Disclaimer : Today ’s Mac Gems column is for the gadget devotee out there — those who get excited by regain Modern habit for be toys .
Ever since Apple released its AirPort Express Base Station and AirTunes — which together permit you stream medicine from a computer running iTunes to any speakers or stereo within range of your wireless web — people have been asking for a better elbow room tocontrolthat music .
Although there areremote controlsthat plug into the AirPort Express ’ USB port wine , these remotes do n’t ply a show , so they ’re useful chiefly for skipping back or forwards within the current play list — giving you what is , in many way , little more than a glorified iPod shuffling .
But if you ’ve got the wireless meshwork to use AirTunes , chances are skillful that you ’ve also got a wireless laptop — either hosting iTunes itself , or in addition to the computer doing so — or some other wireless gadget . you’re able to actually apply these machine as your “ iTunes remote . ” For example , if you ’ve get a 2nd Mac , the best solution , by far , is Shirt Pocket ’s $ 20netTunes , which lay the iTunes window of the Mac play the music decently on your local screen , giving you just as much control as if you were sit in front of the Mac running iTunes . ( We like netTunes so much we gave it a 2004 Eddy Award . ) Another option — slower , but also giving you full ascendence — is to use Mac OS X ’s built - in support for VNC to control iTunes ( and anything else on the “ swarm ” Mac ) over your connection , from reasonably much any reckoner , Mac , Windows , or * null .
But there ’s also another choice — one that does n’t give you an real iTunes interface but that does provide a bit more flexibility in terms of what you may employ as your “ remote . ” I ’m talking about DeadEnd Software ’s $ 10webRemote ( ) , which have you control iTunes from any Web internet browser — on your local web or even from another placement on the Internet .
To use webRemote , you first set a few penchant : you may restrict access by make user logins ; if you do n’t , anyone with your Mac ’s IP speech and the webRemote embrasure bit will be able to control iTunes . you’re able to also select a “ cutis , ” which determines how webRemote ’s internet interface look ( although there are presently only two skins usable ) , and whether or not the webRemote actively check for changes in Playlists . ( There ’s also a “ JukeBox ” mode , which is supposed to have you create Sung waiting line on - the - tent flap , but according to the developer , there are presently issues with this feature . )
To insure iTunes remotely , you then point any Web web browser app to your Mac ’s IP address and webRemote ’s port number ; for example , on my internal internet , I just type10.0.1.2:2100 . You ’ll then see the webRemote port :
On the left are all your playlist ; get through one ( or the Library item at the top of the leaning ) and the correct - hired hand frame will exhibit all the tracks in that playlist / Library . dawn a song title and iTunes will begin playing it . You also get playback controls ( play , pause , skip ahead , jump back , intensity up , mass down ) , and the current raceway information is displayed along the top of the webRemote display .
Now , it ’s true that this is a rather primitive interface compared to iTunes ’ own , so you may be wondering why you would take webRemote over the splendid netTunes , which really give you the iTunes interface . The reason can be found in a phrase I drop a line above : let you control iTunes from any Web web browser app . This think that any wireless twist with a Web web browser app , such as a Palm , an iPAQ , a fluid telephone , a Sidekick , or , of track , a laptop computer , can be used to ascertain iTunes remotely . If you’re able to browse the Web on it , you’re able to control iTunes with it . In fact , webRemote has turn our Sony PlayStation Portable — which , thanks to a recent software update , now has a WWW browser app — into a handy iTunes remote control !
This PSP - cum - iTunes - remote has become the latest rage in our home , since we no longer have to choke up a laptop into the family way when we want to be able to control what we listen to on our principal stereoscopic photograph .
On the other hand , webRemote has a few introductory fault that I trust to see addressed in next versions . For one , I bid you could rate song and choose the display / form order of tracks in a play list . And you ca n’t currently tell which playlist are standard and which are Smart . Finally , although the software program ’s documentation claim that you’re able to access medicine from shared Libraries and connected iPods , I had problem getting this feature of speech to oeuvre .
But even with these flaw , the geek - plaything - have sex side of me has been having a lot of fun with webRemote . And it gives my PSP something to do when it ’s not playing games or movies ( which is most of the time ) .
webRemote works with both Tiger and Panther .
