Dealing with Unexpected Phone Calls While Listening to Your Favorite Album

August 3, 2005 7:22 PM

Is there a way to assign an F key to just pause and un-pause iTunes?

I don't like muting the computer when the phone rings, and clicking around to get to the program itself is kind of annoying. It'd be nice if I could just hit, say, F14 and make it pause or un-pause. Is this possible? Apologies if this is a stupid question.

(G5, OS 10.4.2, by the way.)

posted by interrobang to Computers & Internet (15 answers total)

Response by poster: Oh, and I'm also running Tiger, so I have the little iTunes widget, and I have the FireFox extension where you can pause and fast-forward and stuff from the bottom of your browser. I'm looking to be able to hit one button and do this, the same way I can hit F13 and see if I have any email.
posted by interrobang at 7:27 PM on August 3, 2005

Best answer: SizzlingKeys
posted by boaz at 7:32 PM on August 3, 2005

Response by poster: PERFECT! Thanks, boaz!
posted by interrobang at 7:37 PM on August 3, 2005

You might also consider Synergy.
posted by RichardP at 7:44 PM on August 3, 2005

Response by poster: Thanks for the other option, RichardP. I'll try it out.
posted by interrobang at 8:24 PM on August 3, 2005

I have my computer pause iTunes when I get a call, thanks to Romeo. It also mutes the system. When I hang up, it unmutes the system and starts playing again.
posted by waldo at 8:40 PM on August 3, 2005

Response by poster: That's neat, waldo, but my computer isn't connected to my telephone. I hope someone else finds that useful, though. Thanks.
posted by interrobang at 8:49 PM on August 3, 2005

Off-topic interrobang, but you mentioned: clicking around to get to the program itself is kind of annoying. Command+Tab, then hitting tab whilst holding the Comand to get to the next program (apologies if you're already doing this).
posted by tellurian at 9:18 PM on August 3, 2005

You can also click and hold down the iTunes dock icon (or right-click) to get a contextual menu with various controls.
posted by O9scar at 9:37 PM on August 3, 2005

i have Quicksilver setup to play/pause my iTunes.
posted by threeze at 10:00 PM on August 3, 2005

iTunesKeys lets you set hotkeys for a variety of iTunes controls, including pause/play, next, previous, assigning ratings and volume. It can additionally be set to seek out missing artwork and to display track info in a little popup. It's the only thing that makes iTunes functional for me at work.
posted by donnagirl at 10:57 PM on August 3, 2005

Hitting the space bar when in iTunes pauses the currently playing song. Hitting it again plays it again. Works with internet radio or anything else playing in iTunes.
posted by cahlers at 4:02 AM on August 4, 2005

Yeah, the space bar. Works in most video players too.
posted by elisabeth r at 4:12 AM on August 4, 2005

Response by poster: Yes, I'm well aware of the space bar. I was asking this for those times when iTunes isn't the program in front.
posted by interrobang at 3:32 PM on August 4, 2005

For any Windows users reading this question, iTunesKeys does what you want.
posted by grouse at 3:44 PM on August 4, 2005