Give Apple TV the Finger With Updated iPhone Remote App

Apple released updates for the Apple TV and iPhone Remote app yesterday that replaces traditional controls with finger gesture controls, letting you run everything on the set-top box from your iPhone or iPod touch. The Apple Blog has the full story, but here are a few of the additions:

Video Playback

• Flick or drag and hold to move the on-screen selection. Tap to select.
• Tap to Play or Pause.
• Flick left or right, or drag and hold to rewind or fast-forward.
• Flick down to show chapter markers, then flick left or right to skip.
• Drag two fingers left for replay.

The Apple Blog wonders whether these updates may be signs of new life for the Apple TV, which has been a bit of a red-headed stepchild in Cupertino, where it is repeatedly called a “hobby.”

Taking advantage of the iPhone’s touch capabilities as a remote is part of an overall television industry trend towards gesture controls instead of traditional buttons.