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Why You Need An iPod Remote

04.24.2010 · Posted in Humanities Articles

According to Apple, there are over 250 million iPods out there, and also about 75 million Apple iPhones and iPod Touch. Even if there’s a bit of overlap (being that the iPod Touch probably also counts as an iPod), that’s well over a quarter BILLION of Apple’s little marvels that have changed the world. There’s no question that the iPod has fundamentally changed music as well, with “music” and “iPod” now virtually synonymous. In fact, the iPod is the center of the music experience for millions of people. Combine an iPod with a home or car stereo system, and you have music at its best. There’s just one thing though: with everything else on remote control these days, who wants to get up to operate the iPod? Well, you don’t have to. Just get an iPod remote. rnrnYes, iPod remotes do exist, and it’s such a great idea that it’s amazing Apple itself doesn’t offer one in its online store, but they don’t. There are speaker systems for iPods that have remote controls, but they mostly just control the peripherals and not the iPod itself. What you want in an iPod remote (or iPhone remote) is control over the device itself, so that you can just whip out the remote, navigate the menus on the iPod, and ideally even control image and video playback. Amazingly, that is all possible. We’re not dealing with cheap cell phone accessories or add-on stuff for PDAs or MP3 players here, but advanced technology that actually allows you to view playlists right on the remote’s LCD.rnrnBasically, the way it all works is via a two-way remote with its own LCD display and a special base. The base attaches to the iPod with the standard 30-pin connector, and it has a pass-through 30-pin connector so you can use it with iPod and iPhone compatible speakers, amplifiers and stereos. It’s a small and handy thing that fits right into the design of the classic iPod, iPod Touch and iPhone, but also works with the iPod Nano and Video. The remote itself is small and handy, too, with a small 2-line display and a control wheel that duplicates most iPod functions such as volume, track play/pause, and navigating between menus. rnrnThat’s nice, you might say, but who needs yet another remote control? Most people have remote control overload as it is. Your average home entertainment system now has at least two or three remotes, and often more, to handle the TV, cable or satellite, surround sound, Blu-Ray, and so on and so on. There are literally people who’ve stopped watching TV because they can’t figure out what buttons to push on which remote. Good point, but those iPod remotes are different. They don’t rely on line-of-sight. Instead, they use FM.rnrnWhat that means is that you can control your iPod or iPhone from another room or from pretty much anywhere, up to 150 feet or so away. Or you can control it while it’s sitting in a glove box, purse, or strapped to your arm while you’re jogging. An iPod remote really opens up a whole new way of enjoying your iPod/iPhone, and it does so cleverly and inexpensively.

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