Empowering the iPhone & iPod Touch

Because I have not yet been able to convince myself that it is technologically sound to buy an iPhone 3G (for reasons such as this and this), I have opted instead to settle with the combination of my iPod Touch and my 5 year-old LG VX4400.  Is it really worth spending an additional $1,500 over 2 years to use one pocket instead of two?

Despite the differences between the iPod Touch and the iPhone, however, there is one glaring feature that puts the two devices in a league of their own: the touchscreen.  The Remote application, developed by Apple, is the perfect example of how the WiFi-enabled devices can exploit this feature to perform beyond expectations.

Setting Up/Using Remote

After downloading and installing Remote on my iPod Touch, I opened the application and selected “Add Library…”  Remote automatically generated a four-digit passcode while asking me to locate my network-shared iPod in iTunes.  Upon discovery of my iPod, I entered the passcode into iTunes, immediately tethering my computer’s music and playlists to my iPod in one fell swoop.

In moments, I was able to fully control playback of my music (play, stop, skip, rewind, fast forward, shuffle, repeat) and navigate my entire iTunes library from anywhere in my house.  It was exceptionally mind-blowing to see the volume slider in iTunes match the slider movements on my iPod Touch.

Owners of either the iPhone or the iPod Touch: treat yourselves to Remote, as it will alleviate the pains of having spent as much as you did on your device.  Clicking on the image below will take you directly to the item in the iTunes Store.  Best of all, the application is FREE.