Have you ever wondered whether the batteries in your remote control were okay?
Well, you can test any infrared remote control using your Mac’s built-in camera. Open an application, like Photo Booth, that uses that camera, and lets you monitor what the camera is seeing. Point your remote at the camera, and push a button on the remote control. You will see the emitter on the front of the remote light up if it is working. This is because most digital cameras are sensitive to infrared light. You can’t see it, but the camera sees it as white light.
This trick will work with most digital cameras, video cameras, cell phone cameras, etc. Try it with your iPhone. Most remote controls are infrared, so it should work with the majority of remote controls for TVs, stereos and similar gadgets. It definitely works with the Apple remote.
