Screen sharing with Glance

Recently I came across a screen sharing program called Glance. I'm impressed with it so far. It enables to share what you see on your screen with others. What I really like about is it's ease of use. I downloaded it and I was up and running in less than 10 minutes.


To use this all you do is open the software and you inform whoever you wish to share your screen of the 4-digit code that is generated. They then open a browser(will work with most popular browsers). They go to your unique web address and punch in there code and connect to you. You can share with up to a hundred computers.



Though I see this as more of a business application it does have it's home uses too. You can share presentations, conduct meetings over the phone, share your work and edit in process. The host may use any version of Windows from Windows 98 to Vista and MAC OS 10.3.9 or above. Your guests may use a Windows,MAC or Linux machine using Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari and Opera browsers.

For a free trial you can go to the Glance website. This may not be for the casual user as it isn't a free program though they do offer a single day use rate which is fairly reasonable. I think this would be ideal for a business with a need to share information like this. Like I said it's very simple to use which I like and has a small learning curve. I like it very much and it may be worth a try for you.

Skype and Crossloop

Recently me and a friend of mine have been using the Skype service(VOIP) and testing to see what our capabilities were. We finally tried Crossloop(Remote access) with Skype. They both passed our initial test. Skype didn't seem to skip a beat or drop any calls. Crossloop worked well though my friend did notice some lag when I was opening some applications but wasn't a major deal. When we switched access I didn't notice any lag on my end. I thought this would be a nice combination to be able to communicate with the user on the other end in addition to chat, cell or landline(remember the telephone?). Anyway I just thought I'd share the experience.

Crossloop impresses the Wall Street Journal

My recommended remote access program Crossloop is featured in a new column by Walt Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal. He explains how Crossloop works and how simple and easy it is to use. He also has a short video telling of his experience. Though I haven't tried it yet the program now features a chat feature also to aid in communication between users which is an excellent idea. You can checkout my profile page here. Be sure and check it out.

Crossloop adds Paypal

It's been awhile since I've commented on Crossloop. They've recently added a way to link Paypal to your profile. This is a great for those that you've helped to thank you. I have added it to my profile which you can see here. I love the program and it's easy to use. I generally stick to family or friends but if you'd like to have me help you shoot me an email or contact me through Crossloop. It's a nice way help others and perhaps make a little extra pocket money. I also forgot to mention the people behind Crossloop are awesome too. They are very friendly and helpful. Here's a cool video demo I found which goes into a little more detail.

Crossloop Marketplace

The remote access service from Crossloop.com just added a new feature which allows you market yourself and your skills. It's called (aptly enough) Crossloop Marketplace. It allows you to set up a profile in which you can describe yourself, your expertise and set your rates. If you need help you can search for people in what you need help in. For a limited time Crossloop will even give leads to follow up on. A nice way to share your knowledge and maybe make extra few bucks for doing so.

Click on screenshot to see my profile(and horrible photo).

I'm in touch by 01 Communique

This is another remote access program that I thought I'd give a try. It is called I'm in Touch by 01 Communique. It basically gives you access to your PC from any remote location from a PC,laptop, PDA, pocket PC, Blackberry, Treo or cellphone. You can even check your email remotely (Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express recommended). Also you can transfer files and invite other users online for presentations. If only it made my coffee remotely. Just kidding.

Setup up was simple enough where you input your user name and password for your host PC. Installing it doesn't take to long and I was ready to go. To access your PC you login at the I'm in Touch website. It downloads a remote viewer program(small application quickly loads) and your connected. You'll only see a small "Im in touch" link at the top of your screen. Hover over it and it gives you a drop down bar which will give you options such as file transfer etc. One thing that was nice that I didn't notice much slowdown on the remote PC as far as performance. That was significant because it was an older PC using Windows 2000. To be honest I didn't a tremendous amount of time on it but I liked it enough that I'll use it again in the future.

If your looking for a simple remote access program you may give this a try. Setup seemed intuitive and so is using it. I do recommend it.

Crossloop blog

I'd like to thank the guys(and gals) at Crossloop for the feature on the there blog. Some of you may have noticed the Crossloop badge on this blog and wondered just what Crossloop is. For just a quick refresher Crossloop is remote access program that is very simple to use and very easy to setup. For example I use it with my darling mother-in-law who describes herself as a complete computer newbie was able set it up and we were using it in less than ten minutes. A friend of mine uses it with his 6 year old son to play games. It's that easy. If you wish to keep track of your sessions(or at least have bragging rights) you can even setup an account and post a Crossloop badge(aka:widget) on your website, blog or elsewhere. I highly recommend it.

Remote Access : Crossloop Tutorial

For quite awhile I've been looking for a remote access program that was simple and easy to use. In my circle of family and friends I'm known as the "computer guy". From time to time I get requests for assistance over the phone. Now I'm sure anyone who's done any type of PC assistance over the phone know how frustrating that you can't see what's in front of you. At times it's like trying to explain the sound of Pink Floyd to a deaf person. On top of that many who I help are the less than tech savvy newcomers to computers they don't know (or mix up) terms and jargon that more experience users take for granted.


My mother-in-law was prime example of this. She bought a newer computer last year. She does have some idea how to use but she craves to learn more and take full advantage of what a home computer has to offer. She in the past has asked me for technical assistance and though I managed to help her most times it was a bit frustrating at times trying to describe over the phone what she needed to do. A remote access program was what I needed. Trying to do it with Windows remote access required too many steps and would have been difficult to setup. I tried a few free and not free but they too lacked simplicity. I needed something so easy a cavegeek could figure it out.Then a friend made me aware of Crossloop through a magazine article. It was advertised as being simple to use and operate. Just recently they were even mentioned among the Top 10 downloads of the year by CNET's Download.com. So I downloaded and tried it on my own PC's and with my friend(who had told me about it) and it was fairly simple. So tried the next step and set it up with my mother-in-law. We had it setup and I was helping her in less than ten minutes.


In this tutorial I hope to show how simple it is to setup this program and begin using it in no time.




1. First step is to go to Crossloop.com . You can setup one of two ways. First you download the program and install. Then as an option you can create an account (free) which allows you to keeps stats, leave comments promote your service etc. It's a nice feature for those wishing to use this as a service.

2. To install you go to the folder where you downloaded to and click on the icon to install the program.

3. To receive or give help you open going to your Start button, then go to your All Program menu menu and open Crossloop.




4.A small box will appear on your screen. It will show two tabs. One with "Access" the saying "Share".

5. On the "Share" tab it will give you a twelve digit number. This number is randomly generated each time you use it. This will be the number you give to the person you wish to help you.




6. To help someone you use the Access tab and ask the person(usually by phone or other means) for the twelve digit "Share" number. You then hit the connect button. When they see the prompt on the other end they hit Connect also.

7. You then will have another window open connecting to there computer which should show there desktop.

8. You then proceed to assist them or vice versa. For the first time it's a bit wierd watching someone else use your computer while you watch. Some other features you can do is to switch users and swap files.

9. When your finished you just hit Disconnect. You be asked to rate the session and or leave comments about your experience

That about raps it up. I've used it with my mother-in-law a number of times with very little problem and I've been able to help her a lot more easily and with less headaches. Even my friend has his five year old son using it between there two computers and they play games together. It can't get much easier than that. I hope you at least have an idea of the steps to install and use Crossloop. For more information you can check out the website at:

http://www.crossloop.com

Crossloop Blog:

http://crossloop.typepad.com/

I highly recommend this program and feel you won't be disappointed with the results.

Crossloop hits Top 10

I've been talking about Crossloop for awhile . I still love the program and it's ease of use which to me was a big seller. Recently they were honored with being called on of the Top 10 Downloads from CNET's Download.com. They certainly deserve the recognition. Like I said in the past I tried a few other remote access programs but none were as easy or friendly to use. Give them a try if your looking for a remote access program that easy to use. It's free(can't beat that price!).

LogMeIn Free

I know I've been going on and on about CrossLoop (with good reason though). I still kind of prefer LogMeIn for remote accessing your own computer. To start using this all you need to do is go to LogMeIn.com website. 1. Sign up for a free account. 2. download software. 3. Install software. Then to use you go back to the website and log into your account. You then can select the PC you want to connect to. It's as easy as that.

Crossloop 2.0

Here we go with Crossloop again. Earlier today my friend who had been fooling around with Crossloop all weekend hooked up together(via internet not the other way you perverts). Just prior I had installed the new 2.0 ver. I like the stats feature(I love stats!). We switched users a few times which was a nice feature. I have to admit it was kinda cool watching someone else use your PC. He showed how transfer files(another nice feature). As far as ease of use to me I'm not sure how it could get any simpler. The interface is simple to figure out and just looks friendly to use. I still give it a thumbs up. My main fear is that over time it'll become bloated with too many features. It's a great tool to use and exactly what I've been looking for. Thanks for coming by.

Crossloop demonstration video

I touched base with a friend last night who tried out Crossloop all weekend and he loves it! I've added a Crossloop widget on the left here so you can check out my profile. You can check out my profile and my stats(none yet). I've titled it "Bob's PC Restoration's Official Remote Access Software".Here is a new demonstration video on new updated features including creating account(free) to keep track of your sessions. A very helpful feature in my opinion. Be sure and take a look.

Confessions of a freeware junkie: Easy Remote Control through Firewall: CrossLoop

Here's a nice write of Crossloop vs. LogMeIn Like the author of this I find myself using LogMeIn for accessing my own PC's and Crossloop for helping others. Ones that even the less-than-tech savvy can figure out. Be sure and check it out.



Confessions of a freeware junkie: Easy Remote Control through Firewall: CrossLoop

Re: Crossloop

I did my first "crossloop" session today with a friend(in Michigan myself in Rhode Island) who was having problem with his speakers/sound. We were connected fairly quickly with only a minor glitch I believe which was on the "crossloop" end of things. He tried to go on to the website to do the download and the page wouldn't come up. I had the same problem here too along with the program was slow to load. Once they cleared up it was smooth sailing. His issues weren't solved but I was able to view his end of things . More than likely I'll use it again. Didn't get to really get in depth with it as it was "Turkey" time here. Hopefully I'll get to try it again in a little bit. Looks promising.

Log Me in, Techinline

I'm really starting to like logmein.com. One benefit is that I'm able to access more than one computer in my own home. Kind of a poor man's network you could say. Its pay service I'm trying out (Log Me in Rescue)is nice but at $99-$129 per month price tag it's a bit too out of my reach. I'll stick with free version for now. It's a bit more cumbersome to setup but I'll manage.

The other remote access I'm trying out is through Techinline.
I was trying to use a free trial version with my darling mother-in-law(a complete computer novice) was unsuccessful. It seems if you use Firefox it has to install a plugin which she had problems installing and I was unable help her through(she's a big reason I want to get one of these working). I think next time we'll try it with Internet Explorer and hopefully we can get a working connection. It's pricing structure is a bit more reasonable and may be able to fir into my budget($30 month unlimited/ $20 for 5 sessions). well I'll keep plugging away at it. See you later.