Guest post by Blake Watson.

I've tried a lot of remote apps, but for me, HippoRemote gets the nod. Once you go through a surprisingly painless setup process, HippoRemote will connect to your computer and hand the reins over to you. Your iPhone is now a fully-featured multi-touch trackpad. Tap the keyboard button at the top of the screen and HippoRemote will provide you with a standard iPhone keyboard with some extra features attached. Explore further, and you will see that HippoRemote turns your iPhone or iPod Touch into an advanced media browser that lets you interact with some of the coolest media programs on your Mac, including the built in stuff like iTunes and Front Row as well as third party apps like Boxee and Hulu Desktop. Let's walk through some of HippoRemote's features. HippoRemote comes in a few different flavors, so we'll be looking at HippoRemote Pro.

The Keyboard

The keyboard behavior of HippoRemote is arguably the best available on a remote app. Most standard iPhone keyboard behavior is present. For example, spacing after a period or a comma will change the keyboard from the punctuation layout back to the alphabet layout. Tapping the shift key once will keep it activated until you tap a letter, then it is deactivated. If you want CAPSLOCK then double tap the shift key to activate it, then tap it once when your done. These behaviors are the Apple standard, but many remote apps do not use them because of the way characters are sent to the computer. I find that these behaviors are important because they increase typing efficiency.

In addition to replicating iPhone's standard keyboard behaviors, HippoRemote takes advantage of iPhone's built-in ability to predict what you are writing. HippoRemote displays what you are typing in a text field on the phone at the same time that it is sending it to your computer. If you misspell a word, you can tap on it to see substitutes and HippoRemote will make the correction on your computer automatically. HippoRemote also displays a list of the last few strings you've typed. Touching one will re-type that string.

Besides standard keyboard layouts, HippoRemote provides arrow keys and modifier keys (command, option, etc.) as well as the full range of function keys.

HippoRemote adds one feature that I haven't seen in other remote apps: it has support for TextExpander Touch. TextExpander Touch allows you to create snippets of text that can be automatically triggered by specified shortcodes (eg, "fn" could expand to your full name). You don't need TextExpander on your Mac for these to work, as TextExpander Touch expands the snippets before they're sent to the computer.

The keyboard supports vertical and horizontal orientations. And in the Basic or Lite versions of HippoRemote, the keyboard and the trackpad can be displayed at the same time.

Multi-touch trackpad

The multi-touch trackpad features left and right mouse buttons as well as the ability to use tapping, two-finger scrolling and other gestures. If you are like me, and have trouble using more than one finger, you will appreciate HippoRemote's unique scroll button. By moving your finger from the bottom of the screen to the middle, you activate a scrolling knob that allows you to scroll by moving your finger in a clockwise or counter-clockwise motion. That means you can use one finger to scroll without the need to look down.

Like the keyboard, the trackpad supports vertical and horizontal orientations.

Profiles for Remote Control Panels

HippoRemote Pro can change its interface based on what application you are using. For example, I am currently in the Mac OS profile. At the bottom of the trackpad area, there are several buttons that allow me to do things like trigger Spotlight and Expose or run macros that control volume, press eject, open Dashboard and other functions. Switching to the iTunes profile provides a control panel for manipulating playback. Switching to the Pandora profile allows you to control the Pandora web app. There are dozens of profiles installed with HippoRemote and more can be added from inside the app itself. If you are technically inclined, there are instructions for making your very own profiles.

Extras

On top of all these great features, HippoRemote includes a native web browser and Twitter client. You can even open links from HippoRemote's Twitter client directly in your Mac's web browser.

Different Versions

HippoRemote comes in three flavors: HippoRemote Lite (free, ad-supported), HippoRemote Basic ($1.99USD), and HippoRemote Pro ($4.99USD). Unfortunately, it's a bit confusing as to what features are found in which versions. For the purpose of this review, I used the Pro version. If you are looking to replace a keyboard, I recommend getting the Pro version. At about five bucks, you'll be getting all of HippoRemote's features at a fairly inexpensive price compared to most assistive technology software. However, if having the trackpad and keyboard display simultaneously would be useful for you then you will want to grab the basic version.

If you need to know about a specific feature and you can't find it on the HippoRemote website, feel free to contact the developer. He actually has an interest in making HippoRemote even better for people with disabilities and will value any feedback you provide. That being said, you can always send me an email too.

Alternative Apps

Here are some other apps that are similar to HippoRemote. Depending on your needs, one of these might work better for you. I have these apps installed on my iPhone. Although I am not planning to review them at the time of this writing, you can email me if you have questions about them.

Rowmote Pro, $4.99USD, by Evan Schoenberg

Designed for iPhone and iPad, good keyboard behavior, can display keyboard and trackpad simultaneously, can simulate the Apple Remote Control including support for dozens of applications.

TouchPad, $4.99USD, by Edovia, Inc.

Designed for iPhone and iPad, good keyboard behavior, can display keyboard and trackpad simultaneously, great user interface, Windows compatible, media remote.

Touchpad Elite, $0.99USD, by iTeleport LLC

Good keyboard behavior, can type locally and then send a paragraph at once, can display keyboard and trackpad simultaneously, Windows compatible, media remote.

Air Mouse Pro, $1.99USD, by R.P.A. Tech, INC

Optional accelerometer-based "air" mouse activated by physically moving the iPhone/etc in the air, good keyboard behavior, can display keyboard and trackpad simultaneously, Windows compatible, media remote, separate iPad compatible app.

Conclusion

If you can operate an iPhone or iPod Touch, you might find that typing with HippoRemote is faster and more efficient than typing with an onscreen keyboard. And as an added bonus, you get some powerful, easy-to-use controls for interacting with popular media applications. And if you happen to be a Windows user, you're in luck. HippoRemote is compatible with Windows and Linux as well as Mac OS X.

- Blake Watson

Guest post by David Niemeijer of AssistiveWare.

Some people burst with talent and will manage to create amazing stuff irrespective of the physical setbacks one suffers if affected by ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, popularly known as Lou Gehrig's disease or Motor Neurone Disease). Tucker is certainly one of those people. Being confined to a wheelchair and having to control his computer with his head this sound designer, video editor and multimedia magician is as creative as ever.

Often people ask him how he manages to still use all the advanced sound and video software that he needs to use to carry out his work. Pulling all the registers of his creative mind he has created a mind boggling "How We Do It" video that explains how he uses his computer using a HeadMouse Extreme, KeyStrokes, Infovox iVox and Proloquo and lots of art, video and sound tools. Check it out!

Website: How We Do It

- David Niemeijer
[Ed: Tucker has a bunch of websites including The Permanent Record of NewJack Rasputin website and The Permanent Record of NewJack Rasputin blog. If you search, there's others too! - Ricky Buchanan]

[amazondisclaim]

Today AssistiveWare released KeyStrokes 4.1, an update to their on-screen keyboard application for those with physical impairments and graphic tablet and touch screen users:

Version 4.1 is now Universal Binary, offers enhanced compatibility with Spaces, and on Leopard provides automatic layout switching when the user changes the keyboard layout in the Mac OS X Input menu. Also included is a newly released LayoutKitchen 2.1.1 layout editor, which allows users to design their own on-screen keyboards.

The full press release can be found here.

It is great to see KeyStrokes is now a Universal Binary and has improved support for Spaces, Leopard's built-in virtual desktop manager. I am slightly embarrassed to say that I have never messed around with Spaces. Though with this new compatibility, I guess I am going to have give it a try now.

- Joe Barnick, AssistiveGaming.com

Now that KeyStrokes and Layout Kitchen work together, I have adapted a stardard KeyStrokes keyboard to work more the way I want it to. I've made it easier for me to use and more efficient for typing at the same time. Here's what I did so you can use mine or follow along with your own adaptions.

This is the keyboard I was using previously, the "Block" keyboard:

Prior to KeyStrokes 4.0 the keyboard was all grey, so the blue colour on some keys has already improved its usability for me. I wanted more colour though, so I loaded up Layout Kitchen and first opened the Block keyboards and used File->Save As to make a copy. I called my copy "R - Colour Block".

Then I started colouring the keys! It's easy to do, just click on the key in Layout Kitchen and then in the Inspection Panel click on the block of colour labeled "Button" and select the colour you want:

Next, I changed some of the keys to make them more efficient. Which keys you change will depend on your own usage and you'll have to figure out out for yourself. These were the changes I made:

• Changed the "q" key to a "qu" string because the "u" comes after 99% of the time and I can backspace it away on the occasions it's not needed.
• Removed the § key because I never use it.
• Removed the enter key because I only use return, not enter.
• Made the capslock key smaller because I hardly ever use it.
• Added a forward delete key.
• Made the column with capslock/shift/command/etc. in it narrower because I want the keyboard to be as small as possible and I don't need the extra width.

After all that, and the colouring, my keyboard looked like this:

I guess it could be a bit garishly bright for some, but it suits me. Even when my eyes are very bad I can usually hit the right keys because I have memorised the positions for most of them in relation to the borders between the coloured blocks.

The eagle eyed amongst you may have noticed this keyboard block has a key with a "+" it it the bottom left corner. That one is set to bring up a different keyboard, the one called "R - Colour Block Plus" which is shown here:

The extra column on the left in purple has word endings on it. They're set up to type a backspace, then the letters shown on the key, then space. Say you're just selected "end" from the prediction list, KeyStrokes will helpfully type "end " into your document with it's auto-spacing. Then you hit the purple "-ing" key and keystrokes backspaces to erase the space, types "ing" and another space, neatly turning your "end " into "ending ". Kudos to Marie-France Bru for this idea which she used with SwitchXS. I chose the endings to include by looking up a list of the most common suffixes in English and using my own memory of how often I type different endings.

On the "Plus" keyboard the yellow "-" key in the bottom second-left column will turn the keyboard back to the regular. Because the keyboard takes up screen space even with the SmartTransparency turned on, I prefer it as small as possible unless I'm doing a lot of typing.

You can download my two keyboards from the link below. They need to be installed into the directory ~/Library/Application Support/Assistiveware Support/KeyStrokes keyboards/ before you can use them from KeyStrokes.

I'd love to hear feedback if anybody uses these!

- Ricky Buchanan

Amsterdam - 18 January 2008 - AssistiveWare today announced the release of new versions of its flagship products: KeyStrokes 4, SwitchXS 2.5 and LayoutKitchen2.

KeyStrokes 4, the latest version of AssistiveWare's award-winning on-screen keyboard with multilingual word prediction, adds LayoutKitchen, which allows users to design their own virtual keyboards. Such virtual keyboards can be used not only for typing, but also to launch applications, speak, run AppleScripts and much more. This makes KeyStrokes more than ever the hub that gives users who cannot use a physical keyboard or who prefer a graphic tablet or touch screen full access to their computer. KeyStrokes 4 also adds Spanish and Russian word prediction dictionaries. KeyStrokes 4.0 runs on Mac OS X 10.3 and later (including Leopard). The suggested retail price for KeyStrokes is €249 excluding VAT (US$299 in North America). Registered KeyStrokes 3 users can use the new version, but to use LayoutKitchen and design their own keyboards an upgrade to a KeyStrokes 4 activation code is required. An upgrade from KeyStrokes 3 to KeyStrokes 4 (including LayoutKitchen) costs €99 excluding VAT (US$129 in North America). This upgrade is free for anyone who purchased KeyStrokes 3 in 2007 or 2008. For more info they should contact support@assistiveware.com.

SwitchXS 2.5, which provides universal access to Mac OS X for users who cannot use a physical keyboard and mouse is now Universal Binary, adds full Leopard support, as well as many internal enhancements, and also includes the new LayoutKitchen 2. With SwitchXS 2.5, a user who cannot use a physical keyboard or mouse has full access to Mac OS X with just a single switch. SwitchXS 2.5 requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later and is a free update for all registered SwitchXS users. The suggested retail price for SwitchXS is €249 excluding VAT (US$299 in North America).

LayoutKitchen 2 makes designing on-screen keyboards for KeyStrokes and scan panels for SwitchXS much easier and faster with a new drag and drop button browser, SmartSnap and many other productivity enhancing features. The image browser is now searchable and includes over 600 images. LayoutKitchen 2.0 runs on Mac OS X 10.3 and later (including Leopard) and is a free update for all registered SwitchXS and LayoutKitchen users.

Website: AssistiveWare releases major new versions of flagship products

I have been beta testing the new version of KeyStrokes and it's a huge jump up from the previous version - highly recommended.

- Ricky Buchanan