If you choose a song to create a Genius playlist out of, you can see it and then save it right from the iPad and access it from your regular iTunes library later. Two nice features about the iPad app, though, are the ability to create playlists on your computer from the iPad, and also the ability to create Genius playlists.
It's still meant solely for you to help another device play content, so if streaming iTunes content to your iPad is what you've been hoping for, get ready to be disappointed. Unfortunately, the Remote app (still) does not allow you to stream that content from your computer to the iOS device-a feature that iPad users have been asking for since, well, forever.
When you select a piece of content to play, you have the option to play it on the machine you're streaming from or your Apple TV (if you have one), or both. You can navigate through your iTunes playlists as if you were sitting at the computer in question, and even see your podcasts, TV shows, and movies to either play on the Apple TV or on computer. The interface on the iPad looks almost exactly like the iPod app on the iPad, or just regular old iTunes on your computer. You can still manually associate the Remote app with your iTunes library using a code, but the auto-detection cuts out a step. In my case, that's two computers (they can be Macs or PCs, as long as they are running iTunes and have the Home Sharing setting turned on). Once you sign in with your Apple ID, the app automatically finds every computer on the network that has Home Sharing turned on with that ID. Home Sharing is also available on the iPad version of the app, and since that version is the newest, we decided to do a hands-on to check it out.
The v2 update to the Remote app is largely the same on the iPhone as the previous version, except with the addition of Retina Display support and Home Sharing. (I even went to a bar once where the owner had set up the bar's digital jukebox to take requests via the Remote app-customers just had to whip out their iPhones and load up the library to log requests without ever leaving the comfort of the barstool.)
This is particularly helpful when searching for items on the Apple TV (typing out a movie name can become a chore when using the regular Apple Remote) or if you want to give party guests a way to control the playlist (either on an Apple TV or your computer) without having to fiddle with the device directly. Most importantly, however, the app has now officially gained iPad support, with a brand new UI that takes advantage of the iPad's screen real estate.įor those who aren't familiar with it, the Remote app allows users to control their Apple TVs and computers via their iOS devices. The app has been updated to support the iPhone 4's retina display and can now automatically detect iTunes libraries on your network that are set up for Home Sharing. Apple has released an update to its Remote app for iOS, adding in a few valuable new features.