Hasta La Gadget!

I’ve had a Harmony 800 remote control since long before Logitech acquired them several years back. It’s a great device, thanks to its easy web-based programming, massive device library, and activity-based commands. But the interface and product design has always felt a little dated to me. Logitech hopes to change things up a bit with their latest remote, the Harmony Touch.

This new remote has a 2.4″ capacitive touchscreen interface that’s reminiscent of the one you might find on your smartphone, complete with thumb-sized icons. The cool thing is that you use simple swipe gestures to move between activity screens and to scroll through your list of channels. It will also support swipe gestures for things like fast-forward and rewind of video content.

Sure, there’s already a Logitech Harmony app and Link device for the iPhone and iPad, it’s really hard to use a remote without some physical buttons. I much prefer the design of a remote with hard buttons – especially for navigating menus and changing volume in the dark. The Harmony Touch has ample tactile inputs, including dedicated playback, volume, channel and D-pad controls among others. As with other Harmony remotes, the Harmony Touch includes a rechargeable battery and a docking station included.

All told, the Harmony Touch can control up to 15 individual devices out of a library of over 225,000. I’m not sure if it can learn from other devices, but based on past Harmony remotes, I’d guess it can. That said, it only appears to support IR devices and not RF.

The Harmony Touch will be released this month for $249(USD). That’s a bit more expensive than I was hoping – I really wanted this thing to be $149 to $199 – but it still looks like a worthwhile upgrade for old Harmony remotes. Some have but apparently some have already popped up at Best Buy, so they’re already in the supply chain. For now, keep your eye out on the Logitech Harmony website for more details, or pop by your local Best Buy to see if any are out on the shelf.

Now that the revamped Netflix interface has hit phones and tablets for both Apple and Android powered hardware, the service has quietly enabled something else: second screen remote control. Currently the feature is only known to work on the PlayStation 3 with a mobile device on the same local network, once the two apps are running you can browse as normal on your phone or tablet and when you go to play a movie or TV show it asks you to choose where it will play. While the video is playing you can stop, pause or seek through it to a certain point, change the audio or subtitles, choose a different episode or even browse for something entirely different without stopping the action. The YouTube app on PS3 works in a similar fashion after its most recent update. We’ve got a few screens of the mobile apps at work in the gallery, check after the break for a quick video of it working.

Continue reading Netflix iOS and Android apps have a remote control easter egg for PS3 owners

Filed under: Cellphones, Gaming, Home Entertainment, Tablets, HD

Netflix iOS and Android apps have a remote control easter egg for PS3 owners originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Sep 2012 19:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A new open-source Bluetooth gaming controller with full QWERTY, from the team that delivered the iControlPad for iPhone and iPod touch, has hit Kickstarter in search of $150,000. iControlPad 2 will run open-source firmware and include dual-analog controls and support not only for Apple’s mobile devices, but Android phones and tablets, Google TV set-top boxes, and other hardware.

It’s fair bristling with buttons and sticks, too, keeping even the most frantic gaming fingers occupied. As well as the analog sticks there’s a D-pad and the usual cluster of four buttons, a 5-row keyboard – with the sticks sandwiched in-between rows one and two – start/select, and two shoulder buttons, though the iControlPad 2 team says the layout isn’t quite final and could still be changed base on gamer feedback.

Attaching to whatever mobile device you want to use the iControlPad 2 with uses a swivel-holder, that can flip around the back of the phone in case you need to suddenly take a call. Inside there’s a battery good for 12-14 hours of runtime.

It’ll work with your PC or Mac, too, and the firmware is open-source so that you can hack it about if you don’t have support for a specific device. Pledging is open from today, with a minimum pledge of $69 getting you a unit when it begins shipping; that’s expected to happen in time for the holidays.

iControlPad 2 takes iPhone & Android game control open-source is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

So you think that you have the spiffiest universal remote control at home? You might be correct with that, but perhaps the $99.95 Sonic Screwdriver Programmable TV Remote would take the hat of being the coolest remote control instead. After all, Dr. Who fans would definitely fall in love with it, where you are able to control your terrestrial TV with this uniquely tiny device, controlling it just like the good doctor himself.

Since the Nintendo WIi introduced motion-based gaming, the Sonic Screwdriver Programmable TV Remote would be yet another device that introduces another model to the gesture-based universal remote control family. It looks just like the real deal, hand-polished, copper-plated and all, sporting die cast metal construction that definitely adds more than just a dash of class. You can be your own Time Lord, although the only time you would be wasting away would be if you were to watch TV shows all day long. The Sonic Screwdriver Programmable TV Remote is powered by a couple of AAA batteries.

[ Sonic Screwdriver Programmable TV Remote copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Hackable toys are nothing new, but there’s something appealing about pulling a ‘bot out of your pocket and remote-controlling it from your smartphone. I’m sure that some of the flying mini drones would also fit the bill, but the BERO (Be The Robot) looks pretty cool too.

The BERO ‘bot is a 4″ tall robot that can be controlled via your smartphone, to which it will pair using Bluetooth. The app that will control the ‘bot will be open-source, so you will probably end up being able to do all sorts of crazy things with your diminutive robot. It comes with a multi-motor, microchip, on-board flash memory, speakers, and an SD card slot. There’s a higher end model that has some pretty flashy designs and will be able to perform more movements, as well as having LED lights that can light up to the beat of music.

The BERO ‘bot was launched on Kickstarter, and at the time of writing, it had amassed a total of $18,000 out of a goal of $38,900 with 30 days of funding left. It will almost certainly be made if it stays on its current pace. You’ll have to pledge $79 for the BERO Bluetooth edition, but the more sophisticated versions range from $109 to $189, depending on the design.