Remote Control from Steve Jobs?

It's been rumored that it's not so much a remote control (that can get hacked) than it is a control that sends a signal backstage so that the crew controlling the presentation manually can change the slides. Even though there's more people involved, when you're talking to a group that may be technically adept enough to try to hack into your control scheme, it's a more controllable situation.

If you rehearse a presentation enough times, then everyone knows what's supposed to happen when, they're just waiting on the signal. Much like a play, everything LOOKS like it's flowing smoothly, but it's all just well choreographed scripts of text tied together by cues. Given the option of having a transition be a half-second late OR having someone in the audience take over the signal, the first option gives you more control. (If you just monitor, someone could take over the signal and flip through 2 or three slides before you can react)

It's been said that it's no more complicated than some wireless box that "turns on a light" backstage. Again, through rehearsal, you KNOW when the light should come on, you're just waiting for the cue. If someone hacks it, doesn't matter, you still follow the script. The KEY being that ONLY the people that KNOW where the presentation is headed has control of the presentation at any time.

Remember, the "wireless box" thing is just something that was mentioned here awhile back and, seeing how the box he uses doesn't look like a normal "presenter" remote, it seemed to make sense. Having said that, I'd imagine it's a one of a kind specially made thing.

Aha! take a look at this:

http://perfectcue.com/CueLights/PerfectCueMini.asp

found via google. Sure looks like the little gadget he and the other Apple presenters use (including that stubby little antenna)

Thanks, Brian! I'd thought he had a blue box with a black button during one presentation and had never found that. Maybe they've bought some shares of CUE 🙂

Yeah, I've seen the blue one before, but I know at the iPhone thing, it was black with a stubby antenna like the cue mini.