Better Together for Mobile Devices

A set of applications and libraries allowing multiple mobile devices to work as one device when running apps. Completed in 3 months, demonstrated internally at TechFest 2013. SDK is available internally only.

Apps are built with the Better Together Library, which allows wireless routing of events and UI between devices through either WiFi or Bluetooth, with initial discovery for pairing done through TCP/IP broadcasts or NFC. For example, a PC app can initiate a call on a smart phone, or receive audio/video/GPS/accelerometer/(other sensor) streams from a smart phone. Build and demonstrated applications include gaming (running a PC game but using a phone’s accelerometer as a gesture controller), maps (PC screen shows map while POI details are shown on the phone, and calling can be initiated from the PC), photography or surveillance (phone/table serves as viewfinder for a camera on a different device).

Devices need the Better Together host app to be installed. ‘Mother’ Apps written using the Better Together library can then send code to paired devices that can handle UI events, route sensor streams, and run device-specific logic. The lifetimes of code running on each device is independent of the Mother App, then can continue to run even when the parent device is shut down, which is ideal for supporting browse, grab, and go scenarios.

Note this project is different from SmartGlass in that it requires no internet connection (connections are peer-to-peer). This project also predates Office Remote and Continuum.