ESPN's Ultimate Remote Gets Reviewed-Ultimately Not So Ultimate
Despite the claim by ESPN that its Ultimate Remote is just that, the reviewers over at PC Mag think otherwise. First of all though, what makes the Ultimate Remote so different from the rest? It features 802.11g WiFi compatibility so you can surf the web and check your email from your home theater. Great, definitely a handy feature and it's pretty cool looking too and that really makes a difference. However, take a closer look and you'll see clustered buttons that aren't "finger-friendly", and once you actually press the buttons when it comes time to configure the remote to your home theater setup, you'll find the usual list of codes that make remote setup's a pain in the ass.
Once it is all setup it does have some useful features such as a learning mode that remembers button sequences for certain tasks you may perform and you can also program the remote to perform multiple button tasks with one button push. The problem is, devices such as the Logitech Harmony One are much easier to setup, better designed and, perhaps most importantly, cheaper. In fact, PC Mag says the Harmony One still reigns as the ultimate remote. Time for a name change ESPN.
Steve Moore, a London-based installer, has come up with a reasonably low-cost way to turn an iPhone into a universal remote. Using an application called AirRemote, which will be available via Apple's App Store after July 11 for $99, and a Global Cache communications box ($120-$150) that converts the iPhone's IP commands into infrared signals that can be read by home theater products, the iPhone remote is the latest iPhone hack lending itself to home automation. The setup will also work with the iPod Touch, a slightly more expensive route given the media players $299 price tag. The AirRemote application also enables the iPhone to control AMX or Crestron home automation systems, letting you control pretty well any home electronic system from the iPhone. Moore says support for more devices is on the way, so keep your eyes peeled for this one.
Whistle And Find Remote Control Finder: Featuring A Whistle You're Guaranteed To Lose
Television remote controls fall into the same class as car keys, your wallet or purse, and cell phone. That class being known as perpetually missing. That's where the Whistle And Find Remote Control Finder comes in. All's you do is attach a "caddy" to your remote that flashes and beeps when it goes missing...when you blow a special whistle. Trouble is the whistle is tiny, much tinier than the remote. Too bad you can't use the remote to find the whistle.
Save Home Theater Energy Usage With The Energy Saver Universal Remote Control
Any home theater enthusiast should know by now that all their high tech equipment sucks up a whole lot of energy. Enter one possible solution to that problem: the Energy Saver universal remote control produced by One For All. First of all the Energy Saver remote allows you to control all of your home theater devices from one remote, eliminating the need for confusing remote clutter. As you can can probably guess from the name, the real important feature of the Energy Saver remote is its ability to save energy used by everyone of your home theater's devices. The remote comes with a plug-in that can connect to four different devices. By routing electricity through the plug-in a device that typically consumers 9.7 Watts per hours would only consumer 0.9 Watts. And when your home theater isn't actually running most devices will still consumer about 1.5 Watts per hour. A special "Green Button" on the remote, when pressed, will cut off electrical access to the plug-in, eliminating energy usage all together. An initial investment of $80 is required to get your hands on the Energy Saver remote, but we imagine it would pay for itself in time.
ApriPoko: The Ultimate Robot Friend/Personalized Universal Remote Control
Looks like Toshiba's failure with HD DVD has spurred them into entering the remote control market, and this time it looks to be no holds barred. The 5 pound, 11-inch ApriPoko can detect infrared signals from home theater devices resulting in the android asking you, "What did you just do?". If you tell ApriPoko you just ordered an on-demand movie, it will commit the command to memory so the next time you want to do the same thing you can just tell your robot friend to do it for you. By learning about your behavior through Q&A, ApriPoko functions as the ultimate personalized universal remote. ApriPoko is still in the R&D stages but is expected to eventually be released to the consumer market.
TV Remote's Don't Need Buttons: The Origami TV Remote Brings Simplicity To The Home Theater
The Origami TV Remote Control, designed last year by Hayeon Yoo, eliminates the complications inherent in today's remote controls. Using only Max/Msp software, wireless keyboard sensors, paper, and some folding skills, the Origami TV Remote Control uses simple movements based on the popular kid's cootie catcher and is designed for kids, although most adults would probably appreciate its simplicity.
Classic Nintendo Controller Remote Helps Us Remember The Gool Ol' Days
Most of us immersed in the working world these days don't have a lot of time to play good ol' video games, although most of us probably wish we did. Those in the 25-35 age group or thereabouts probably spend a good chunk of their childhood sitting in front of their CRT TV's playing Nintendo...classic Nintendo. Now, even with your lack of time, you can at least reminisce with the Nintendo Controller Universal Remote, available from Thinkgeek.com for $12.99 and, get this, delivered to your door in a winged turtle shell! Remember Super Mario Bros.?
Game Card Remote: Poker And The Art Of Changing The Channel
Designed by Sungwoo Park, the Game Card remote uses the typical movements used in handling cards during a card game to take care of the usual remote control functions. Using a grip located in the in the center, similar to where you'd place your thumb when holding playing cards, you change the volume by sliding your thumb up and down and change the channel by sliding the top card over a notch. So simple yet so cool.
Logitech Set To Release Harmony One Remote: Available For Pre-Order For $249.99
Logitech is set to release the latest remote in the company's incredibly successful lineup of Harmony touchscreen remotes. The Logitech Harmony One features one-touch control of your entire home theater system replacing up to 15 remotes, greatly simplifying your home theater automation. It's user-friendly touchscreen display is fully colored and backlit for use in dark environments and has an integrated rechargeable battery so you'll never have to worry about dead batteries at the worst possible time, because we all know that's the way things usually work, right? Setting up the remote to integrate with your home theater is simple with online setup and a knowledge of 225, 000 devices from 5000 brands making it unlikely that you own anything the Harmony One can't work with.
The Harmony One works with most recent operating systems including Windows 2000, XP, and Vista as well as all Macintosh operating systems OS X 10.3 and later and was the winner of the Best Of Innovations award in home theater accessories at the ongoing CES 2008.
The Logitech Harmony One is available for pre-order with free shipping on Amazon for $249.99.
Okay everyone, the boss is going to be kicking my ass for this one, so this pic is up for a limited time only! After that it'll just be a link. Check out Art Lebedev's Piltius remote control, the remote with as many buttons as there are channels on a TV. While maybe not quite, but at 20 inches or a half meter long, you'll never lose this one!
Sorry Jay, you have to admit this is kinda funny! I'll change the pic to a link later! Oh, by the way, this baby runs on two AAA batteries.
You know how frustrating it is to lose your remote control. I know I do it at least once a day, always when I need it most. Designer Yuta Watanabe has found a "form over function" solution to this annoying problem. Watanabe has designed a ceramic remote based on the thinking that when something is delicate we place a higher value upon it. You'll obviously be a little bit more careful about where you place this remote as to not end up finding it in a million pieces on your next remote search. The "form over function" design has another benefit in that the remote actually looks good sitting on top of the coffee table when not in use.
Tired Of Sharing The TV? Get Your Hands On The Ninja Remote
Do you ever watch TV with someone who has a completely different taste in television content than you? Do you ever just want to get up and change the channel? Well it's time for you to have a little fun!
ThinkGeek is selling a product called a Ninja Remote. It's a small remote that you can basically hide in your pocket and when that hated show comes on, you just press mute and then take over the television. Mess with the volume, change the channel, all that kind of fun stuff. The Ninja Remote only costs $9 and works with most major brand name televisions.
Get Weather and Sport Scores on Acoustic Research's WiFi Remote
Want to get the weather and sports scores on your remote? Acoustic Research has announced a new Wi-Fi remote that can do just that. Available in October, the gadget's built-in Wi-Fi technology allows you to use your connection to get the latest weather reports, sports scores, headlines and what's playing on your favorite channels right to the color LCD display on your remote control. The ARRU449 can handle everything from your DVD player to your DVR to a satellite receiver, and it's only going to cost you $399.99.
Tired of killing your remote when you spill your coffee or try and use it in the hot tub? The universal remote from Remote Technologies Inc. is completely waterproof and has a slew of new features you'll want in your remote. The remote features RF transmissions so you won't have to be in the line of sight as you clean up that coffee spill. The bummer? It's going to set you back $500 to get it, but after you realize you've purchased 10 remotes in the past due to total spill destruction, it will be well worth it.
ESPN's Ultimate Remote Gets Reviewed-Ultimately Not So Ultimate
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