Remote Buddy1.33.1

I'd purchase a code for this, but $30USD seems a bit steep for what I'd use it for. Call me cheap, but I only really use it to watch DVD's on my LCD tv every few days or so (which it is great for, with the "change to main display" remote function) Nice program, just wish there was a "by donation" aspect to it, as I'd gladly paypal $15 for what I use it for, but I guess that's another whole story..

My Wiimote cursor stops to work after the update... Is it a coincidence, or my Wiimote is defective?

I wrote a review 2 years ago and expressed my praise and hopes that an iphone version of the iphone AJAX remote would come soon. The AJAX remote is a joke, and no one does any serious iphone app in AJAX. Why does the iPhone AJAX remote keep being advertised like it's the best thing since sliced bread? Anyway, the developer didn't make promises but he said an iphone native version was in the works. I've sent feedback several times on forums, and there seemed to be progress. But after 2 years, my question and frustration is: where is it? I've also been very unhappy with some quirks in functionality that make it a pain to use. For example, when using Plex, or XBMC or Boxee, why can't Remote Buddy auto-detect them and automatically enable the right mapping? In other words, if I launch XBMC with my mouse, auto-detect it and enable the right mapping. At least make it an option. Then, battery management of remotes like the PS3 remote is very poor. Originally the remote is reported to last 4-6 months when used with a Playstation 3. But with Remote Buddy batteries only last about 1-2 weeks. This is unacceptable. Even if justified by whatever technical limitation, it should stated on the website so users know what to expect. Also, RB doesn't seem to remember the last used behavior, so I always need to reselect the behavior. No matter what I do, no matter which preferences I set, if I use mostly use XBMC, it doesn't seem to be remembered, and I always need to reset the right behavior. There are also a few GUI quirks as well that hasn't been fixed even after feedback was sent. For example the Mapping edit window contains several hundred button mapping lists, but the window can't be resized. So the user has to do a lot of scrolling even if he has a 27-inch iMac that would allow a bigger window. Also it's not possible to edit Mappings if the remote isn't activated. This is inconvenient. Suppose that my remote isn't activated or that the batteries are dead but I wanna edit the mapping anyway, I can't do so with RB. There are quirks with XBMC and possibly Plex. While I understand that this may be a XBMC limitation, Remote Buddy should not include something that doesn't work. For example in the PS3 remote, the button "Display OSD" will display the Music OSD instead of the Video OSD during video playback. Items that don't work should be excluded. And, a workaround should be used, for example include a keyboard shortcut instead. Also talking to the XBMC devs would be nice to arrive at a possible solution. Bottom line: while Remote Buddy has some viable uses, usage in real life may be frustrating and inconvenient. With no iPhone native app after 2 years of wait and no feedback from the developer, Remote Buddy is no longer cutting edge as it once was. The lack of context-aware mapping switching is painful in real life. I keep resorting to using the true and tested Apple remote because of these issues.

Why does dev still charge 19% VAT for non EU customers?

I'd purchase a code for this, but $30USD seems a bit steep for what I'd use it for. Call me cheap, but I only really use it to watch DVD's on my LCD tv every few days or so (which it is great for, with the "change to main display" remote function) Nice program, just wish there was a "by donation" aspect to it, as I'd gladly paypal $15 for what I use it for, but I guess that's another whole story..

Just a comment to the developer based on their reply below. My main computer will never be connected to the internet, yet I manage to have more than 100GB worth of programs (not documents) on it. Many things were downloaded, tested and scanned at a library/university computer. Things that insist on attempting to make unpermitted external contact are deleted rather rapidly, as all calls to the internet (or any communication route, including USB and FW) are instantly notified to the user. Anybody who really wants a secure computer will operate this way, as it really is the only foolproof method. That's why a second computer is used for internet operation, and anything created on the main computer is moved with a portable drive whose drive contents are wiped before re-attachment to the main computer. Thinking everybody with a computer absolutely has to have an internet connectionat all times is at best selfish, and a bit presumptuous.

hi! haven´t had the chance to try this out yet, but i´m wondering have fast things react since it´s "just a very advanced" web-like app (or did i it read wrong)? e.g. i want to use my iPhone for iTunes-controller on my MBP, how fast will iTunes react when i push a button on my phone? and, will you make RB into a native app now that SDKs soon are out? anyways, it have the looks like a killer-app :-)

Hello Herve 5, I'm sorry to say, but you are making wrong claims here (not intentionally, I guess, though): - "intrusive, new online re-registration" Remote Buddy now requires online activation after rampant attempts to use pirated license codes. If I see sales going down by 75 percent within days after the latest attempt and the support desk gets flooded by support inquiries that are apparantly from people using this code, with severe adverse effects on both reply time to those who have bought a license and the overall development, uncalculable financial risks and a threat to the existance of the company, a reaction has to follow. I don't think, anybody (other than competitors of course) would have been happy, if I had chosen the other possible option: stop development. As with regards to the "intrusive" claim, please have a look at the changelog. All that is transmitted is a MD5 checksum of the license code and an MD5 checksum of a non-unique machine identifier. This can be used to verify a license code (by comparing the MD5 checksum with precomputed checksums of valid license codes on the server), but otherwise no information at all can't be extracted from it. This isn't exactly intrusive. - "locks the application to one single machine" Not true at all. The activation will not stop you to activate Remote Buddy on your collection of 30 Macs if you so want. The activation is designed with very generous and liberal, *time-based* limits. So unless you activate it like, 3000 times within 10 days, you will never have an issue. - "ugly warnings" It's a common disclaimer that is also part of every realworld license. I see no problem with that. The kernel extension was made necessary by two facts: 1) Operating a Wii Remote reliably just out of user space is not possible. 2) Apple made changes in OS 10.4.9 that make the Apple Remote behave undesirable for many users (i.e. a menu button press launches both Front Row and any app that listens to it - not limited to Remote Buddy). I think, that providing a clean fix for this problem is only in the interest of the users, who could otherwise not continue to use the software. I've seen other "fixes" for this elsewhere, which remove system files and disable default system functionality altogether. Remote Buddy takes a clean approach and actually solves the problem without messing with or changing the system software. Again, I don't see any bad thing here. 3) Emulation of an Apple Remote. Compatibility with iAlertU and all other apps that listen to the events of an Apple Remote. This is only possible in kernel space, too. - "takes forever to setup" 1st click for the "Welcome screen", "second click on install", "third click on confirm", "enter password", done. Three clicks and entering your password once does not match my definition of "takes forever", sorry. It could be broken down to just one click for sure, but I want to inform the user first before my application installs a kernel extension. At least I want to be asked before doing such a thing. I hope that clears things up for you - and everybody else reading your post. Please feel free to email me at any time if you have further questions. Best regards, Felix Schwarz

I have been an early adopter, and I described here almost enthusiastically why I preferred RB to all others for its simplicity. Well. This last upgrade (may 3, 1.0rc2) brings, *without warning*, huge changes with an intrusive new online re-registration (including for paid users!) that apparently locks the application to one single machine, and moreover installs a kernel extension with ugly warnings ("use at your own risk", etc.) that requires admin password and takes forever to setup. I'm sincerely sorry to say this, but last year when I checked them all, I would probably have skipped RB for one single of these two issues. Let's hope I didn't catch it all.

I just wanted to say I really like RB :) I simply would not use my Apple Remote if it wasn't for it! The only thing I find a bit annoying is that you can't switch the OSD from screen to screen. I often watch a flicks on the TV while doing something else on the machine, while using RB. Thus, having the OSD on the TV (second monitor) would make more sense. And most of all it would allow my girlfriend to watch a flick while I work on the machine totally transparently! My 2 cents :)

Wow, Preview 4 brings lots of features to the table! I have changed my opinion since my last review (Shown Below). I very much like what has been changed in this software in respects to it's power and flexibility. However it does have some short-comings in my opinion: 1) If you're in an app, like let's say iTunes that you are controlling with the remote, when you bring up the menu, there should always be some default command for every app, such as "Quit" "Minimize" or "Hide". To do this now, you have to navigate all the way to the root of the menu and select "System" and then the app name and then Quit. 2) Simplicity. I know this is always hard to bring simplicity and power/flexibility together in one app, but take a look at "mira" and there you'll see an app that has the same function as Remote Buddy, but is very simple and easy to use, yet powerful. 3) I looked everywhere for changing a "Global" or "Default" keys of my remote and couldn't find this feature. Both Sofa Control and mira have the ability to change global keys when your currently in no application. If Remote Buddy had this feature, it would be a huge step in the right direction. I had originally purchased Sofa Control, but now with the release of mira, I have purchased that software as well. I was pretty close to purchasing Remote Buddy, but the 3 items I mentioned above prevented me from buying. This doesn't mean I won't buy it in the future or that it isn't a great app. What I like about Remote Buddy: 1) I like that every app has it's own menu, so the user doesn't have to remember what each key does for a particular app. 2) I like the integrated file browser with file and preview information. 3) Great looking interface when using it with the remote. That is my 2 bits!

I've tried both Sofa Control and Remote Buddy, and they both have their advantages. Sofa Control is very flexible, but slow, the interface needs some polishing and only allows one remote. Remote Buddy is extremely fast, has a great looking interface, allows multiple remotes, but lacks very much in functionality. Just as a quick comparison, when you want to quit an application: In Sofa control, you just select menu and then quit. Very easy and intuitive. In Remote Buddy you have to navigate way back to the root of the menus, select System, then select the app you wish to quit, then select quit. Very tedious. In Contrast with another comparison: Remote Buddy allows you take control of the system allowing you to sleep or shut down. Sofa Control does not have this built-in, however Sofa Control is so flexible because of it's marriage with Apple Script that this could very easily be configured. All in all, I wish these developers could work together OR at least copy some of the ideas from one another to make their app better. Thanks to both developers for creating such useful apps. If I had to choose to use only one of these apps, it would probably be Sofa Control because of it's power of flexibility.

What I do with my remote is use it to watch a movie, then sleep the computer remotely. I downloaded this so I could do that with VLC player, but I can't figure out how to have the Play (Held) button sleep the computer. It looks to me like it isn't possible. So the app is useless to me. Also, can command, control, option and / or shift keys be mapped to buttons? I can't figure out how to do much - even get this thing off VLC Player behavior when VLC is closed. I don't see any documentation. I'll look into this more, but it shouldn't take this much effort. How lazy we are.