Ubuntu Tips n Tricks: TechSource: How to turn your Android Smartphone into a Wireless Headset for your Linux Desktop

Saturday, November 9, 2013

TechSource: How to turn your Android Smartphone into a Wireless Headset for your Linux Desktop

How to turn your Android Smartphone into a Wireless Headset for your Linux Desktop

Posted: 08 Nov 2013 06:23 PM PST

There are many ways of watching movies on your Linux desktop. Like Windows and Mac, Linux also provides a plethora options for movie buffs to watch their favorite movies in any way they want to. For the ones who like freedom, there's VLC, which can play any file you ask it to. Also, it comes with many advanced features that will help you enjoy the movie no matter which format it is encoded in.

For folks who prefer everything built-in, there is the default media player which is not only more minimalistic and clean when compared to Windows Media Player or iTunes, it is also capable of playing many proprietary formats (when codecs are installed). For hardcore movie buffs, Linux also provides XBMC, a full-blown media center equipped with solid library-management features. Thus, there's no doubt that no matter how Linux users want to enjoy their movies, they always get their money's worth, or rather freedom's worth.

But some of us seek comfort to the maximum level. We want to lie down on our couch, grab a bucket of popcorn, and want to watch the movie at maximum volume. Well, feels like heaven, doesn't it? Well, unfortunately, if you have neighbors or hardworking roommates, that dream often stays unrealized. Turning up the volume, even slightly might get us in trouble with the neighbors or fight with the roommate.

So, is there any solution to this dilemma? Will I ever be able to watch Avengers while listening to every single sound effect in the movie?

The answer is yes.

You can either buy wireless headphones from your local electronic shop or you can use your Android smartphone as a wireless headset. Yep, you heard that right -Android smartphone as a wireless headset.

SoundWire is a fantastic application that lets you send any music or audio from your computer to your Android phone. Be it Grooveshark on your web browser or movies on your VLC player, the app can help you send any sound to your smartphone. Thus, by installing the app, you can plug in your headphones to your phone and enjoy the movie from your couch.

Once you download the app on your phone, all you have to do is install the server on your desktop that you can download from HERE. The free version of the app lets you enjoy 45 minutes of remote audio play from your computer on your smartphone. This means you can test the app for quite a while before buying it.

Another good advantage of the app is that it works across all platforms. So, if you use iTunes on your Windows machine, you can use this app there as well.

Once installed, you might have to fiddle with the settings of the app for a while.

Written by: Abhishek, a regular TechSource contributor and a long-time FOSS advocate