Switch Journal: the Apple Remote

February 3, 2007, 12:57 AM | 3 Comments

When I was waiting to buy my MacBook Pro I sort of thought that Front Row and the Apple Remote were neat features, but I honestly didn’t imagine myself using them as much as I do, particularly when it comes to the Apple Remote.

Back on the PC, I was using a Logitech MediaPlay mouse so I always had control of my media at the touch of a button. Unfortunately, the MediaPlay mouse is not really supported by OS X (although I’ve read about some hacks to get it to work), so I sort of lost that functionality… or so I assumed.

I’m finding myself using my Apple Remote regularly to control iTunes, QuickTime, adjust the volume on my computer, and do all the regular Front Row stuff. Front Row is a really nice program and all, but the Apple Remote can be used for so much more than that 1 application. Apple doesn’t really say much about it’s simple little remote apart from Front Row, but the way they’ve integrated it into OS X so seamlessly is really nice. No programming is required (or, from what I’ve seen, even possible) to set up your remote; it just works the way you think it should.

I use my remote most often to control the playback of whatever’s playing in iTunes. It’s smart enough however that if your iTunes music is on pause and you’ve currently got something playing in QuickTime, pressing the buttons on your remote will affect whatever is playing in QuickTime. So if you think your Apple Remote is only useful with Front Row, think again because there are a number of programs that you can use it with.

Pairing the Apple Remote with your Mac

I found out very quickly that by default every Apple Remote will work with any Mac that’s in range. While this is fine if you ever need to replace your remote or if you’re always in an environment where your remote is the only kid on the block, it’s not such a good thing when you own multiple Apple Remotes or when you work in a location with multiple remotes.

At work we have at least 3 computers with Apple Remotes. At first it was fun to “surprise” my co-workers by activating Front Row when they least expected it, but that novelty wears out pretty quickly. Every now and then you’ll probably find yourself in a situation where this default could cause you trouble (like when you’re giving a presentation for example), so I wanted to figure out if there was a way to make only 1 Apple Remote work with my Mac, mine.

Thankfully, the folks in Cupertino had already thought of this, so here’s how you can pair your Apple Remote with your Mac.

1. First, check to see that there isn’t a currently paired remote with your machine by opening your System Preferences and clicking on the Security item in the “Personal” section. At the bottom (above the lock icon) you’ll see a checkbox labeled “Disable remote control infrared receiver” with a button beside it. If that button is grayed out and says “Unpair” then you don’t currently have a remote paired with your computer.

   

2. To pair your remote with your Mac, hold your remote about 3-4 inches away from your computer and point it at the infrared sensor (it’s on the front of the MacBooks beside the screen latch button and on the iMacs it’s the Apple Logo). Press & hold down the Menu and Next/Fast-Forward buttons for about 5 seconds.

3. Finally, when you’ve held down the buttons for long enough, you’ll see a nice little animation letting you know that your remote has been paired with your Mac. Also, the button on the security preferences pane will now be enabled so that you can un-pair your remote if you need to.

   

   

Success. Also, if you’d like to disable all remotes (including the paired remote), all you have to do is check the box that’s labeled “Disable remote control infrared receiver.”

Posted in: Apple, Switch Journal, Technology