Take Control with Remote Control

RemoteControl Some weeks ago I commented that I will release an app which provides a way to control applications with the Apple Remote control. I also said that it will be out in a few days.

Well. For a number of reasons it took way longer to bring this out than I initially thought. With the help of Gerald Leeb to finish things up I’m happy to announce the first (early) beta of RemoteControl.

A word of warning. It’s far from being a final version but it shall be stable enough to play around with it. This beta includes some basic scripts to control VLC, Powerpoint and the Preview application. It also includes an incredible cool game called “Guess the number” :-).

If you have a Mac with a Remote Control download the app today, help us by giving feedback and tell us about the scripts for your favorite app.

This entry was posted on Friday, May 12th, 2006 at 5:31 pm and is filed under Cocoa. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

8 Responses to “Take Control with Remote Control”

  1. Tippo Says:
    May 12th, 2006 at 8:17 pm

    nice! just what I’ve been waiting for! I don’t understand all the functionality, but I’m just happy I can control VLC from across the room.

    Cheers!

    Tippo

  2. Axel Rauschmayer Says:
    May 18th, 2006 at 10:55 pm

    I’ve been waiting for an application like this ever since I got my iMac. Thanks! It is really well executed, too: Even though the interface is minimalist, it does everything one needs (which is a very good sign).

    Suggestions:
    - Change the name to something more memorable (PromoteControl, TakeControl, Recontrol, BackStage etc.) and more googleable.
    - Holding remote control keys: this produces different key codes from just pressing+releasing. Can these be accessed via RemoteControl, too? Example: Apple’s DVD player jumps to the next chapter if one presses+releases “right” and fast-forwards when holding “right”.
    - VLC: I use “step forward/backward” very often. Can I invoke these in RemoteControl?
    - VLC: Can fast-forwarding be accessed (meaningfully), so that it mimics the Apple DVD player behavior?
    - Activating RemoteControl: Could this command be customized to be invoked by any key (plus/minus holding it)? With RemoteControl, I don’t care for FrontRow at all, so activating FrontRow should not take up a key combination.
    - The settings window does not come to the foreground if it is hidden under other windows.
    - Make RemoteControl a normal application: this is probably a matter of taste, but I would prefer RemoteControl to be a normal application, because it has no functionality that has to be accessible under every application (any status information can just as well be displayed in the dock). Advantages: MenuBar space is quite precious and should not be wasted; its behavior would be more application-like (=predictable).
    - Include remoteable apps in the menu: iTunes, DVD Player etc. are already controllable by the remote control, so it would be nice to have them as part of RemoteControl’s application menu.

    Thanks again,

    Axel

  3. Andrew Says:
    May 19th, 2006 at 4:36 am

    I love this program even tho i dont have a remote, it allows me to make my program work with the remote

    Also i agree a new name would be good

    PS. keep it in the menu bar or make a prefrence file maybe, because i hate having things in my dock

  4. martin Says:
    May 19th, 2006 at 8:02 pm

    Thanks a lot for the feedback.
    A lot of the things mentioned by Axel will be addressed in the next version which will be out in a couple of days.

    And yes - it should get a new name…. TakeControl sounds nice. Any more suggestions for names are very welcome.

  5. Axel Rauschmayer Says:
    May 20th, 2006 at 1:27 pm

    Here are few more name ideas: ControlSwitcher, MultiControl, MasterControl, ControlConfigurator, EmoteControl, InControl. Key thing for naming to me seems to be: What are the main characteristics of this program and how can they be concisely expressed in a name that is as unique as possible? In that regard, most of the suggestions above fail, because they sound too generic.

    BTW: As I already hinted at, I really like that one directly edits AppleScripts in RemoteControl. Paradoxically, this leads to good usability, as a GUI can also get in the way and is very hard to get right.

  6. semaja2 Says:
    May 21st, 2006 at 2:47 am

    I like the name MultiControl :P (My program is MultiAlarm :P)

    Also a suggestion that i would really like put in is a way for someone like me to distribute scripts easily

  7. joey Says:
    May 26th, 2006 at 8:29 am

    iRemocon, then you will get lots of Japanese users. I’m surprised that this app isn’t wildly popular already.

  8. martin Says:
    May 26th, 2006 at 8:43 pm

    Thanks for the hint to the iRemocon device. Version 1.0 will have support for the Apple Remote control only. But we’ll see what will be in 2.0.