Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Through Tasker to remote control multiple android device or PC via Google talk


Through Tasker to remote control multiple android device or PC via Google talk

 

I always thought about a method to remote control between my android HTC phone and Tablet Pad, or even control it on PC.

 

I firstly considered of Remotecontrol plugin for Tasker, the famous 3rd party plugin for Tasker. However there is a limitation for the Lite version, and it seems it is not that easy to buy the paid version in China since I don’t have a Credit card. Most importantly, Remotecontrol is using Google appost.com as its remote server. As we know, it is blocked access in our China. So, passed.

 

So I went on searching on the Tasker forum and happened to find a famous android software named AVX (Android Voice Xtreme). It has a Tasker plugin interface built-in. I ran through the Video Tutorials and an idea suddenly flashed across my mind.

 

Since AVX is communicating between android devices or PC via Google talk message command, that means I also may use this method as the way out.

 

Okay, let us get into the real matters.

 

Step 1, create 2 or more google mail accounts up to your needs of remote control device. I learned a famous website from the tutorials, it is www.jabber.org, which may be compatible in multiple IM software. That means you may use 1 account to log in multiple IM software to transmit your command.

 

Step 2, you may better open your google mail box and activate/enable the chat feature in settings something, if you just signed up google mail account. ------that is to make it possible to send command message in any browser of android device or even PC incase you don’t feel like install Google talk client.

 

Step 3, please add your google mail accounts along as friends each other in Chat.

 

Step 4, go back to implement the XML in Tasker. First, set up a simple profile, details as below.

 

Profile: (Gtalk Notify) ------you must name the profile, so as to move on to the next stag.

 

Context: Event-UI-Notification, Owner application: Talk

 

Action: Media-Play ringtone, alarm, source: (select an audio file as the notify alert)

 

Done!

 

Step 5, export the profile (Gtalk Notify) to your SD card. After done, you may delete the profile you just created. Then go to your SD card-Tasker-Profile, find the XML you just exported. Open it via ES text editor or other Text editor, modify the XML as below.  ------------in some other 3rd party ROM or android 4.0 above ROM, it might be a slight difference for Gtalk, please check the Correct name for Gtalk in /data/data/com.google.android.****(vary up to different ROM)

 

You will see:

<appClass>com.google.android.talk.SigningInActivity</appClass>
<appPkg>com.google.android.talk</appPkg>

 

Then, replaced "com.google.android.talk" with "com.google.android.gsf"

 

It changes to be:

 

<appClass>com.google.android.talk.SigningInActivity</appClass>
<appPkg>com.google.android.gsf</appPkg>

 

 

Step 6, go back to Tasker, on the profile tab, long press to import the modified XML from SD card. Then you may test it by sending a message from your another google mail account via Gtalk. You will hear the notify ringtone by then. If so, it proves it works. Of course, you should set up your Gtalk Notifications as “Notification status bar”.

 

 

Step 7, clone the profile (Gtalk Notify), then edit the Action part into any variable as you like. Each specific message command would trigger the specific action.

 

 

e.g. input message “p2p” to build WIFI P2P connection between android devices via Gtalk

 

Action1: task-If, %NTITLE ~ *******@gmail.com: p2p  -------enter control end Google mail account ID and remember there is a Space after :, p2p is the specific command I set up for opening WIFI P2P connection between android devices. Please note, %NTITLE includes google mail account ID and your message command.

 

Action2: net-mobile data, set off  -------you may set on, I just don’t wanna waste my mobile data stream. Cause if on, it would turn into wifi hotspot, sharing your 2G/3G mobile data stream with connected android device.

 

Action3: net-wifi techering, set on

 

Action4: Plugin-autoshortcut, configuration, select "Activity", then select "com.estrongs.android.pop/com.estrongs.android.pop.ftp.ESftpshortcut". -----This is to run ES FTP servcice so as to build FTP connection. You will need to install autoshortcut plugin and quickshortcutmaker to get this feature, of course you may just use “send intent” to get it done, but to do that, you need to know the exact specific shortcut package name like above listed.

 

Action5: task-else

 

Done!

 

What is more, since p2p command would automatically turn off WIFI, I create a corresponding exit profile to turn it on once I close ES file explorer.

 

Profile:

 

Context 1: Application: ES File Explorer

Context 2: State-Net-Mobile Network, 2G, 3G, check “invert”  -----That is to make sure in wifi Hotspot mode, it would not get triggered.

Context 3: State-Net-Wifi connected, connected to “********”, check “invert”  ------This is made to double ensure in normal mode, it would not get triggered.


Action 1: Net-WIFI, set on

Action 2: Plugin-Autoshortcut, select “one-key task killer” ------This action would simply kill all ongoing foreground applications, So you will have to set up some important apps in white list. After done, the ES FTP server would also get killed as well.

 

After done, long press on the task you just created, select “Move to exit” in the pop-up menu.

 

BTW, i also set up a profile to shut off P2P mode in your assosiated phone, cause we know, in p2p mode, wifi would turn off, and mobile data is off too, so Gtalk message doesn't work this way, i figured out an alternative, by using IPmsg (http://ipmsg.org/index.html.en), we are able to connect each other via p2p wifi connection and send IM message command through IPmsg.

how to make it? Similar just like the profile I implement above. Problem? PM me, please.

 

 

Conclusion, you now may remote control your android devices on any android device or even PC, by sending the specific message command to trigger the action you implemented.

 

 

Like, send location data, find my phone, forward SMS, etc. Anything you would just imagine, Tasker may probably help you make it done.

4 comments:

  1. Tried ipmsg. It works sometimes but not always. :( could. You post a step-by-step on how to use it w/ the specific keyword? I tried the syntax you gave using gtalk: "**(name of sender on ipmsg)**: (space)**(keyword)**. but it doesn't seem to get triggered by the keyword. It only works when I don't use "if" and tasker just gets triggered by any generic notification from ipmsg. :(. then, when I enable "if", the whole thing stops completely. Even after I disable "if", the profile just doesn't work anymore. I have to reboot or clean system cache for it to work. :(.

    still, thanks for this amazing post. I've been looking for something like this for ages! More power to you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. By the way, I posted a link to your amazing article on google+. hope more people get to read this and contribute. I hope you don't mind. :)

      Delete
  2. Check The latest version of ex file explorer for pc android and ios devices
    es file explorer for pc

    ReplyDelete