Mac Rumors has some interesting news after reviewing the “Read Me” file accompanying the pre-release version of iTunes 7.7: An application is in the works to allow controlling of iTunes from an iPhone or iPod Touch. The to-be-released remote application will be made available as a free download from the App Store.
If you’re an average Joe, you can’t get the remote application yet (or iTunes 7.7), the 7.7 pre-release as made available to developers only. Expect a public release in upcoming weeks.
The exact verbiage from the “Read Me” file:
Use iTunes 7.7 to sync music, video, and more with iPhone 3G, and download applications from the iTunes Store exclusively designed for iPhone and iPod touch with software version 2.0 or later. Also use the new Remote application for iPhone or iPod touch to control iTunes playback from anywhere in your home — a free download from the App Store.
In addition to Macs in the house, I also have an Apple TV. When I’m in my living room and using my Apple TV’s remote, my MacBook Pro also responds and fires up Front Row… not exactly what I’m wanting to happen! In fact, I rarely have a reason to use an Apple Remote to control my MacBook Pro.
The solution I needed: Turning off the MacBook Pro’s remote sensor. It’s very simple, although the setting was not where I expected to find it. Here’s how:
Disabling a remote sensor on OS X
Open System Preferences
Click the “Security” icon
Check the option “Disable remote control infrared receiver”
I’ve had an Apple TV connected to a HDTV in my living room for months now. Overall, the experience has been good. Not great, good. Insofar as movies specifically, I just wish it worked different. If I want a movie, I rent it. Since I want the highest quality video I can get, I rent the HD movies exclusively. The quality is phenomenal. The price is not. Nor is the viewing policy.
After pressing ‘play’ Apple gives you 24 hours to watch the movie. Then, it’s gone.
After getting to know Apple TV the ‘different’ model that made the most sense to me as a user was the all-you-can-eat model. There is only one Apple TV in my house, and it can only handle one stream at a time. So, not unlike a (paid) television even if I had unlimited access, I cannot watch more than one movie or program at a time. I would rather pay Apple $29.95 a month to consume all I can through that channel than to have to rent or buy every piece of individual content I’m interested in. Basically Netflix streaming to my house. Well, today Netflix announced just that.
The set-top box Netflix announced is $99.95 (as compared to Apple TV’s $229 for their base model) and while it has some shortcomings, it certainly does make an interesting comparison.
The Netflix box is a part of a Netflix account. You still have your queue and pay your monthly fee. The only thing that is missing is the trip to the mailbox.
The shortcomings?
There is no hard drive-all content is streamed (no buffering, rewind and fast-forward are likely clunky)
Lack of selection (not a shortcoming in comparison to AppleTV, just in general)
Lack of HD (the box supports HD, but the service is only streaming standard definition signals at this time)
It’s only movies, no television or podcasts.
All of these shortcomings could change, and I’d predict some will sooner than later. My hope, which may be that and nothing more, would be for Apple to offer a similar monthly video plan.
Is 3G enough to get you to make the move from your current handset to an iPhone? Would you upgrade to a 3G iPhone from the existing Edge handset you already shelled out a few hundred dollars for?
If you’re pondering one of those questions, here’s a test on YouTube which gives an approximation of the experience one could expect on a 3G iPhone. The 3G isn’t an iPhone that snuck out of Cupertino. It’s an Edge-based iPhone which is using a shared HDSPA modem Internet connection by way of WiFi.
March 13, 2008 at 10:51 am · Filed under Rumors, Hardware
In theory, Apple TV sounds like a good idea. Unfortunately, as a stand-alone product in my living room, it’s not going to cut it.
Apple TV’s handling of television content is abysmal
I have no problem with Apple’s model of purchasing and renting videos. In fact, I am a fan of it. Insofar as television goes, Apple needs a reality check. We currently live in a DVR world. We record what is streaming into our homes and consume it at our convenience. Once getting a hold of a DVR recording of what is coming into your home is free (assuming you have avoided having to pay a monthly access fee). Not so with Apple TV.
With Apple TV, to have access to a show which aired yesterday, or two weeks ago, you have to pay for it. Two bucks. For me, that is not a viable solution. On the TiVo in our home we have no less than seventeen season passes currently set up. We constantly delete programming we’ve watched and always have a fresh stable of scores of shows to watch. I can’t imagine what we’d have paid Apple if Apple TV was our solution for all this.
But, it seems as though Apple may wake up to the DVR revolution and their lack of living room presence.
Apple TV DVR functionality patent
A recent patent filing that Apple Insider posted about this morning calls attention to a version of Apple TV capable of browsing and recording live television programming in addition to serving iTunes content.
Personally, I couldn’t be happier to see this patent filing, and hope that Apple follows through. My gut tells me that they’ve been slow to move on it due to the complex nature of negotiating with the music, television and movie industries to-date. Hopefully there’s a plan to put the DVR in the little lackluster box and bring it to the living room in force.
TiVo is getting worse by the day. I’d love to see Apple to pick up the slack.
March 10, 2008 at 2:50 pm · Filed under Tips, Hardware
Here’s a screen that you weren’t supposed to see on your iPhone. It’s the iPhone’s Field Test Mode which provides the following menu items to be used in test mode:
Network Information
Cell Information
GPRS Information
PDP Information
Call Information
Versions
iPhone Field Test Mode
Select the Keypad (dialer) on your iPhone
Enter the following number:
* 3 0 0 1 # 1 2 3 4 5 # *
Press the “Call” button
That’s it-your phone will present you with the Field Test screen. This was originally posted on the Cellular PCS web site (Apple iPhone Field Test Mode). To be honest, I really have no use for this kind of information… Interesting though.
Although slated for a February release, the iPhone SDK will be released next Wednesday (March 6th). Of interest: specific mention of “exciting new enterprise features” in the invitation sent to reporters.
If Wednesday’s iPhone SDK enterprise features do include Exchange synchronization, I’d look for enterprise Exchange support in an OS X mail client to follow as I previously predicted.
February 1, 2008 at 3:43 pm · Filed under Hardware
I mentioned iFixIt.com in a previous post when I needed to disassemble my MacBook Pro to install a new hard drive. Their guides are top rate if you have to take an Apple product apart. While I’m sure they’ll be posting individual guides for repairing and replacing components on the MacBook Air in the future, they have gone ahead and taken a MacBook Air apart.
Mac Rumors has some interesting news after reviewing the “Read Me” file accompanying the pre-release version of iTunes 7.7: An application is in the works to allow controlling of iTunes from an iPhone or iPod Touch. The to-be-released remote application will be made available as a free download from the App Store.
In addition to Macs in the house, I also have an Apple TV. When I’m in my living room and using my Apple TV’s remote, my MacBook Pro also responds and fires up Front Row… not exactly what I’m wanting to happen! In fact, I rarely have a reason to use an Apple Remote to control my MacBook Pro.
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