Mac Gems: Actions turns your iPad into a Mac control pad
In 2007, the Optimus Maximus keyboard was all the rage on gadget-oriented websites. In place of traditional plastic keys, this pricey, programmable keyboard used special keys with a tiny OLED screen on each. The idea was that you could customize each key to perform whatever task you wanted, and give that key a custom appearance to make it easier to find that function.
The Optimus Maximus was more a clever idea than a successful product, but it was interesting because we often wish our keyboards had a few extra keys for performing particular tasks. Many of us get around this limitation by using macro utilities such as Keyboard Maestro, but those require you to remember keyboard shortcuts, or use menus, or use some other onscreen mechanism for accessing those macros.
Lately, I’ve been using my iPad as a poor man’s version of the Optimus Maximus (if you can call anything requiring an iPad a “poor man’s version” of anything) thanks to Actions. Unlike most Mac Gems, Actions isn’t just a Mac app. Rather, it’s a combination of a free Mac app called Actions Server and a $4 iPad app called Actions that, together, let you use your iPad to control your Mac and automate Mac tasks.
Actions Server's settings window
The Mac side of Actions is pretty bare-bones. Launch it, and its icon appears in your menu bar. That menu shows which iPad is connected (see below) and provides access to a few simple settings. Those preferences let you designate any folders, in addition to /Applications, in which Actions should look for apps (to make them available in the iOS app). You can also change the network port over which your Mac and iPad communicate should your firewall prevent the default port from working.
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