Items tagged with Remote
Universal remotes were all the rage for some time, but these days, it's clear that the phones most of us already carry are fully equipped to handle remote duties. Logitech has announced the Harmony Ultimate Hub, an "appcessory" that fully converts your phone into a remote. And it'll soon be available as a standalone purchase. As you may know, the Harmony Hub is included with the Logitech Harmony Ultimate and Logitech Harmony Smart Control, but with the standalone unit, everyone in the house will be able to download the free Harmony Smartphone App, and turn their smartphone into a personal universal remote. Using only your smartphone, you can control up to eight home theater devices, and swipe...
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It seems like everyone is toting a smartphone these days, even teens. According to recent data by Gartner, smartphone sales were through the roof in the fourth quarter of 2012 with a record 207.7 million units sold, up more than 38 percent year-over-year. Meanwhile, feature phone sales are on the decline, having dropped 19.3 percent year-over-year in the same quarter. That wouldn't be the case if people were just using these devices to place calls, but smartphones are capable of so much more. That might be bad news for the remote control industry. William Webb, a writer for U.K.'s The Independent, believes that by the year 2025 smartphones will have evolved into a device that guides you through...
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Logitech has dedicated itself to developing one remote to rule them all, as it were, and today the company announced its latest effort, the Logitech Harmony Remote. The device’s premiere feature is the touchscreen nesting in the middle of the remote. Using the bright, 2.4-inch screen, you can add and scroll through up to 50 saved favorite channels (with customizable icons), bring up a number pad, set and sort various activities, and more. Logitech also shrunk the whole unit a bit from the last generation, making it a bit more ergonomical and leaving just the button people use the most. For those who already use the Logitech Harmony One remote, you can easily keep your settings and transfer...
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Some things are just so simple, it's wonderful. There isn't a whole lot to Satechi's new remote, but it's incredibly useful for those that rely on mobile devices. The company's new BT Media Remote for iPhone, iPad and & Bluetooth Devices is now available, enabling users to control any iOS Bluetooth Device while connected to a TV, dock station or car stereo. It's not only a multimedia companion for iPhone or iPad, but it's also useful for controlling output while in a car or on the couch. Take it from the company: "The BT Media Remote features multimedia control which allows users to control the playback of any music or video on the iPhone or iPad. The convenient Satechi BT Media Remote has...
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Remote access? You got it. LogMeIn just unveiled a free mobile app to bring its signature remote desktop capabilities to even more iPads and iPhones. Featuring the same remote access experience that made LogMeIn Ignition the top grossing 3rd party iPad app of 2010, the new app lets any iOS owner remotely view, access and control their PCs or Macs from their iPad or iPhone. It works with LogMeIn's flagship free remote access offering, LogMeIn Free, giving iOS users unlimited free mobile access to their remote computers, anywhere with an internet connection. Building on the success of its highly popular mobile app, LogMeIn Ignition, the new LogMeIn for iPad/iPhone app is the latest move by LogMeIn...
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See that? That's not the new Easy Button. That's the Android-friendly Beacon, a universal remote control system that transforms Android phones and tablets into "never-lose remotes" for home entertainment centers. Griffin is teaming up with Dijit Media, a San Francisco-based software company whose Universal Remote and TV Show Guide App software integrates consumers’ media viewing experience with their smart devices. The two are pushing out the Beacon Universal Remote Control System. The wireless AV controller pairs with Android devices via Bluetooth and works with Dijit’s free Universal Remote App enabling complete control over the entire home entertainment system directly from the...
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Looks like Lenovo's toying with new ways to get you typing. The company has just introduced the new N5902. That's not telling you much, but the photo below just might. It's a unique, portable keyboard, but it's actually much more than just that. It's a "multimedia remote," complete with L/R click buttons, a keyboard and even a trackball mouse cursor pad so you can actually move a cursor on-screen if you're connected to an HTPC. This is actually an update to an earlier model, but the matte finish on this one is way more understated that the unit it replaces. There's even backlit keys now, which makes loads of sense for those who want to use this as a HTPC remote with the lights down low. For movies,...
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There's the Apple remote, the Roku remote, and just because you need another remote in your life, the Boxee Remote. As with the Boxee Box, this device is actually built by D-Link, featuring a two-sided design, a full QWERTY keyboard on the rear and seamless integration with the Boxee software. It's compatible with both PC and Mac platforms, and it's primarily aimed at those who have computers hooked to HDTVs in an effort of creating their own HTPC. The keyboard on the rear is a real stand-out feature; some of Samsung's newer televisions ship with a QWERTY-infused remote, but it's still a practice that isn't used nearly enough. At $49.99, it's certainly not inexpensive enough to buy as an afterthought,...
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Talk about a strange way to introduce a product. We're all about health and hygiene, but health and consumer electronics don't often go together without an infomercial being involved. However, DirecTV's latest offering combines the two quite interestingly, and those who travel often will no doubt appreciate the gesture. The company's Residential Experience for Hotels offers more than just 100+ HD channels. It also provides the first anti-microbial remote designed specifically for DirecTV for use in the lodging industry. The world's largest pay-TV company is looking to seriously upgrade TV service within hotels, expand the HD offerings and bring along -- yes -- a sanitized remote. The Residential...
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You may have forgotten about Google TV. We can't really blame you, nor can we say that Google TV has really been able to gain traction in the market. Google has shown a willingness to push things out into the market without actually knowing how it'll turn out; Android has taken off and become a huge success, while things like Buzz, Wave and Google TV have faltered. That said, GTV is still around in some fashion, and some folks are definitely still using it. And if you're one of those people, this new development is for you. Early on, Google released an Android application that enabled one's phone to be used as a Google TV remote control, but the millions of iPhone users wondering if they would...
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If there's a trend that's really on a roll in 2011, and it's one we're definitely into. The idea of having 20 remotes to handle everything that goes on in the living room is a tired one, and one that isn't really necessary now that smartphones are taking over. Comcast's Xfinity TV app has just made the shift to Android; prior to this, it was only available on iOS. This new release makes it available to an even broader audience, and it's free to Comcast digital TV subscribers. The app allows them to search and instantly find what to watch among thousands of choices -- including top movies and premium cable shows -- on TV, On Demand, online or on a smartphone. Since the iOS release, the app has...
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The future of the television remote should be an interesting one to pay attention to. For years now, consumers have relied on basically the same type of TV controller: a long, button-filled remote that changes channels, adjusts the volume and switch inputs. But with more digital content finding its way onto the TV (think Google TV), the remote is in need of an overhaul. For starters, there needs to be an easier way to input text for searching. A standard remote has just 0-9 keys, but no effective way to input letters and symbols. Also, with Netflix and other connected content, the TV is becoming more like a computer and less like a dumb box that simply serves to deliver channels from an operator....
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The PlayStation 3 has always been seen as a pretty great media/entertainment center. It plays Blu-ray, streams Netflix, and even handles gaming. But one of the major drawbacks in the eyes of hardcore home theater buffs is that it uses a Bluetooth protocol for its remote instead of IR. Most home cinemas with universal remotes talk to components via IR, but if you use the PS3, there's always a need for another remote. So where are all the good Bluetooth remotes? Sunflex has an interesting new one at CES this week, with the Snakebyte Premium Bluetooth remote making its debut. It uses both Bluetooth and the standard Infrared technologies, and it can control your PS3 as well as up to give other A/V...
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Logitech, you're on your own now. Philips, which has been a major competitor in the home theater space for years, has just shut down a prominent part of that division: Pronto. Any home cinema buff would be familiar with that name, as that's the name of the company's universal remote control line. It was widely viewed as the main rival to Logitech's Harmony remote line, and with Pronto gone, there's a huge gap in that sector that now needs filled. Insiders would know that Philips has actually been struggling to find a buyer for the Pronto remote line since 2009. They haven't been successful in the search, so they're simply shutting it down and saying that Pronto "no longer fits with the Philips...
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