The Remote Play feature of the Sony Ericsson Aino lets you connect to your PS3, whether you’re right next to it or on the other side of the world. It gives you direct control over the PS3’s menu so, while you can’t play games with it, you can stream media and even access the Playstation’s iPlayer function.

However, it’s not the easiest thing to get working if you’ve never used the Remote Play function before using a Sony PSP. So, here’s a step-by-step guide to get you up and running.

• Firstly, boot up your PS3 and sign into the Playstation Network, then head to the Remote Play Settings option that you’ll find in the general Setting menu – it’s the second one along from the left.
• From within this option, select Register a Device.
• On the next screen, your PS3 will give you a code to enter into your phone, with a timer running down telling you how long this code will remain active for. Don’t worry, you’ve got a while.
• After you’ve done this, grab your Aino and head to the Entertainment option in the main menu.
• Here, you’ll find a link called Remote Play. Select it.
• Your phone will then prompt you to enter the synchronisation code. If you’re not using a 3G connection and haven’t set up your Aino to use the local Wi-Fi network, you may have to set this up too.
• Next, you’ll be prompted to enter your PSN, Playstation Network, login information. Just enter the same email and password you use to access the Playstation Store on your PS3.
• If this has all gone swimmingly, your Aino and PS3 will be linked, but there are a few more steps you need to do to make the most of Remote Play.
• In order to let your Aino remotely switch on your PS3, you need to make your console auto-login on startup.
• You may already have this selected, but if not, to do so you need to head to the PSN login screen, found under the Network column within the PS3’s main menu. Fire up the login process and you’ll see a tick box to select auto-login.
• Next, head back to the Remote Play Settings option – found under the Settings column in the main PS3 menu. Make sure the Remote Start option is enabled. You’ll now be able to switch on your PS3 using your Aino.
• However, to use Remote Play while your PS3 is already switched on, select the Remote Play option under the Network column on the PS3’s menu.
• Now, on your Aino, press start within the Remote Play app. Within a few seconds, you should see a miniaturised rendition of the PS3’s menu on your Aino.

Using Remote Play, you can stream any video content your PS3 has access to. Sadly, you can’t play any games with it, but it’s sure to impress friends down the pub.