Ukrainian developer Boris Kotlyarov created Blue Potato, an application that turns an Android smartphone into a Bluetooth remote control for a computer, tablet, or Smart TV. Now, you don’t need to install any additional programs on the device you want to control.
Ukrainian developer Boris Kotlyarov created Blue Potato, an application that turns an Android smartphone into a Bluetooth remote control for a computer, tablet, or Smart TV. Now, you don’t need to install any additional programs on the device you want to control.
Kotlyarov said this on Linkedin.
The app lets you control media playback from your phone. That is, you can play and pause music or videos, switch between them, and rewind. To get it all working, just open the Bluetooth settings on your computer or other device, pair it with your smartphone, which will appear as Blue Potato, and then open the app.
Typically, remote control apps work through an additional program on your computer. It runs in the background, receives commands from your smartphone, and then passes them on to the operating system. But Blue Potato uses Bluetooth HID, the same mechanism that connects wireless mice, keyboards, and regular remote controls to your computer.
So the smartphone «pretends» to be a regular Bluetooth control device in front of the computer. Therefore, Windows, macOS or another compatible system does not need to separately explain what to do with its commands. The ability to use an Android device as a Bluetooth HID Device appeared in Android 9. Therefore, Blue Potato requires a smartphone on Android 9 or later with support for the corresponding Bluetooth profile.
Kotlyarov explains that he saw the problem in the need to install separate software on the computer. Such a program can constantly run in the background, consuming its resources. Or it has to be launched every time before using the remote. In addition, it may not be available for all operating systems and creates another potential point of risk if there are vulnerabilities in the program itself or its libraries.
Blue Potato is now available on Google Play.
Previously, dev.ua wrote that a Ukrainian developer created a personal local tool to automate job searches.
