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HippoRemote Tip #13 – Auto App Switching (Mac Edition)

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Today’s tip (like our earlier tip on international keyboards) requires you to run HippoVNC on your Mac.

Judging from our web site traffic, most Mac users have opted to go with OS X’s built-in Screen Sharing functionality. We totally understand this. Personally, I’m incredibly hesitant to install new software, especially software from a small, unknown company that wants to run in the background.

Furthermore, HippoRemote already has an App Launching setting that let’s you use Spotlight (or Quicksilver or LauchBar) to start and switch apps. So how is this new option any better? Here’s how.

Let’s say you are using HippoRemote to control iTunes. You fire up a playlist. Then you decide to jump over into your photo library. Since HippoRemote doesn’t have an iPhoto profile, you mouse over to the Dock and launch iPhoto manually. Now you want to replay that last song. And here’s the problem. The active program on your Mac is iPhoto, but the active profile in HippoRemote is iTunes.

So what can you do? On the Mac, you can use the trackpad to shuffle windows around and bring iTunes to the front. On HippoRemote, you can switch to a different profile, and then use the hotkey launcher to switch back to iTunes. Either option is rather inconvenient.

With Auto App Switching via HippoVNC, you don’t have to do any extra work. Just hit the previous song button on the music pad. HippoVNC will automatically bring iTunes to the front and replay the last song. Let me say that again. Even though iTunes may be buried under a mountain of other windows, HippoVNC will automatically bring it to the front and then apply the replay song action.

This works with all the Mac profiles – DVD Player, Firefox, Keynote, Safari – not just iTunes. It’s incredibly convenient. If HippoRemote has found a home on your iPhone/iPod, give HippoVNC a try. It’s entirely free. And it’s open source, so you don’t have to worry about us doing something sneaky behind your back.

October 20th, 2009 at 1:24 pm

One Response to 'HippoRemote Tip #13 – Auto App Switching (Mac Edition)'

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  1. Is there a way to do the same functionality with Spotify in Windows? Currently I have to have Spotify as the active window in order to move to the next song. Any advise would be great.

    Richard

    10 Jan 12 at 9:54 am

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