Filed under: Accessories, Hardware, Tips and tricks, Odds and ends, iMac, Apple, Mac mini, Macbook Pro, TUAW Tips, MacBook
TUAW Tip: Pair your Apple Remote to your Mac
Now that almost every Mac (expect for that odd duck, the Power Mac) sports Front Row and an Apple Remote many more people will find them in a situation I just experienced. I am typing this post on a brand new MacBook (I'll share my opinion about that later today) and I am listening to some music on my iMac through the magic of Front Row.The song playing (Paint it Black) was a little too loud, so I picked up my trusty Apple Remote and turned down the volume. Both the iMac and the MacBook picked up on the signal and the volume on both was adjusted. Oh, the horror!
There is a simple way around this though, just pair your Mac and your Apple Remote following these instructions. This way a prankish Mac user (I'm looking at you, Woz) can't go around putting your Mac to sleep with the remote and all the Macs in your room won't respond to the same remote.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Kokernutz said 10:47AM on 5-18-2006
Bizarre, pairing IR devices? The help doc says to point your remote at the Apple logo? I wish there was a more in-depth technical article that explains how this works.
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CJN said 10:59AM on 5-18-2006
"Invade your Mac's personal space..."
Who wrote this article? Seriously, Apple employs some hilarious writers.
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Victor Agreda, Jr. said 10:59AM on 5-18-2006
Unless, of course, you WANT to control a room of Macs with one remote.
By Zeus's IR Beam!
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Adrian vG said 11:05AM on 5-18-2006
Still, I wish that they didn't come with the mac, but were a $15 add-on. If I have an iMac and a MacBook, I would'ave had two remotes now....
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Jason said 11:34AM on 5-18-2006
Who the hell has a room full of Intel Macs? I know, a lot of you people do. It's crazy. Why has no one yet addressed the question of how so many crazy Mac addicts buy every friggin new Mac that comes out? I mean, don't get me wrong; I LOVE Macs as much as the next guy. I just don't have two grand to spend every six weeks. Do you guys just have insane credit card debt, or what?!
I'm only bitching because I'm still stuck with my eMac 800 that I bought in 2002. Not by choice, but because I don't have a swimming pool full of gold coins.
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Owain said 11:48AM on 5-18-2006
@Jason
I was thinking the exact same thing.
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Diego said 11:53AM on 5-18-2006
I have my iPod HiFi connected by optical to my Mac Mini. This disables (grays-out) the volume selector on the Mac's menubar, but trying to control the volume on the HiFi with the same remote I'm using to control FrontRow creates some strange behaviors. FrontRow still wants to affect volume and then at some point the Mac is unresponsive to the IR signal and FrontRow locks up. Pairing may solve the problem... but I hate the idea of having to use two remotes that are -exactly- the same!
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Victor Agreda, Jr. said 11:59AM on 5-18-2006
Jason, my gold coins are in diapers. With 2 kids, I also do not have the $$ to buy every new Mac. Case in point: my primary Mac is an 800 MHz iBook G4 known as the Chiclet of Doom. It's a boat anchor, big time. And yes, I'm going to finance my next MacBook, because that's what we do in the U.S. of A. ;)
As for a room full of Macs? I would imagine there are some school system sysadmins out there that would LOVE to be able to walk into a lab and immediately MUTE an entire room full of Macs. Or put them to sleep. As a teacher of supposed adults, I wish I could do that with my lab of Dells. Playing Solitaire while I lecture is an insult to everyone.
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michel said 1:29PM on 5-18-2006
Jason, I have a swimming pool of gold.
in fact I have one imac G5 (first model), one powerbook 15 alu (first model) and one powermac QUAD (big monstrous computer , whaAAa) . I prefer to not speak about the screen...
so, no intel mac for the moment, but still 3 macintosh. I'm working with them but also play and just doing a lot of hobbyist and professionnal stuff. and I have a job I love with a good salary.
and no, I eat well, travel well and I did not buy all these mac the same day.
so, in a few years, we can imagine I will have some mac with frontrow. this hint will be useful.
and in my job, I would like to mute an entire room of mac with just one click (sometime , I cannot program shutdown or to command the macs from my desk because I have to check on people, close the schoolroom before and many things)
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cw said 2:24PM on 5-18-2006
I have macbook pro and love that little remote. my only problem currently is getting it to run powerpoint. anybody have any ideas on how to get it to run with office??? or do i need to get a separate microsoft remote???
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Ben H said 2:52PM on 5-18-2006
Ah yes this is all well and good but i still have a REALLY annoying issue with the remote.
I have an intel imac, i also have a 5G iPod that sits in its dock next to the computer.
Whenever i use the remote, BOTH the imac and ipod are activated. its sooooo annoying. i dont care for the ipod at all. i just want to control the imac. is there ANY way to stop the remote controlling the ipod dock? pairing with the mac wont do it, having the ipod at the other end of the room wont do it. plz any suggestions? thanks.
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Matt P said 4:39PM on 5-18-2006
Ben H, I have the exact same issue! It is so annoying that whenever I use my Apple Remote to control my MacBook Pro, my iPod responds to the IR signal as well.
Anyone have a fix for this? Or am I looking at duct tape?
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Glenn said 5:20PM on 5-18-2006
I have a similar issue to last last two posts, but with a digital tv tuner "Twinhan Alpha Mac Editon".
Some of the IR signals that the digital tv tuner uses are the same as the apple remote, so for example when I turn up the main system volume with the apple remote, the EyeTV volume turns down at the same time.
However, It does not work in reverse, the Twinhan remote cannot control any of the apple functions, so there must be a way to distingish between the two.
Apple need to release a tech doc so software developers can distingish between the apple remote, and a generic remote!
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Mark D. said 5:56PM on 5-18-2006
Well, I was going to point out the upside of Pairing in public places, but, well, I would be the 'prankish Mac user' (the day I accidently figured out Pairing, right after stumbling on the Sleep trick, I realized I could use it on any unpaired system.)
Also, the first thing I did was mirror the IR signals in my PDA for those odd times I might not have the remote, and also, on the side, it could make for a geeky prank some day... the evil 'Unexpected Sleep' Attack!
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Reg said 8:37PM on 5-18-2006
>bitch mode<
You'd think for the price difference Apple could have manufactured a more appropriate color for to the BlackBook remote.
>/bitch mode<
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Ben H said 8:32AM on 5-19-2006
Good luck with the duck tape. it wont work though, the IR signal from the remote is just too strong. i have tried everything i can think of besides from opening the dock at cutting some cables!
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Ben H said 8:38AM on 5-19-2006
.... Even with an inch of wood infront of the dock. still responds to the remote. also, sticking blu-tack all over the front of the dock dusnt work. maybe something obscure...
behind a coffe mug ... NO
inside a plastic box... NO
behind the imac... NO
as far away as i can get it in the same room... NO
out in the garden... FOR THE LOVE OF-
on the floor under desk.... NO
black card encasing dock... NO
im getting tired... any more suggestions?
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Ben H said 12:07PM on 5-20-2006
Ok so i seem to have solved the problem i was having. I opened up the dock and removed the IR sensor. It doesnt affect the operation of the dock when charging, syncing, playing through speakers. i cant test the video out as i lack the correct cable but my guess is its just fine. So im happy.
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