Keynote Remote for iPhone, iPod Touch Released for iWork 09

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Among the underwhelming upgrades to iWork Apple announced Tuesday, I thought the ones made to Keynote seemed at least interesting. Call me crazy, but I’m rather fond of Apple’s presentation software and given the ubiquity of Powerpoint used in the business world, I’m always impressed when someone shows up with a Keynote presentation instead. It just tells me the person cares, you know?

Helpfully, Apple itself has created Keynote Remote, an app for the company’s mobile devices that lets you control your Keynote slide presentation on your computer from your iPod touch or iPhone.

Swipe to advance or return to the previous slide. In portrait mode, see your presenter notes on your iPod touch or iPhone. In landscape mode, preview your next slide. Keynote Remote works with your Wi-Fi network, so you can control slide playback from anywhere in the room.

Great stuff, really. But, uh, you’ll need to drop another 99¢ in order to make it happen, even after you’ve bought the copy of iWork 09 needed to use the mobile app. Amazing.

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10 responses to “Keynote Remote for iPhone, iPod Touch Released for iWork 09”

  1. Matthew says:

    Could the 99 cent charge be a result of the same accounting system which ‘requires’ them to charge for ipod touch update, and not iphone updates?

  2. Stephan Melchior says:

    Has anyone tried this yet? My iPhone does not find the Keynote on my Mac…

  3. Jon T says:

    Cult of Mac bangs on about underwhelming. I thought it was great for more users than just those out for new hardware.

    I’m removing Cult of Mac from my RSS as I am so irritated by this continuous carping, whining and general dissatisfaction with averything Apploe does.

    Anyone would think Cult of Mac believes the postings from the Anti-Apple-Taliban.

    Over and out.

  4. lonbud says:

    @ Jon T – hate to see you go, but methinks you haven’t been reading too closely. I know I personally (and feel similarly that my colleagues) feel Apple products and the company itself represent the highest quality and greatest innovation in the computer industry. I believe Cult of Mac is very quick to praise the company and to do so in ways that go well beyond the sycophantic adulation of a mere fan-site. Along with that willingness to praise, however, comes an obligation to point out the odor when they – as any company will – lay a turd. Perhaps you feel differently, but I don’t think it a stretch to criticize Apple for asking its customers to fork over another 99¢ to enable iPhone remote functionality with Keynote when those same customers have just paid $80 to put the software on their Mac.

  5. Jan H says:

    Complaining about those 0.99$ strikes me as incredibly silly.
    When you say “those same customers have just paid $80” you are rounding up the 79$ to 80$ because that 1$ difference really doesn’t matter, right? Because 79$ is basically 80$, right?