Apple Remote
 The second generation Apple Remote, which was released in October 2009 |
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| Developer | Apple Inc. |
|---|---|
| Type | A remote used to control the Apple TV, iPods and iPhones (with dock), and Macs with infrared ports |
| Release date | October 2009 (current) October 2005 (previous model) |
| Website | Apple — iMac — Front Row |
The Apple Remote is a remote control made for use with Apple products with infrared capabilities released after October 2005. The device was announced by Steve Jobs on October 12, 2005. The remote is largely based on the interface of the first generation iPod Shuffle and has only seven buttons. The seven buttons on the remote are for Menu, Play/Pause, Volume Up, Volume Down, Previous/Rewind, Next/Fast-forward, and a central select button. The remote was originally designed to interact with Front Row in the iMac G5 and is also compatible with the MacBook and MacBook Pro. The Mac mini with Apple Remote support was announced on February 26, 2006. The Apple TV also ships with and uses the Apple Remote.
Design
The remote was designed to attach magnetically to the side of the late G5 and early Intel iMacs. These models integrated several hidden magnets in the bottom right corner which attract the remote's battery. This is also possible with the frame of MacBook screens. As of February 2008, the MacBook and MacBook Pro no longer include an Apple Remote in the package, though it remains compatible and available as an option for the MacBook Pro. As of March 2009, the iMac and Mac mini also no longer ship with an Apple Remote in the package.
In October 2009 the original white plastic remote was replaced with a thinner and longer aluminum version. The new aluminum remote was released along with the 27 inch aluminum iMacs and multi-touch Magic Mouse. It also introduced a few changes in the six-button layout. The Play/Pause button was moved out of the center of the directional buttons, placing it aside the Menu button (under the directional buttons). The symbols for the Volume Up/Down and Next/Fast-forward buttons were replaced with small dots. This was to make it more obvious that the buttons were also used to move up, down, left, and right within menus. All of the buttons became black and embossed within the aluminum. Along with the new design, the price was dropped to $19.99.
The Front Row application allowed users to browse and play music, view videos (DVDs and downloaded files) and browse photos. The Apple Remote is also compatible with the iPod Hi-Fi[1] and the Universal Dock.[2] The functions for the iPod Universal Dock allow for music and media control, though the remote is not able to control the menus within the iPod. The battery is accessed by pushing a small, blunt object, such as a paper clip or a 3.5 mm headphone plug, into a tiny indent at the bottom right edge of the remote, revealing the compartment which houses the CR2032 lithium 3.0 V button cell (1st Gen). Use a coin to access the battery on the back of the remote (2nd Gen)[3]
Shortcuts
Pairing
A device can be configured to respond only to a certain remote. This can be achieved by holding the Apple Remote close enough to the device with which it is to be paired, and then pressing and holding the "Menu" and "Next" (or "Play"; this option also increments the remote ID before pairing) buttons for five seconds. Pairing can be removed by holding the "Menu" and "Previous" buttons for five seconds or deactivating it under the Mac OS X "Security" System Preference pane. Only users with administrative privileges are allowed to pair their remote; in a non-administrator account, pressing the buttons will have no effect and nothing will be displayed.[4] Removing pairing can be useful if a user has multiple devices (such as both an iMac and an Apple TV) nearby, if issues occur using remotes with both devices.
Sleep
Users can put iMacs, MacBook Pros, MacBooks, Intel Mac minis, Apple TVs, or docked iPods into sleep mode by holding down the Play/Pause button on the Apple Remote. Devices can also be awakened by pressing any button on the remote.
Boot options
Holding down the Menu button on the remote while starting up an Intel Macintosh enters the Startup Manager[5] (same as holding the Option key at startup). The remote can then be used to cycle through all bootable partitions and can then confirm them by pressing the Play/Pause button. This can be especially useful for Boot Camp users who might frequently use this feature to boot into Windows partitions on the Intel Macs. The remote can also eject CDs or DVDs in this menu by selecting the disc and then pressing the + (Volume Up) button on the remote.
iOS App
Apple also offers a free 'Remote' app for iOS devices (available in the iTunes App Store) which allows for wireless control of iTunes on Mac/Windows computers or the Apple TV.
Continued application compatibility
Although Front Row isn't supported by OS X 10.7 and later, other Apple software still work with the remote. Consequently, it can still be used to control presentations in Apple Keynote (on both Intel Macs & PowerPC Macs), picture slide shows in iPhoto and Aperture, DVD films via DVD Player, and to play video and audio in iTunes and QuickTime. There is also some non-Apple software that still works with the remote, such as Elgato's EyeTV 3.5, which can be fully controlled by the remote, and the VLC media player. The remote can also be used to run presentations in Microsoft PowerPoint 2008 or in OpenOffice.org Impress.
Hardware compatibility
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This section does not cite any references or sources. (May 2010) |
Compatibility with newer Macs
The Apple remote is not supported on the 2010 or 2011 Macbook Air laptops. The Apple remote is supported on all older editions of the Macbook Air. The Apple Remote is not compatible with certain models of the White Unibody MacBook, which is now discontinued. It works with all MacBook Pros (except the retina model) and all iMacs up to and including the late 2011 model, as well as Mac minis. The Apple remote no longer works on the late 2012 iMac models.
Compatibility with older Macs
Using the third-party remote software mira (from Twisted Melon) or Remote Buddy (from IOSPIRIT GmbH) users of older Macs can use the Apple Remote with a USB-based IR receiver. Most new Mac models come equipped with a built-in infrared receiver, but previous generation products lack any such IR device. Even the Mac Pro desktops released in the summer of 2006 lack built-in IR. Using Remote Buddy or mira, it is possible to connect an external USB receiver such as the Windows Media Center Edition eHome receiver, and use the Apple Remote on older machines with full support for sleep, pairing, low battery detection, and Front Row. In addition, Remote Buddy is able to emulate events of an Apple Remote on these systems, enabling users to use software written for the Apple Remote in exactly the same way as with newer Macs.
iPod compatibility
An iPod placed in a dock featuring an IR sensor can be controlled via the Apple Remote. However, the remote's menu functionality does not work on the iPod.
Compatibility with other devices
The Apple Remote can also be used to control the iPod Hi-Fi or third party devices tailored to it.
Boot Camp compatibility
Since Boot Camp 1.2, the remote has had some functionality when a user is running Windows. If the user has iTunes installed on the Windows partition, pressing the Menu button on the remote will load the program. In addition to interfacing with iTunes, the remote's media controls also support Windows Media Player, as well as system volume control.[6] Other third party programs may also utilise the remote's capabilities; media applications such a foobar2000 and Media Player Classic allow users to control their functions via the remote. However, applications have to have focus for the remote to control them. Boot Camp 4, the latest version of the software, also includes drivers for the remote control.[7]
MacBook and iMac resting place
Earlier models of the iMac (Polycarbonate iMac) featured a magnetic rest for the remote,[8] which was later (Aluminum iMac) taken out, fortunately, the screen is still attached with magnets in the bezel.
The polycarbonate (white/black plastic) Macbook includes a magnet half way down the left edge of the screen bezel to hold the remote. The remote may also be placed on the magnets at the top of the screen which are intended to hold the laptop shut, however in this position the remote will hang down and obscure part of the screen.
Infrared interference
Because many electrical appliances use infrared remote (IR) controls, concurrent use of the Apple Remote with other IR remotes may scramble communications and generate interference, preventing stable use. Remotes should be used individually to circumvent the problem.[9]
Technical details
The Apple Remote uses an NEC IR protocol[1] which consists of a differential PPM encoding on a 1:3 duty cycle 38kHz 950 nm infrared carrier. There are 32 bits of encoded data between the AGC leader and the stop bit:[10]
| Protocol | on (µs) | off (µs) | total (µs) |
|---|---|---|---|
| leader | 9000 | 4500 | 13500 |
| 0 bit | 560 | 560 | 1120 |
| 1 bit | 560 | 1690 | 2250 |
| stop | 560 | N/A | 560 |
The first two bytes sent are the Apple custom code ID (0xEE followed by 0x87), which are followed by one byte command and one byte remote ID (0-255) making a total of 32 bits of data. All bytes are sent least significant bit first. The least significant bit of the command byte is an odd parity bit over the command byte and the ID byte.[11] The commands consist of:
| Value | Button | Command |
|---|---|---|
| 0x02/0x03 | Menu | Menu |
| 0x04/0x05 | Center | Play/Pause |
| 0x07/0x06 | Right | Next/Fast-Forward |
| 0x08/0x09 | Left | Previous/Rewind |
| 0x0b/0x0a | Up | Volume Up |
| 0x0d/0x0c | Down | Volume Down |
The aluminium Apple remote control has 7 buttons, one more than the previous white plastic model; the extra button is a play/pause button that sends the same code as the center button. However, in order to distinguish these, both buttons prepend their code with another 32 bit sequence containing the commands 0x5f/0x5e and 0x5d/0x5c, respectively.
The remote ID consists of one byte and is used to distinguish codes sent by multiple remotes. The remote ID is changeable by holding the Next/Fast-Forward and Menu buttons for 5 seconds. The sequence of remote IDs is non-sequential but predictable following the hexadecimal digit ordering 0, 8, 4, C, 2, A, 6, E, 1, 9, 5, D, 3, B, 7, F. The byte has least significant bit first so remote ID 04 would be followed by 84 and FA would be followed by 06 Note: this ordering only verified on older, white remote model.
References
- ^ Using the Apple Remote with iPod Hi-Fi, Apple Inc., April 14, 2008, retrieved 2010-06-21
- ^ Pairing the Apple Remote with the iPod Universal Dock, Apple Inc., May 3, 2010, retrieved 2010-06-21
- ^ How to replace the Apple Remote battery, Apple Inc., June 6, 2008, retrieved June 21, 2010
- ^ Pairing your Apple Remote with your computer, Apple Inc., November 24, 2009, retrieved 2010-06-21
- ^ Startup Manager: How to select a startup volume, Apple Inc., March 23, 2009, retrieved 2010-06-21
- ^ "Boot Camp Installstion & Setup Guide". Apple. Retrieved 14 June 2012.
- ^ "Boot Camp 4.0, OS X Lion: Frequently Asked Questions". Apple. Retrieved 14 June 2012.
- ^ iMac (Mid 2007): No Remote rest for Apple Remote, Apple Inc., August 13, 2007, retrieved 2010-06-21
- ^ Apple TV: IR interference can prevent your remote from working, Apple Inc., March 22, 2007, retrieved 2010-06-21
- ^ Callendrello, Casey (October 11, 2008), Apple Remote library for Arduinio, caseyc.net, retrieved 2010-06-23
- ^ Apple Remote, {Hifiduino blog at wordpress}, May 17, 2012, retrieved July 23, 2012
External links
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