Chapter 11: Remote Control

You can turn your iPod into a universal remote control which you can then use to control all of the electronic equipment in your home or any other device that uses a remote control. For example, you can use your iPod to control your television, DVD player, XBox, and Satellite Radio. To get your iPod to act as a remote control all you have to do is record the sounds that an infrared remote device makes to a computer and then transfer them over to your iPod as a song file. You will need to add a special "sound to IR converter" which will turn these same sounds back to IR and then actually use your iPod as a remote. You can use your iPod from up to 100 feet away from the device that you are trying to control. This means that you never have to have all those multiple remote controls lying around your home.

You will need the following items to convert your iPod to a remote control:

*any model of iPod
*a PC or a Macintosh that is complete with sound recording software
*any model of pocket PC (aim for one from 2002 to 2003)
*Griffin’s Total Remote software and Griffin’s IR device (sold together)

The most important from the above list is the Griffin sound to IR converter. You will be using this device to extend the range of the pocket PC. The first thing that you are going to do is use the pocket PC software to input the IR signals from your remote control devices. Then you are going to convert these signals into sound waves. The last thing will be to use your iPod to play these sound files through the sound to IR converter so that you can control the electronic devices in your home. Follow these steps to convert your iPod to a remote:

*Install the Total Remote software to the pocket PC. Follow the directions and begin entering all of the remotes that you want to use on your iPod to the software. The next few directions focus on turning your television on and off.
*On the pocket PC, once the software has been installed, choose start - programs - total remote.
*Next choose edit - start one shot sampling. Choose the correct power button which is shown on the interface.
*You will be prompted to hold the remote up to the IR port which is located on the pocket PC. This is how the IR signal will be recorded.
*After you have recorded the IR signal you need to test it. This is done by using the IR device which is included with the Total Remote software.
*Once you have verified that the signal works you need to get the IR signal from the pocket PC to your computer as a sound file.

Next