The Tech Bench

Apple has release version 2.4 of the AppleTV software and updated their Remote app for the iPhone/Touch.

The new updates allow for gesture control of the AppleTV through an iPhone or iPod Touch.

You can now navigate the AppleTV menus using finger swipes, taps and mulit-touch. The new Remote App also allows you to search your AppleTV using a QWERTY keyboard. These updates combine for a much faster and easier to use AppleTV/Remote interface.

Previously, it felt like the Remote app was only useful if you were not in view of the TV you were controlling (i.e. as a jukebox.) It always felt faster and easier to use the included AppleTV remote to navigate the menus on screen. This new setup really delivers an enhanced remote and makes typing on the AppleTV a breeze.

You can learn more about the AppleTV and Remote app functionality here.

MultiClutch is a free App for OS X Leopard that allows you to further customize the gesture controls on your Mac’s multi-touch trackpad.

MultiClutch is configured through it’s own preference pane in System Preferences. It allows you to setup global (system wide) or application specific gesture controls. Simply assign a gesture (finger action) to any keyboard shortcut.

For example, you can zoom in (finger pinch) to copy and zoom out to paste text in any app or you can set the three finger swipe to navigate tabs in Firefox.

MultiClutch is a free download and is currently in public beta.