RDM+ allows users to control desktop computers from mobile devices. The software comes in several versions covering many mobile devices, including the iPhone/iPod touch, BlackBerry (which WWD reviewed in 2008), Windows Mobile, Palm and Java-enabled phones. There is also a web version.

In order to control a computer, one must have the desktop software (free, available for Windows or Mac) running. Setup is easy, and doesn’t require any special rules to deal with firewalls or dynamic IP addresses. During the setup process, one registers the desktop, and it is assigned a computer number, which is then used to access the machine remotely, together with a username and password combination you create.

RDM+ works well. With the software that the company provided to me, I found the interface easy to use. It takes good advantage of the iPhone’s landscape mode and zoom capabilities. There was only minimal delay in response time on an iPod touch connected via Wi-Fi, although I’m sure that data speeds will affect performance, depending on which network you are using. The software has an impressive list of other features, but doesn’t have file transfer capabilities.

There is a free trial, but don’t wait too long, as the sale on the iPhone version probably ends today; it’s unclear from the RDM+ web site when the normal price will return. The other mobile versions are also on sale, reduced by $5 – $10, depending on the version. Web access is also reduced — the basic price is down $5 to $24.95, or you can choose to buy a subscription for $5.95 per month. Costs for remote control software on mobile phones are definitely coming down — a similar product, LogMeIn Ignition (which Samuel wrote about back in September) was recently also on sale, with its normal $30 price reduced to $20.

Do you use RDM+ or other remote desktop software on your mobile phone?

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I have never been a big user of text messaging and have always found it to be a bit of a klunky way to work with Twitter. Luckily, one of the things that makes Twitter so attractive is the myriad of connectivity options available.

The folks over at Simple Help recently published 20 ways to use Twitter from your mobile phone which is a great overview of apps and services available to help feed your mobile Twitter addiction.

One not appearing on their list though is Tiny Twitter, which I have been using for the last couple of days and recommend highly. It’s a java app which means it runs on a huge array of devices. On my Windows Mobile phone the interface is crisp and clean and Twhirl like.

I can see and browse through my timeline and tweet, reply or direct message easily. Options let me choose how often it checks for updates which is great with the ever changing API limits that Twitter seems to be imposing.

I prefer this sort of interface to the kludgy text messaging. An added bonus is that I already have an unlimited data plan so I can stay connected without needing to add a messaging package to my account.

You can download Tiny Twitter for free for a variety of different devices. Set up is quick and easy.

ed. Jury is still out as to whether or not Twitter is a toy or a productivity tool. What say you, web workers? Should we review/cover more Twitter tools?

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After signing up (easy, with an email confirmation), you end up at the Tasks tab, ready to create new tasks. This is a matter of clicking “New Task” and then just typing; the user interface is very responsive. You can assign tasks a priority and due date, and track elapsed time: there’s even a timer built into the application so you can use it for time-tracking. You can also assign any number of time-stamped notes to a task.

Voo2do also has a number of smart features built on top of the basic task-tracking. You can arrange tasks into projects, and assign a context to each project. With the various lists being filterable by context, this makes Voo2do suitable for GTD-style tracking. There are also collaborative features: you can add collaborators for private sharing, or share your task list on a public or password-protected web page, so the solution also scales to small teams. It’s also easy to add new tasks via a dedicated email address. You’ll also find a simple HTTP API that lets you create new tasks or retrieve existing information from other applications, making it useful in mashups.

All in all, Voo2do covers the basics of task and project management in a responsive user interface without a lot of extra fluff. Task management tends to be a very personal thing – people are passionate about the features they like and dislike – but if I were going to use a web-based solution this one would be high on the list.

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Beta 2 is free for anyone to try. You need a Windows Live ID and password to sign up, but a simple Hotmail address and password will suffice. I used the first beta of Sharedview and found that it had a few performance problems, and it was a little kludgey to invite others into Sharedview sessions. Both of those problems are cleaned up in the new version, though.

Inviting participants to your sessions is like inviting people to an instant messaging session, and once your group is together online you can send messages to individual participants or choose a “Type a message to all participants” drop-down to broadcast a message to everybody, or you can broadcast whole files to everybody. Sharedview sits like a dock atop your screen, and controls for distributing handouts, changing participants in a session, sending broadcast messages and more are on the dock. You can also preview what you are about to share before you do so.

Unlike many remote control applications, Sharedview actually allows collaboration in real time. So, for example, if I am sharing a Word document with my co-workers, and one of them notices a problem in the document, he or she can place a cursor next to the location of the problem and his or her name will be displayed next to the cursor as everyone views it.

I’m hoping that in future versions of Sharedview, free use of the application will allow more than 15 people to be in a session concurrently. However, you can get started using Sharedview instantly, and it’s a good way to do virtual meetings where it’s not even a requirement for all participants to be on the phone together.

Do you have any good tips on screen sharing and collaboration applications?

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