Apple updates Remote app to work with iPad and new AppleTV

Apple's Remote app was one of the best early iPhone apps, but it's been ages since an update. Well, Apple was finally forced to give Remote a little refresh, because the software has to keep up with Apple's new hardware.

Most of what's new in Remote is compatibility with the latest Apple devices: it's got Retina-friendly graphics for the iPhone 4, native graphics for the iPad, the ability to run in the background, and compatibility with the new AppleTV.

The big thing, other than the sharp new look, is support for Shared Libraries. That means you can access all your stuff when you've got a home network running on iTunes, like a Mac plus an Apple TV, or one laptop and one desktop media center. Remote can also control the volumes on all your shared speakers at once. Hot!

Yes, it took a long, long time -- but I can forgive Apple for the wait because this much-needed update is both pretty and useful.

Tags: apple, appletv, ios, ipad, iphone, remote