As you've likely read in the news, Apple® just released their own native iPhone™/iPod® Touch application called "Remote" to control iTunes® from afar, which in many ways is very similiar to the music module of Remote Buddy's AJAX Remote (which in its current form first came into existance around October 2007).

In case you're wondering, I don't feel bitter or angry nor do I feel any grief. Knowing about the popularity of Remote Buddy at Apple®, getting a hint or even an offer from Apple® would have been an appreciated move and - I'm sure - would have been to the benefit of everyone involved. But that's certainly not something Apple® can be asked or expected to do. That said, I'm fine with as it is now, too: an interesting new competitor has entered the market.

So what does this mean for the future of Remote Buddy's AJAX Remote?

I have been working on a native client for iPhone™ and iPod® Touch for several months now and I'll continue to work on it and release the client for free on the AppStore as soon as it's ready and Apple® approves it. That has always been the plan and I see no reason to not persue it further now:

• In terms of iTunes® remote control, even the current, private beta of the native Remote Buddy client already offers a lot of advantages and features over what "Remote" is offering.

• Just like Remote Buddy's AJAX Remote today, it'll be able to do a lot more than to "just" control iTunes®. Among many other things, it can also control mouse and keyboard of your Mac®, act as a remote for over 100 applications and "stream" your iSight®'s camera picture. The native client will build on this strong foundation, take it to the next level and also add a lot of fancy new stuff that I'm sure you'll love.

• Last but not least, the performance of the native client application is simply amazing and not at all comparable with the current AJAX Remote web application. The AJAX Remote web application will still be around in future versions, though: I know a lot of you are using it in desktop browsers or as widget on your Dashboard.

I stay fully committed to Remote Buddy and its future development. Stay tuned.