DIY wireless iTunes remote

When Apple first introduced Airport Express with Airtunes, the idea of listening to your iTunes library through your home stereo via a wireless connection sounded great. It wasn't long, however, before people began to see the potential flaw in this scenario. If your Mac and stereo aren't in the same room (or on the same floor), you've got to either be very sure about the playlist you've selected or expect to do some running back and forth. Eventually, the call went out for a remote control. While Apple hasn't yet responded, others have, including those crafty independent developers.

Steven Massey has put one together using an Aeronix Zipit, which is a Linux-based device used for instant messanging, that he's calling iTRC. It's a two part solution, with a remote control application running on the Zipit and a server application that runs on the Mac, which relays messages between the Zipit and iTunes. Steven says he can play, pause, skip tracks, select new tracks, change playlists and more. After working some final bugs out, Steven plans to open source iTRC.

[Via Hack A Day]