Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

oldschool

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Sep 30, 2003
1,029
0
I'd love to have a remote control/infrared port built into the back of my powerbook, so when i'm being extremely lazy, and using the pb while watching Conan, I won't have to move my hand the 8 inches to the remote control to raise the volume, or switch to kimmel during the commercials.

I could have maybe a Konfabulator Widget with a remote control graphic.
 

encro

macrumors 6502
May 6, 2002
451
1
bendigo.victoria.au
It's already available and is called BlueTooth.

Using Salling Clicker with a BlueTooth equipped mobile phone or Pslm Handheld you can control more than you have even thought of.

OldSchool might be a suitable alias for your thinking also ;)

P.S. If you really want a InfraRed solution there is iRed
 

MoparShaha

Contributor
May 15, 2003
1,646
38
San Francisco
oldschool said:
so when i'm being extremely lazy, and using the pb while watching Conan, I won't have to move my hand the 8 inches to the remote control to raise the volume, or switch to kimmel during the commercials.
Dude, I totally agree. I always think of this when I'm chillin in bed with my PowerBook. It's such a pain to have to get the remote out, when I have this $2k "supercomputer" sitting in my lap, which should by all means be able to send a simple infared pulse.
 

abhishekit

macrumors 65816
Nov 6, 2003
1,297
0
akron , ohio
encro said:
It's already available and is called BlueTooth.

Using Salling Clicker with a BlueTooth equipped mobile phone or Pslm Handheld you can control more than you have even thought of.

OldSchool might be a suitable alias for your thinking also ;)

P.S. If you really want a InfraRed solution there is iRed
hey encro..Thanks a lot man..after reading your comment I installed salling clicker, even bought..That really rocks man..Thanks once again..its funny, how we are not even aware of the amazing inventions already around us..
cheers
 

oldschool

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Sep 30, 2003
1,029
0
encro said:
It's already available and is called BlueTooth.

Using Salling Clicker with a BlueTooth equipped mobile phone or Pslm Handheld you can control more than you have even thought of.

OldSchool might be a suitable alias for your thinking also ;)

P.S. If you really want a InfraRed solution there is iRed

I know those things exist, but if you read my post you'll see that what i want is an infrared remote built into my laptop, so that I can use the LAPTOP as a remote for my TV.

:D

Edit: I see that iRed can send signals, but this was more of an idea of something being built in, as I know that there are infrared adaptors.
 

rdowns

macrumors Penryn
Jul 11, 2003
27,397
12,521
I had a Performa with an infrared port. My damn Sony remote used to turn the unit on. First few times that happend, it scared the sh*t out of me. Eventually put a piece of tape over the IR eye on the Performa.
 

MoparShaha

Contributor
May 15, 2003
1,646
38
San Francisco
rdowns said:
I had a Performa with an infrared port. My damn Sony remote used to turn the unit on. First few times that happend, it scared the sh*t out of me. Eventually put a piece of tape over the IR eye on the Performa.
Yeah, I used to go around my high school with my sony TV remote turning various Apple IR equiped machines on all the time. Ah, good times....:D
 

encro

macrumors 6502
May 6, 2002
451
1
bendigo.victoria.au
abhishekit said:
hey encro..Thanks a lot man..after reading your comment I installed salling clicker, even bought..That really rocks man..Thanks once again..its funny, how we are not even aware of the amazing inventions already around us..
cheers

Glad you like it abhishekit because it is awesome. I purchased it also :)

Along side the Extra Scripts on the Salling Clicker site here are a couple of applescripts I have made for Salling Clicker which you may find interesting :)

Application Quit (Replace iTunes with the app you wish to quit, you could even set it to quit the app you type in a field on your phone with a bit of extra time & skill):
Code:
global appName
set appName to "iTunes"
global quitRequestMessage
set quitRequestMessage to "Really Quit " & appName & "?"
global quitSuccessMessage
set quitSuccessMessage to appName & " Quit Successfully"

try
	tell application "SEC Helper"
		enter boolean popup mode question quitRequestMessage affirmative response "affirmative_boolean_popup_response"
		show screen message quitRequestMessage duration 0
	end tell
on error
	beep
end try

on affirmative_boolean_popup_response(flag)
	if flag = 1 then
		tell application appName
			quit
		end tell
		tell application "SEC Helper"
			show screen message quitSuccessMessage
		end tell
	else
		tell application "SEC Helper"
			hide screen
		end tell
	end if
end affirmative_boolean_popup_response

Exposé all applications:
Code:
tell application "SEC Helper" to simulate keyboard virtual keycode 101
return

Cheers
 

abhishekit

macrumors 65816
Nov 6, 2003
1,297
0
akron , ohio
encro said:
Glad you like it abhishekit because it is awesome. I purchased it also :)

Along side the Extra Scripts on the Salling Clicker site here are a couple of applescripts I have made for Salling Clicker which you may find interesting :)

Application Quit (Replace iTunes with the app you wish to quit, you could even set it to quit the app you type in a field on your phone with a bit of extra time & skill):
Code:
global appName
set appName to "iTunes"
global quitRequestMessage
set quitRequestMessage to "Really Quit " & appName & "?"
global quitSuccessMessage
set quitSuccessMessage to appName & " Quit Successfully"

try
	tell application "SEC Helper"
		enter boolean popup mode question quitRequestMessage affirmative response "affirmative_boolean_popup_response"
		show screen message quitRequestMessage duration 0
	end tell
on error
	beep
end try

on affirmative_boolean_popup_response(flag)
	if flag = 1 then
		tell application appName
			quit
		end tell
		tell application "SEC Helper"
			show screen message quitSuccessMessage
		end tell
	else
		tell application "SEC Helper"
			hide screen
		end tell
	end if
end affirmative_boolean_popup_response

Exposé all applications:
Code:
tell application "SEC Helper" to simulate keyboard virtual keycode 101
return

Cheers

wow ..this is gettin better and better...:D thanks again..
yesterday we had a party..i took my ibook..to show off salling clicker...and boy...did they like it or what...4 of them were ready to give me written statements that the next comp they buy would be a mac... :cool:
cheers
 

lewinb

macrumors newbie
Jun 3, 2004
1
0
Powerboob TV Remote?

I just joined this forum so that I could respond to this... So I am a newbie here (but not to macs).
I don't mean to sound totally out of order, but would somebody PLEASE answer the original question?! The original question was if anyone knew of a way to use
a powerbook
AS
a remote control
for a TV/VCR/STEREO system,

with the built-in IR port. If Clicker or iRed will do these things without requiring additional hardware, could someone please SAY SO?

I, on the other hand, am investigating the possibility of installing Lirc (Unix - Learning Infrared Remote Control) and an open source remote GUI based in x11. Has anyone done this successfully?

Sorry if I seem rude, but everyone has ignored the original question.

cheers,
lewinb
 

oldschool

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Sep 30, 2003
1,029
0
lewinb said:
I just joined this forum so that I could respond to this... So I am a newbie here (but not to macs).
I don't mean to sound totally out of order, but would somebody PLEASE answer the original question?! The original question was if anyone knew of a way to use
a powerbook
AS
a remote control
for a TV/VCR/STEREO system,

with the built-in IR port. If Clicker or iRed will do these things without requiring additional hardware, could someone please SAY SO?

I, on the other hand, am investigating the possibility of installing Lirc (Unix - Learning Infrared Remote Control) and an open source remote GUI based in x11. Has anyone done this successfully?

Sorry if I seem rude, but everyone has ignored the original question.

cheers,
lewinb

you are right lewinb everybody has ignored my original idea.

i think it would be great to have a remote built in. for example right now i'm watching tv and using the computer and i would like to be able to switch to letterman without getting up and getting the remote.
 

MillieWales

macrumors 6502
Sep 15, 2003
484
191
UK
Does your PowerBook have an infrared port? If so then it will be possible, if not, have a guess!
 

mouchoir

macrumors 6502a
Apr 29, 2004
653
0
London, UK
oldschool said:
you are right lewinb everybody has ignored my original idea.

i think it would be great to have a remote built in. for example right now i'm watching tv and using the computer and i would like to be able to switch to letterman without getting up and getting the remote.


Sorry, I can't resist but if you already have a 'remote' for your tv, then use it! That's what it's for. you want a remote because you're too lazy to use your remote.

What are you gonna do when you're watching your tv and both your pb and you're remote are, gasp, not on your lap?
 

oldschool

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Sep 30, 2003
1,029
0
mouchoir said:
Sorry, I can't resist but if you already have a 'remote' for your tv, then use it! That's what it's for. you want a remote because you're too lazy to use your remote.

What are you gonna do when you're watching your tv and both your pb and you're remote are, gasp, not on your lap?

come on...it was just an idea...something that i would love to have.


and when the remote is out of reach i just watch whatever channel the tv is on. :D
 

mouchoir

macrumors 6502a
Apr 29, 2004
653
0
London, UK
oldschool said:
come on...it was just an idea...something that i would love to have.


and when the remote is out of reach i just watch whatever channel the tv is on. :D


Ok, maybe I was a bit harsh – it's always good to have ideas – i'm probably being affected by all the 'obesity' scares in the media at the moment! :p
 

saabmp3

macrumors 6502a
Jul 22, 2002
868
0
Tacoma, WA
The old powerbooks (500 G4 and earlier) had IR buuilt in and then they mysteriously took it out. I remember when it happened and don't think there was too much fuss about it at the time. I think controlling TVs/VCR/etc is basically the only thing that it's good for now with bluetooth anyways.

BEN
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.