Apple on Monday posted several AppleScripts that work in conjunction with Salling Software’s recently released Sony Ericsson Clicker. The AppleScripts posted to Apple’s site this morning are for Keynote and iTunes, but scripts for iPhoto and Finder scripts will be posted later today.
Apple’s own AppleScript Product Manager Sal Soghoian wrote the scripts to further enhance the capabilities of the Sony Ericsson Clicker.
“Every technology needs a killer app — this is Bluetooth’s killer app,” Soghoian told MacCentral.
Scripts that Soghoian wrote for iTunes include Activate iTunes; Toggle Pause/Play; Set Volume; Play Previous Track; Previous Playlist; Track Rating; Random Track From Top 25; and others. Scripts for Keynote include Activate Keynote; Play Slideshow; Stop Slideshow; Display Black Slide; and Quit Keynote. Keynote scripts require the installation of GUI scripting support.
Sony Ericsson Clicker has a built in proximity sensor, allowing you to trigger actions when you leave or come back to your Mac. For instance, when you leave a room you could pause iTunes and have it turn back on when you come back.
Using AppleScript, the phone and computer interact with each other, which makes the device more than a remote that costs several hundred dollars. For instance, you can adjust the volume in iTunes by using a slider on the phone, triggered by AppleScript on the computer.
Soghoian sees the practical uses for the technology growing rapidly — one example he used was with Keynote. Suppose you are advancing slides using your phone, but you forget what the important message of the slide is — AppleScript could take the internal comments of the Keynote slide and display them on the phone for you.
“Having AppleScript on the other side of the Bluetooth connection opens the door for more development. This can only happen with AppleScript because it has the depth to really get into everything on the computer,” said Soghoian.