iLounge

1

Why is it that no one has put out a cheaper replacement for the stock apple remote?  The 4g does not have an included remote and you would think there would be a market for this item.

Posted by aethiolas on March 24, 2005 at 10:03 AM (PDT)

2

Beautiful remote?!?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME? An adult human being actually wrote that? The invasion of the geeks!

Posted by zumpp99 in Western NY on March 24, 2005 at 10:09 AM (PDT)

3

I too have always wondered why there aren’t any 3rd party ipod remotes.  I love using the remote but find the design of thing just horrible.  Ususally when I’m using the remote it’s when I’m out walking or something and I just want to quickly skip a song or turn the volume down.  I don’t want to have to look at the thing.  However the design is such that play/pause button and the volume buttons feel exactly the same to my blind fingers.  So i either need to guess which button to press or fish it out of my pocket for a look.  I can’t believe that the remote for a gadget that prides itself on ergonomic ease of use is so poorly thought out.  Sure it looks cool, but it drives me nuts.  Even if the play button had a raised bump on it or something it would be vastly improved.

Posted by boruta on March 24, 2005 at 10:42 AM (PDT)

4

I too have always wondered why there aren’t any 3rd party ipod remotes.  I love using the remote but find the design of thing just horrible.  Ususally when I’m using the remote it’s when I’m out walking or something and I just want to quickly skip a song or turn the volume down.  I don’t want to have to look at the thing.  However the design is such that play/pause button and the volume buttons feel exactly the same to my blind fingers.  So i either need to guess which button to press or fish it out of my pocket for a look.  I can’t believe that the remote for a gadget that prides itself on ergonomic ease of use is so poorly thought out.  Sure it looks cool, but it drives me nuts.  Even if the play button had a raised bump on it or something it would be vastly improved.

Posted by boruta on March 24, 2005 at 10:43 AM (PDT)

5

good gosh. skins for the remote?
what next? skins for the earphone cords? for the ear buds?

it’s getting to a point where they’ll just make a skin for everything. like with the suffle, that seemed to be something similar to a usb thumb drive, and THAT doesn’t need a case, yet the shuffle does.

Posted by rockthecasbah on March 24, 2005 at 3:39 PM (PDT)

6

I wish Apple would make a remote with a screen that could actually store 100 or so songs, so that it could be disconnected and used as it’s own portable for jogging, etc..

Posted by pickme on March 25, 2005 at 12:04 PM (PDT)

7

pickme, that would be awesome, but if the 120 song shuffle costs 100 bucks, imagine how much a similar device with a screen would cost! c’mon, $150 for a remote?? still a cool idea though. maybe someone could make a hack to do something like that with a shuffle and camera connecter, but that wouldnt have a screen…. what i really want is a 3rd party ipod remote with a clip that works with t-shirts, a thinner wire, and possibly a screen…

Posted by flashkl on March 26, 2005 at 3:32 PM (PDT)

8

Regarding the remote skin, I wanted to reply:  I am the one who invented that thing, a few years ago, on a ski /snowboarding trip.

I gave the idea to Capdase (for free) just to see it go into production.  Sure enough, maybe six months later (or less) these clever guys are making it, and are even applying for a patent!

They thanked me for the idea, but they’re not paying me for it (which is OK because I did not patent it or make them sign a nondisclosure agreement).

However, the skin that they’re making is NOT exactly what I had proposed; it’s really only part of my idea.

My idea was not just the skin, but a wristband, too.  (And it would not have any openings to let in moisture.)  That way, you can wear the remote like a watch with the cords going up inside the sleeve of your jacket.

Then on a ski or snowboard run, you can adjust the iPod on the fly, without taking it out or fumbling with it in your pocket.

THAT was my original idea, and a prototype I made worked perfectly, but the production version is a bit diluted, as you can see.  I just bought a set of these skins for myself (they come in a four-pack) and I intend to attach it to a Velcro watchband to put my original idea into action.

I hope that answers your question.  As it is, the skin should help protect the remote a bit.  And as it was meant to be, it was actually a pretty neat idea.

Posted by Zonker92 on April 5, 2005 at 12:36 PM (PDT)

9

I have seen some third-party iPod remotes for sale on ebay. They are round and all white. They have a control surface that imitates the ipod shuffle controls. Has anyone tried them out?

Posted by shakey on July 31, 2005 at 4:28 AM (PDT)