Hasta La Gadget!

Today Windows Phone 8 grabs the cross-platform app by the name of Splashtop, specifically the edition called “Splashtop 2″ for remote PC control. What you’ll be doing with this app – and what Android and iOS users have been doing for some time now – is gaining a live, interactive mirror of your PC’s screen on your smartphone. While features for this app are limited in comparison with the Android and iPhone iterations, this release is certainly a good start.

Before the release of Splashtop 2 for Windows Phone 8, there were a few less-than-perfect alternatives on the market. The importance of this release once again marks the slow-but-steady rise of the Windows Phone Marketplace for apps, and the continued (but again, slow), rise in popularity of the operating system itself.

With Splashtop 2 you’ll need the app Splashtop Streamer running on your Mac or Windows computer, both apps being entirely free so long as you’re working within your own local network. This means that both your smartphone and your PC are connected to the same wifi network. If you want to control your computer from your Windows Phone 8 device with mobile data – out of your home – you’ll have to pay a bit of a fee.

At $1.99 USD a month, control from anywhere you can access data is allowed. Functionality includes the ability to touch the display as you would on a touchscreen monitor, typing on a pop-up keyboard, and clicking with a virtual mouse.

This is just the beginning for development on this app for Windows Phone 8, we must assume: there’s still a lot the team will be able to add given the abilities of the Android and iOS apps on the market today. We’re waiting for Gamepad action, specifically: go for it!

Splashtop 2 released for Windows Phone 8: remote PC access at last is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Any of you remember the cartoon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? I certainly looked forward to that show during my weekends back when I was a wee lad, and I do follow the current rendered version of the four turtles now, […]

Like It , +1 , Tweet It , Pin It Original content from Ubergizmo.

Ever heard of SMK-Link Electronics Corporation before? Well, this subsidiary of SMK Electronics so happens to be one of the largest manufacturers of OEM remote controls in the world, and they have something which you might enjoy – especially if you are one who deals with plenty of corporate presentations all the time, coming in the form of the Universal Projector Remote Control. Specially designed to seamlessly replace lost or damaged projector remotes, the Universal Projector Remote Control can be yours for a mere $29.99, but that is not the end of the story, especially since customization options and quantity discounts will also be made available for resellers and original equipment manufacturers should one decide to order in bulk.

John Blair, General Manager of Branded Products for SMK-Link, said, “Drawing on SMK Electronics’ vast experience designing and manufacturing original equipment remote controls, SMK-Link has created the world’s first Universal Projector Remote Control. A one-stop replacement solution for lost or damaged projector remotes, the Universal Projector Remote Control allows IT managers to standardize on a single product as a replacement remote for all of their various projector makes and models.

The Universal Projector Remote packs an extensive code library that will cater for both new and older model projection systems, where it works even better thanks to its learning capabilities and unconditional 30 day money back guarantee. SMK-Link’s Universal Projector Remote Control will play nice with the entire range of popular projector makes and models, where among them include those from 3M, BenQ, Boxlight, Canon, Casio, Christie, Dell, Dukane, Eiki, Epson, Hitachi, HP, InFocus, JVC, Mitsubishi, NEC, Optoma, Panasonic, Phillips, Pioneer, Polaroid, Polyvision, Samsung, Sanyo, Sharp, Smart, Sony, Toshiba, Vidikron, and Viewsonic among others. It is capable of learning from current remote controls, and boasts of controls for advanced projector functions including “Aspect” and “Keystone”. Since it relies on non-volatile memory storage, you need not fret about it “forgetting” all the commands it carries beforehand.

Press Release
[ Universal Projector Remote Control copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

On second thought, I guess it still might be possible to let this chunky remote control slip between the couch cushions, but it certainly wouldn’t be very comfortable if you sat on it. What you’re looking at here is a hacked together remote control that started its life as a cheap universal remote control.

Modder Bigape decided he had enough of cheap plastic remotes which wear out all of the time, and built this heavy-duty remote to replace his parents’ old broken Sony TV remote. He Frankensteined together the electronic components of the universal remote with the a sturdy industrial case designed to control construction equipment.

Since he wanted the remote to control channels, volume and power, he had to add a couple of additional buttons into the case as well. In true MacGyver fashion, he built the caps for the volume buttons from retractable ball-point pen parts. The large red power switch actually was made from the button from an a light bulb socket, a sweater button and an old spring switch. The giant orb that holds the large IR diode is actually the cap from an old bottle of perfume if you can believe it.

Want to build your own industrial-strength remote control? You can find a similar control box over on eBay, and then check out the full build log over on Instructables.

Shouting at your TV will soon have more of an impact than just raising your blood pressure, with news that DirecTV expects to update its smartphone remote app with voice-control this summer. Capable of searching through live TV and on-demand content, and – like Apple’s Siri – recognizing natural language rather than requiring the viewer memorize specific controls, CNET reports, the functionality will not only allow you to chatter to your DirecTV box in the living room, but remotely command it while out and about.

DirecTV’s existing apps – for iOS and Android – are both in line for the update, which is due to come down the line sometime over the summer. They will also retain the existing placeshifting-style streaming abilities, which already allows viewers to view searched-for shows either on their phone or the TV, or indeed to browse search results on the TV screen using the app as a touchpad for navigation.

The difference, however, will be in how those search terms are entered. Rather than an on-screen keyboard, DirecTV will accept natural spoken queries – the company apparently demonstrated things like “search for comedies with Adam Sandler” in addition to requests for recent sports games by team – in addition to filtering with channel, actor, genre, and time.

One possible addition to what DirecTV is referring to as “open beta” functionality is room for promotional content. The updated app features speech bubbles which, by default, make suggestions as to possible searches subscribers might want to make. However, DirecTV has confirmed that the same UI is being considered for including adverts, presumably including pay-per-view movies and other on-demand content.

Speaking to a TV rather than navigating with a remote is something several manufacturers are trying to perfect, though the results have been mixed so far. Several models from Samsung and LG’s ranges include the functionality, with microphones integrated into the remote controls, while Apple’s long-rumored Apple Television has been tipped to use Siri for its control system.

DirecTV channels Siri-style speech for smartphone controller is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.