Filed under: iPod Family, Rumors, iPhone
Rumors: Apple working on iTunes controller for iPhone
TUAW is told that a media navigator will allow you to view videos, play podcasts, listen to music and even support shuffle playback. The screenshot shown here shows some of the localizable strings for the iPhone-based application. There's obviously no timeline for release, but since the SDK event back in February, it's been rumored that Apple would release some official iPhone apps of their own, and iControl might be the first.
Update: The data is so thin on the ground that it's hard to respond to readers who have asked whether this will be a "Back to my iTunes" application. Just having local Bonjour support wouldn't be all that useful. Apparently a screenshot of the bundle (not apparently a real application) here
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Funkster said 2:06AM on 4-27-2008
I can already do that with Remote Buddy for months now.. and since a couple of days, rb can stream, too!
http://www.iospirit.com/remotebuddy/
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Bender Bending Rodriguez said 2:22AM on 4-27-2008
Remote Buddy for the iPhone is very nice. IOSpirit certainly has a nice grasp on AJAX-based apps.
However, I'm guessing the native Apple version would be free as a way to grow the Apple product ecosystem. It would also be faster as a Cocoa app and and be able to use Coverflow on the iPhone to move through albums, something that IOSpirit can't do with a web app.
Though, IOSpirit will probably offer more powerful features than Apple. I hope they create a cocoa version for Mobiel OS X v2.0
minimalist said 1:29PM on 4-27-2008
"Signal" from Alloysoft also controls iTunes remotely via the phone using an interface that looks just like you are using iTunes directly on the phone (minus coverflow). Its a very handy app for me and well worth the 25 dollar pricetag.
But a web app working through your LAN is no substitution for a true iPhone app that works quickly and effectively without the weird idiosyncrasies a web page disguised to look like an local app. My guess is that both these developers are already working on native iPhone apps as well.
I'd buy this in a second but it would be really cool if it was a freebie to expand the iPhone/Apple ecosystem.
Quix said 2:47AM on 4-27-2008
An iPhone-based remote controller for the Apple TV should be a no-brainer.
Incorporate home automation controls, and the iPhone becomes the ultimate device both at home and on the go.
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Ed said 6:44AM on 4-27-2008
Cool, although I doubt the final version will be called iControl. Despite common misconception, iProducts rarely have verbs in their name. Mac - Noun, Pod - Noun, Phone - Noun, Book - Noun, etc.
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Chris Aubeck said 7:03AM on 4-27-2008
Control is a verb and a noun.
Phone is a verb and a noun.
So is book, though here the meaning changes.
Therefore iControl sounds perfectly reasonable.
Not that iCare in the slightest.
Ed said 7:30AM on 4-27-2008
Well, I didn't say there weren't exceptions. I just don't think apple was thinking of Hawaii Five-0 when they named the iBook.
Bender Bending Rodriguez said 4:54PM on 4-27-2008
Voted you down for not looking in ANY dictionary before making your this assumption. Except for Mac every single one of the words you mention is a verb and a noun. THough being a proper noun it's not hard to "verb-ify" Mac if you really wanted to.
Sliggy said 7:59AM on 4-27-2008
I highly doubt it will be called iControl, only because that is the name of Time Warner Cable's service for on demand TV. Looks cool though.
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TedB said 12:11PM on 4-27-2008
Though I do see your point, you need to also remember that even though the name iPhone was owned by Cisco Systems, and Apple still went ahead and used it.
Galley said 10:32AM on 4-27-2008
So, the iPhone will become a portable Apple TV; something I predicted nine months ago.
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Totolafrite said 11:30AM on 4-27-2008
Well,
I'm sorry but when I'n connecting to this URL:
http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd
I don't see the same thing like you.
source : http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd
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Colin said 12:30PM on 4-27-2008
They're not looking at that URL. The doctype URL specifies the structure of the document, not the document itself.
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KarlW said 12:43PM on 4-27-2008
the iPhone is a device with a permanent Internet connection, so let us use it remotely (like back-to-my-mac), and the iPhone has near unlimited storage space
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Adrian Fogge said 1:37PM on 4-27-2008
Except that you forget one simple fact...
Currently, iTunes sharing operates via Bonjour which is a broadcast-segment protocol.
By that, I mean that it only operates in the same network segment (a Layer 2 environment).
One could always set up a VPN to enter that network segment (something that I seriously doubt that most end-users will do) or use the global bonjour support, however that requires connecting to a OS X Server.
The odds of a solution that will allow for cellular access to your music collection is very unlikely.
It is definitely a possibility that someone will add that kind of application via the SDK and an additional application that you would load onto your computer though. Apple is much too likely to rely on their existing frameworks rather than implementing an entirely new system for iControl.
But, this is all speculation based on what I have seen in the past and the information publicly available in this article. It is not based on any information that I have seen through access to any information that may have been gathered through access to the SDK.
~Adrian
ST said 5:36PM on 4-27-2008
Honestly, I was hoping they would let me access my Mac's dashboard from the iPhone. Not that I'm complaining about a full iTunes controller, but a dashboard viewer would work well for that.
Apple would do well to provide me a single window interface to my desktop applications via the iPhone. It might be impractical for most purposes, but being able to steal my porn collections finder folder with iPhone and launch a video to a full screen VLC would be great. Not to mention the controls.
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.max said 3:59PM on 4-27-2008
iControl info is highly innacurate. Have a look at my screenshot here: http://www.iphones.ru/iNotes/3066/
The only thing inside iControl app bundle is a single localization text file. THere is no executable. And its copyright info is dated 2007.
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Realitista said 4:42PM on 4-27-2008
About time, this is such an obvious thing for them to do and it should have been done years ago. And I should be able to pipe my ipod through any apple tv or mac that I want too.
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Kevin said 6:05PM on 4-27-2008
Simplify Media allows this, even if you are not in the same LAN. They have a native iphone app too!
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ecobore said 7:33PM on 4-27-2008
yeah, an apple store employee suggested that this was coming when I complained that there was no easy way to remote control iTunes around the house. He said it would be compatible with the iPod touch too (makes sense...)
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