Today, it’s exactly one month from Christmas.
In a few weeks’ time, I’ll be sitting at my in-laws’ house, and I’ll wish I had access to my home computer. Sure, my in-laws have a perfectly decent laptop. It’s fine for surfing the web, and checking email. But here’s the thing: their computer doesn’t have any of my stuff on it. Wouldn’t it be great if I could access all my music, photos, bookmarks, and other files from their computer?
So as Canada prepares for a holiday season full of visits to homes with foreign computers, I’ve put together a remote access toolkit, designed to help you get at all your stuff, no matter where you are. If you can suggest other tools for holiday remote access, let me know in the comments.
Remote Desktop: LogMeIn Free
Recent versions of Microsoft Windows and Apple’s OSX operating system have remote desktop functions built-in. VNC is another (slightly geekier) option. In theory these are great, but in practice I’ve found that getting remote desktop to work reliably is a headache, full of port forwarding and firewalls.
Enter LogMeIn Free. It’s a software program that works on Windows and Mac. Once it’s installed, you can access your remote desktop from any computer with a web browser and an internet connection. The free version allows you to view your screen, open files, and do pretty much anything you ordinarily do when you’re sitting in front of your computer. A paid version allows you to transfer files, hear audio, and print remotely. I’ve used LogMeIn Free for almost a year now, and I’ve never had a problem connecting to a remote computer through routers or firewalls or other internet obstacles.
Music and Photos: SimplifyMedia
Want to show off photos from your recent trip? Or maybe escape the non-stop Carpenters Christmas for a while? SimplifyMedia allows you to stream all of the music and photos from your home computer. Best of all, if you have friends who also use SimplifyMedia, you can stream their music libraries, too. Add on the iPhone and iPod touch application, and you have your own personal version of Spotify.
Bookmarks: Xmarks
Xmarks (formerly Foxmarks) is a great app for synchronizing bookmarks (or “favorites” for you IE users) across multiple computers. It works with Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Safari for Mac. Aside from syncing, Xmarks also has a feature called Online Access, which saves a copy of your bookmarks at my.xmarks.com, so you can access them on the web wherever you are.
The green factor
SimplifyMedia and LogMeIn both require that your remote computer is powered up in order to work. Obviously, leaving your computer running 24/7 over the holidays isn’t the greenest gift to the planet. So to reduce power consumption, I recommend looking into Wake-on-LAN or WOL.
Most modern computers can be set to wake up from sleep mode remotely, so they only need to be awake when you’re using them. There are many small, free software programs you can use to wake your computer up remotely. Just type “WOL” and the name of your operating system into your favourite search engine. Note that WOL usually requires a wired internet connection (though some newer computers support Wake on Wireless LAN).
Also, be sure to test everything out before you actually skip town for the in-laws’. There’s nothing worse than bragging about your remote access skills, then having them not work during your demo for Grandma.
What about you? How do you access your computer remotely? Share your techniques and software suggestions in the comments below!
How about Ghost Rat? Effective in the Ghostnet espionage system affecting 1295 computers in 103 countries, including many Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Diplomatic Missions and international organizations.
Other than having my laptop with me at all times, I use the following services to get to my most needed things when not at home:
* bookmarks on Delicious
* documents on DropBox
* music on an iPod with me
TeamViewer It's free (for personal use) and allows access direct to your desktop.
I agree with Khosrow. Move your information to the cloud. A combination of online social networiking software, Google Docs/iGoogle, Bell-Aliants online Personal Vault (5GB of storage free), and using your webmail can get you by most of the time. There is too much risk of computer failure and losing data/files going back 14-15 years.
At the 7 December meeting of the Kitchener-Waterloo Linux Users Group, Raul Suarez will be showing off a number of tools and toys for remote access. Just in time for Christmas!
http://kwlug.org/node/670
Come on down and meet us — we’re a wide ranging group of Linux enthusiasts, from home users to industry professionals. Everyone is welcome, and there’s no cost for the meeting (but you may want to buy a beverage and snack to support the venue, the Huether Hotel, which provides our meeting space at no charge)
Spark has never done a story on User Groups — maybe this is a show waiting to happen?
–Bob.
Like Bob, I'm a Linux user. If I want access to my home computer while elsewhere I use secure shell with X-forwarding enabled for if I want a GUI application. My mother (the most likely other place to be at X-Mas) also runs Linux, so all the compatible tools are there for me to use.
Indeed. I've just recently started using SSH (built-in on OSX, PuTTY on Windows), and I love it.
A bit off topic, but my experience with OSX and Windows hasn't been positive. Putty only gave me a text console, and didn't seem to allow X forwarding. MacOSX can have all the right stuff added (Like X and a client with X forwarding enabled), but doesn't come from Apple that way (and not everyone would let you add software to be able to run apps from home). This has generally meant that if I'm stuck with a Mac or Windows computer that I'm not able to do anywhere near as much as I can if I'm sitting at any standard Linux machine (any distro).
Then again, give me text access to run alpine at home and with a browser I can do most other things (assuming I can remember the addresses, given bookmarks are elsewhere). I have Webmail on my server, but find Webmail so much slower than direct access.
Free/Libre X clients for windows seem to be very hard to come by. It has the same "can I install this softwareIf you can get a standalone X client on the machine, I believe PuTTY will interface with it to allow your usual SSH+X joy.
One way to get around this is to use 'x11vnc' (http://www.karlrunge.com/x11vnc/) on your home machine, combined with a VNC viewer. You don't even need to install the VNC viewer on the other person's machine, the popular VNC clients all provide a standalone executable that you could run from a USB stick.
SSH with X forwarding, made easier with DynDNS. Last time I was out of town I Used these with Motion to watch for my brother at home, then used Festival to have the computer say "Ah, Duncan, there you are." as he walked by. He wasn't as surprised as I thought he'd be.
I usually access my home PC with Radmin remote control. I like also social bookmarks like Delicious.
Well, I use TeamViewer to help my mom with her PC.
For myslef, I have all my media on a NAS, a HD connected to my router running DD-WRT. It is more technically demanding to set up, but if you are ok with Linux, you can install whatever you want on it. I can SSH to it, set an FTP server and pretty much any service which runs on Linux. Great for remote access for the technically capable.
I never heard of SimplifyMedia before and would like to try it out, but it doesn't seem to run as a CLI Linux service. Too bad, it seems cool.
There is a thread over at slashdot that is discussing something similar with a number of suggestions including:
OpenVPN
Network Security while Traveling
http://ask.slashdot.org/index2.pl?fhfilter=security
Raul Suarez will be demonstrating some remote access technologies at the KWLUG meeting on Monday, 7 December 2009 at 7:00pm EST. Raul writes:
It’s official.
I will do a webcast of Monday’s KWLUG meeting.
Of course I will be live at the Heuther hotel but if you cannot make it to the meeting you can join us virtually by going to the following site:
http://rarsa.homeip.net:5080/openmeetings
All you need is a browser with flash player and functional audio on your computer. Earphones are optional but due to my “slight” accent I’d recommend them.
I want to see you all there, but I’m secretly hoping that at least a couple of people can join remotely.
Here are the instructions:
1. Go to the web site
2. Enter the credentials
User: kwlug
pass: kwlug
3. On the first page click the “Start” button
4. On the second page click the “Enter” button
5. On the Mic and camera test setup window just click “Start Conference”
6. On the top right it will show you two buttons, click on the “Start Client (HTTP)
7. At that point you will should see my desktop and hear my voice.
I’ll try to bring the server up 1/2 hour before the meeting.
Disclaimer, If there are issues with the webcast I won’t have time to fix them during the presentation. Unfortunately I will have to continue with the presentation to be able to cover all the material. Sometimes exiting the meeting and going in again fixes issues with the video.
Please send me any questions.
Raul Suarez
Technology consultant
Software, Hardware and Practices
_________________
http://rarsa.blogspot.com/
An eclectic collection of random thoughts
I much prefer VNC, since it's accessible easily over all platforms (windows, mac, and linux). I combine that with ssh to get a very secure and reliable remote desktop that I can connect to with anybody's computer.
I use Ultra VNC on my various boxen within my network. If I need to 'dial in' from an external site, I have a USB drive with LogMeIn Hamachi set up to do the secure tunneling for me, then VNC to run over the tunnel.
Great way to support the family over the holidays.
If I’m going to spend more than a hundred bucks on an item or somewhere around there, I do extensive research first to know I got the best bang-for-the-buck and, consequently, dodge any potential future buyer’s remorse. I’ve realized that the time I spend doing my product comparisons is often time that others don’t have so I may as well share what I can. I’ll start by saying that you’ll see my “Verified Amazon Purchase” on the Flip HD Ultra Camcorder review because, obviously, that’s the one I wound up buying and I’ll share with you why. But what I like in a camcorder may not suit your own needs so I’ll break it down and let you decide what’s best for you via what I found out: Here are the pocket camcorders I compared: Flip UltraHD (will be referred to as “F”) Flip Mino HD 2nd generation (Will be referred to as “M”) Creative Labs Vado HD 8 GB 2nd generation (Will be referred to as “CL”) Kodak Zi6 Pocket HD (Will be referred to as “K”) Why HD cameras only? Brighter colors and better images, wider images HD SHOOTING TIME: F: 120 minutes. M: 120 minutes CL:120 minutes K: 25 minutes with batteries they included, 120 minutes if you buy an SD card MEMORY: F: 8 GB M:8 GB CL: 8 GB K: internally only 30 MB recording space but it has 32 GB expandable SD/SDHC card slot. Because it comes with such small recording space you really need to buy an SD or SDHC card to maximize its potential, but the potential is really good and this will increase your ability to shoot longer. RESOLUTION: All 720p which is excellent, just one step below the top 1080p format. SOUND: F:Premier AAC audio. Best sound quality but still not great in winds M:Premier AAC audio. Best sound quality but still not great in winds. CL:Poor sound quality; had issues with sound and picture not being in sync. K:Poor sound quality ZOOM: F: 2x M:2x CL:2x K: poor quality zoom on the one I tried but I still think it’s 2x. It has a great macro focus for very close-up objects if, for example, you see a bumble bee and want to shoot it on a leaf a few inches away! Kinda cool. SIZE AND WEIGHT: F: 6.2 x 3.1 x 3.1 inches ; 11.2 ounces M: 2 x 0.7 x 3.9 inches ; 1 pound CL: 3.3 x 7.9 x 6.3 inches ; 11.2 ounces K: 4x 5x 2.5″ 2.4 lbs TECHNICAL DETAILS: F: USB cable pops out of the back so you don’t need to keep up with a separate cable. Comes with Flip Video rechargeable AA battery pack (recharges when connected to USB); also supported by standard AA batteries. Note: Some sets come with the HDMi mini included and others come with the rechargeable battery pack on Amazon. Looks like one or the other but of course if you need both you can buy the other. M: USB cable pops out of the back on this one as well. Has child safe button to prevent accidental deletion of videos. Internal lithium ion battery recharges through built-in USB arm CL: USB cable in camera. Included in box are HDMI cable, USB extension cable, silicon skin
Lately, I have been playing around with cloud computing at GHOST
url = g.ho.st
I wouldn't put the crown jewells of my files up there but for mundane stuff its useful. I get lots of free storage space, mail, buddy lists and some rudimentary web MS office type apps.
Also there is a folder sync app that I understand is capable of syncing local and remote g.ho.st folders so that up/dn loads happen automatically. I haven't used that myself yet but it sounds useful for a work / home (or mom's house) file sync.
If anyone signs up there pls be sure to credit user bjh with the referral, I get an extra 5Gb space for each signup referral.
Hope this is of interest.
Brian H
PS chief GEEK award to the poster above, who's mom runs linux!
A bigger problem I've found is not having Internet access when visiting family. Hoping a 3G stick or iPhone tethering will solve that. The last time I went to my folks I brought an Airport Express and an ethernet hub to give the house some wi-fi love. Worked like a charm and only took the space of a couple of packs of cards in my carry-on (though I did have to explain it to airport security).
Don't forget SiteCite.com and its custom URLs.
It's a Canadian startup that just launched at TechCrunch 50 in San Fran.
As they put it, it's "The rich man's delicious and Tinyurl in one."
For example the user creates the URL (making them portable and easy to recall):
sitecite.com/joeblow/recipes
Cheers,
Matt
Well I downloaded and installed Logmein and I love so thanks for that. Now I understand that you need to be green conscious and all so thanks for the "The Green Factor" bit about WOL. The only problem is that it is extremely hard to set-up. Logmein doesn't support wol unless one of the computers on the network is on with the logmein account on. So i took your advice and googled "wol". For a typical Spark listener who wants access to their photos while at the in-laws they will probably have a broadband connection with Rogers or Telus and will also have a wireless router. These create problems since you won't have a static ip address and you need to get past your routers firewall. There are a few tutorials that take you through many steps such as creating a dynamic dns through free internet services and port forwarding, etc, but for the average shmuck like me it just doesn't seem easy to do. After a few hours of hunting i just can't figure it out so I'm going to leave my computer on forever now I guess. Just curious – did you guys figure out "the green factor" solution or do you leave your computers on all the time too? (btw love the show!)
Joel
Joel: indeed, WOL can be tricky, as can navigating through the guts of your router.
So far as I know, WOL only works with wired ethernet connections. There’s a newer flavour of wireless WOL called Wake on Wireless LAN (WoWLAN) that you might want to investigate. I know some newer Apple product support this: .
Personally, I used WOL on wired connections.
I am new to the idea of streaming media from your home computer to your iPod. Luckily, I am a quick learner. I will be working at a tax office very soon, and I would love to be able to stream my music from my computer to my iPod. Here is my situation:
1. I have 2 TB of music that I would like to have access to, obviously there is no iPod that can hold that much space.
2. I am guessing I will have to have an iPod that has a WiFi connection such as the iPod Touch or the iPhone. However, is it possible to use a regular iPod, if you have a docking station that has a WiFi connection?
3. Assuming I use the iPod Touch, do I have to have access to the router in my office?
1. So far as I know, you’re right.
2. To use SimplifyMedia, you’d need an iPod that can run their app (so far, only the iPhone and iPod touch)
3. I believe that yes, you’d need some kind of WiFi connection.
Note that if you can install software on your office computer, you could simply install the SimplifyMedia software on both your home and office computer, and avoid using an iPod altogether.
This seems to be an old thread but here goes anyway.
I take my laptop with me on vacation. I can't even use it at my Mom's cuz she doesn't have any connection. I'm hoping to link into the company across the street (with permission of course). I take a 4 gig stick with all my records. I have a 200 gig thing with all my photos. If it ain't there, I'm not worried about it. I'll send myself an email telling myself what someone needs or wants and will look for it later. Kind of an old fashioned way to bring it along but remote access is not something I'm comfortable with.
Cheers and have a great summer.
I liked LogMeIn long time ago, but then I discovered TeamViewer, which is so much better. No need to go to their website. One click, and that's it.