand on its own as an app that combines cool factor and utility.

Note: Gmote and other remote apps that rely on Wi-Fi connections to form "networks" between the computer and mobile phone are usually crafted with private Wi-Fi networks in mind. Workarounds to create ad-hoc computer-to-computer networks can be successful, but aren't always.

A funny thing happened on the way to Boston: the CNET office disappeared. Our Cambridge office is moving to a new location, so when I arrived on the East Coast for a short stay, I found myself without a cube to call home. More importantly, I couldn't work from a computer already inside the CNET firewall, which left me with two choices: use a VPN client, or use a remote access program.

LogMeIn Free can be set to full screen, or magnified with a built-in zoom tool.

(Credit: LogMeIn, Inc.)

I haven't encountered a single VPN client review without some degree of legitimate complaint, and my own experience with them has left much to be desired. I dislike how, by their nature, they affect every program that connects to the Internet. Last year, I tested out LogMeIn Free for Windows and Mac, and figured an extended, multiweek test now couldn't be any worse than suffering through a VPN.

LogMeIn Free functions so well it makes an excellent case for ditching the VPN entirely. I installed the program on my work computer before I left San Francisco, created an account at the LogMeIn Web site and then logged out, leaving the machine on but in standby mode. The next step was installing the LogMeIn client on my laptop. Once I arrived in Massachusetts, I hit a coffee shop with a reliable Internet connection, and fired up Firefox. The LogMeIn client runs at start-up, an essential feature for the computer you want to use remotely. It also uses 256-bit SSL encryption, dual authentication for the application and the remote computer, and RSA SecureID, which assuaged my security concerns.

LogMeIn Free's reboot screen ensures a safe reboot and re-establishes your remote connection.

(Credit: LogMeIn, Inc.)

From there, I went back to LogMeIn.com and signed in. My account details popped up, along with the name of my work computers that had the client installed and their status--in use, in standby, or offline. Clicking on one put me through the LogMeIn log-in for that computer, followed by the computer's own log-in. All of this takes place in a Web browser, so I was expecting halting responsiveness. Instead, it ran smoothly. There was a slight lag, but I'd peg it at about one second or less.

Essentially, I was using my work computer through a secure, encrypted connection, but without any of the obnoxious failures and hassles that come with running a VPN that affects my entire system. One big plus was having access to my local email archives, as well as those still living on CNET's Microsoft Exchange server.

System crashes, especially when constantly installing and uninstalling programs, are to be expected. I was worried about one until it occurred. When my laptop's browser crashed, I was able to re-establish the remote connection as effortlessly as I was able to create it in the first place: I merely logged back in to LogMeIn.com. When the San Francisco computer was having memory leak problems, I was able to reboot it from within the remote access window. Once it reached the Windows log in screen, I could control it as I had before.

The in-program options include chat, a white board, and a "laser pointer" for highlighting.

(Credit: LogMeIn, Inc.)

The clipboard can be configured to cross between the two machines, so a program name that I copy on my work machine can be pasted into a document here on my laptop. The ALT-Tab hot key combination works with the remote machine. There's a chat program, too, for when you need to remotely control a computer with another person. You can also lock the keyboard of the remote machine so somebody walking by can't create any input.

The problems I've encountered have been minor. There's the lag, and the fact that file transfers are only available for users who upgrade. The only other drawback to LogMeIn is if the host computer suffers a fatal crash and won't restart. Unless a friend will go push the power button, you won't be able to get in and you'll have to resort to a VPN connection, which won't give you access to files on a local drive.

Throw in that big bagel of a price, and LogMeIn Free has become my first option for work-specific remote access.

There are a lot of notable remote access programs out there, but Remobo is one of the few that's free. It's also an early beta, so I expected to encounter a lot of bugs. And so: there were. But overall, Remobo was surprisingly stable and reasonably effective at allowing remote access both to a secondary computer that I controlled and a friend's machine.

Remobo's remote access allows full control of a secondary computer--when you have the password.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

Here's a quick rundown of what Remobo can do. It allows users to create multiple accounts under one user name, so that they can access a secondary or tertiary machine from afar. It also allows you to share files with other Remobo users, and if they've given you their password, you can control their computer, too.

There are two kinds of file-sharing you can use. The first requires having full computer access, which allows you to use the native Windows file-sharing system. The second, which requires less access, is to use Remobo's native file-sharing tool. You add the folders or files you want to share, and then using your BitTorrent client, it automatically creates a torrent that gets downloaded by the computer that's trying to receive the files. If you don't have a torrent client installed, Remobo will try to install BitTorrent 5.2, which unfortunately isn't one of the better clients out there. (Personally, I use μTorrent.)

Remobo's main window.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

The remote access feature itself is still a bit wonky. The refresh rate was a step above horrendous, but by no means was it smooth. Once I stayed in a single, graphics-free program like a text editor, it handled typing smoothly. Web browsing, though, and jumping around between open apps was sluggish and in clear need of some work. Unfortunately, this was the case when remotely accessing my own secondary machines as well as my colleague's.

Remobo did give me full access to remote machines, though. I was able to download and install programs remotely, and Remobo's built-in chat worked well. Given that Remobo's remote demands put quite the strain on your processor, not having to run a secondary chat app is a good way to keep the RAM drain down.

Another thing Remobo does well is the fact that all data transferred is encrypted, although the company's Web site doesn't tell you what kind of encryption that is, and that it also allows the establishment of a private VPN.

Built-in chatting cuts down on excessive RAM usage when the hefty Remobo is running.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

However, the free registration was buggy, to say the least. I had problems creating my account on one computer, but was able to log in fine. On another computer, creating the account wasn't the problem--logging in was. There's also no clear, clean way to kill a connection, and forcing the disconnect by shutting down Remobo gave the desired result, as well as an error message.

Remobo touts itself as being a replacement for a costly VPN service and full remote access rolled into one, and the potential is there for that. It's not ready for the starting line quite yet, but it's fun playing with this stock car as it's getting built.

On Thursday, Mozilla pushed out a new security update for its new Firefox browser. Version 3.0.1 for Windows and Mac addresses vulnerabilities in malformed GIF files on Mac OS X, command-line URLs that could launch multiple tabs when Firefox is not running, and a potential remote code execution by overflowing CSS reference counter.

Meanwhile, Mozilla updated the earlier version of Firefox with 2.0.16 on Tuesday. The update addresses two of the Firefox 3 critical issues--command-line URLs and overflowing CSS reference counter.

Version-specific updates have been pushed out automatically to existing Firefox users.

Mozilla will continue to update Firefox 2 until mid-December.