Intel has released a new app that allows users to control their Windows PC using their Android smartphones as a remote keyboard and touchpad.
Predictably named Intel Remote Keyboard, the app lets users interact with the user interface of their PC by providing a keyboard equipped with Windows-specific keys and a touchpad that recognizes various gestures to initiate different commands.
For instance, when in touchpad mode, Intel Remote Keyboard will recognize a one-finger tap as a left-click and a two-finger tap as a right-click. Swiping the remote touchpad up and down will allow the user to scroll up and down in Windows.
Intel Remote Keyboard was designed specifically for users of Intel's Next Unit of Computing (NUC), a computing platform that is no bigger than a thumb-sized flash drive and does not come with its peripherals, such as a monitor or a keyboard. A newer small form PC, the Intel Compute Stick that debuted to a less-than-enthusiastic response, also works with Intel Remote Keyboard.
However, the app is not restricted to NUC and Compute Stick owners connecting their computers to a third-party monitor, such as their living room TV. It also works with other PCs that run on Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, which constitutes the majority of all Windows users in the world.
Intel Remote Keyboard does not work on its own. It has a companion desktop software that users need to download and install into their PC for the app to work. Afterward, they still have to activate the app on the smartphone by scanning a QR code. Both the app and the desktop software are now ready to work, but for each to recognize the other, the smartphone and the PC need to be connected to the same Wi-Fi network. If they are, Intel Remote Keyboard will instantly detect the PC.
Intel Remote Keyboard is not a unique app by any means. Other developers have released their own apps touting similar functions, such as the popular Unified Remote and the Goldworm Remote Control. Still, the new app might be able to dethrone older players, as the app's first users report ease of use and better functionality than other remote keyboard apps.
