Feb 18

Verizon launches FiOS Mobile Remote app for Droid and Imagio

Posted in: Android, droid, HTC, remote, Today's Chili, verizon, Windows Mobile, WindowsMobile

Controlling your TV from your phone isn’t a new concept, but Verizon just made it a bit sexier. Verizon FiOS owners this week can nab a new FiOS Mobile Remote app for their Motorola Droid or HTC Imagio. The application emulates regular remote buttons, but also tosses in an icon-based favorites view of channels, in addition to an ability to sling photos from the phone to the big screen. The phone hooks into your FiOS box over your local WiFi, and requires you to download a widget for the set top box as well to get everything synced up. We’re not exactly sure why this is limited to the Droid and Imagio right now — we’re sure the Droid Eris could handle the workload, for instance — but Verizon does say that it’s working on making additional handsets compatible in the future. Check out a video demo of the functionality after the break.

Continue reading Verizon launches FiOS Mobile Remote app for Droid and Imagio

Verizon launches FiOS Mobile Remote app for Droid and Imagio originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Feb 2010 12:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Feb 11

New UI, tweaked hardware in store for TiVo’s March reveal?

Posted in: dvr, remote, rumors, Software, tivo, Today's Chili, ui

We already know all of you have more than a few ideas about what TiVo should or will bring to the table March 2, but an anonymous tipster claiming knowledge of recent developments in the beta program let us know what may be coming. Although it began as simple bug fixes for the Series 3 now an all new user experience is on the way that the company expects to perfect the DVR. The UI is speedy again, rising to the level of the older Series 2 but with new high res, crisp widescreen elements designed to look great on your HDTV. Other fixes that should have the faithful drooling are a capacity meter for add-on drives and Tivo Desktop enhancements including “Sling-esque” features. Naturally, add-ons like Netflix, Amazon, Blockbuster and even Facebook lead the app charge with faster and easier program access. No real details on what’s new on the hardware side, but that QWERTY remote seems to be a sure bet, we’ll be counting down the next 19 days until we know for sure.

New UI, tweaked hardware in store for TiVo’s March reveal? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Feb 2010 18:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Feb 02

IR Dongle Turns iPhone into Universal Remote

Posted in: Accessories and Peripherals, ipad, iPhone, remote, Today's Chili

l5-iphone-remote-xl

There are a gazillion apps to turn your iPhone into a remote control, and let you operate your computer, your Sonos home music system or even your DirecTV DVR. The problem is, they work over Wi-Fi, whereas your TV, stereo and DVD-players all swallow up infra-red light in order to follow your distant commands.

That changes with the little $50 L5 iPhone Remote, a dongle that plugs into the dock connector and allows you iPhone to become a proper universal remote, spitting invisible light at all manner of home electronics. It comes with a free companion application that lets you program and assign the frequencies, and you can drag and drop the button icons around the screen until you’re happy with them.

The first version, which should be shipping soon, has a significant drawback in that you need to teach it the correct signals by pointing your remote, but downloadable, pre-programmed codes will be coming in the future. On this point, the FAQ entry is pretty funny:

In testing, users designed their UI and learned the signals in about 3.5 minutes. In the same amount of time, database users were still trying to read the model numbers off the backs of their A/V devices.

The other problem is cosmetic. The remote app is ugly. That may not worry you, as this will cheaply replace all your remotes with one single device, and it will apparently also work with the iPad. And the iPhone is much less likely to be lost down the back of the sofa.

L5 iPhone Remote [L5 via Uncrate]


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Jan 06

Audiovox goes wild at CES: digiframes, camcorders, remotes, iPod sound systems

Posted in: camcorder, remote, speaker, speakers, Today's Chili

Are you ready for this? No, we mean are you ready for this? We sure hope so, ’cause Audiovox is about to drop eight new products on you here in the desert. Kicking things off is the Acoustic Research brand with two new iPod / iPhone-friendly sound systems: the ARS1i (36-watts) and ARS2i (50-watts). Both of these guys arrive with twin 2.5-inch carbon fiber woofers, two dome tweeters, AM / FM radio functionality, a bundled remote, backlit LCD, soft touch front keys and an auxiliary input jack. The latter also touts a built-in rechargeable battery and portable handle, and while it will list for $199.99 this Spring, the lesser-specced sibling will sell for $50 less.

Moving on, there’s the RC60i and RC66i iPod clock radios from RCA, with the latter running on standard alkaline batteries and designed for the on-the-go crowd. That one will sell for a penny under $100, while the AC-powered RC60i will be offered at $79.99 when they hit this Spring. Staying on the RCA beat, there’s the new line of Small Wonder pocket camcorders. The EZ4000 is a rugged, waterproof version that can capture 1080p clips onto a microSD card for $169.99 (available this Spring), while the palm-sized EZ5000 ($169.99) and EZ5100 ($199.99) look entirely more like a conventional camcorder and offer up 720p / 1080p video recording, 8 megapixel still shots, a 2.4-inch flip-out LCD and a rechargeable battery. The smaller EZ1000, EZ2000 and EZ3000 models round things out on the low end, with full specifications of these in the press release after the break.

The outfit is also introducing the DPF8100 ($129.99) and DPF8300 ($129.99) digiframes, both of which are a part of the newly created Décor series; if those are just too classy for you, there’s also a 7-inch DPF7407 ($129.99), which fits squarely in the cutely named Celebration series. Closing things out are the $39.99 RCA Voice Control Remote (which gladly listens to commands that you bark at it), a gaggle of new AR outdoor wireless speakers, a few new Jensen in-car head units and Zentral Home Command smartphone remotes. Feel free to dig in for more information on those just past the break.

Gallery: Audiovox goes wild at CES: digiframes, camcorders, remotes, iPod sound systems

Continue reading Audiovox goes wild at CES: digiframes, camcorders, remotes, iPod sound systems

Audiovox goes wild at CES: digiframes, camcorders, remotes, iPod sound systems originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Jan 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jan 04

L5 Remote turns your iPhone or iPod touch into a universal remote

Posted in: iPhone, ipod touch, IpodTouch, remote, Today's Chili
Sure, you can use Apple’s own Remote application to use your iPhone or iPod touch as a remote for your Mac, but that likely isn’t going help most folks’ with their home theaters. This new L5 Remote might be just what you’re looking for, however, and it doesn’t require a pricey dock like some other similar options. Making its official debut at CES, the L5 is a $50 IR dongle / app bundle that promises to do more or less everything that a dedicated universal remote does, and plenty of things that many of those don’t — like let you create your own customized interface. Of course, that all hinges on the thing actually working as well as a dedicated device, and we should no doubt hear more about that in the lead-up to its rollout next month.

L5 Remote turns your iPhone or iPod touch into a universal remote originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Jan 2010 17:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dec 20

Re transforms your iPhone into a universal remote (which seems like a step backwards, to be honest)

Posted in: remote, Today's Chili

OK, so we know a thing or two about the “convenience” of using your iPhone as a remote control. For instance, using it to control Boxee was alright — until we needed to make a call. Or we received a call. Not to rain on anyone’s parade, but the idea of re-purposing your phone to act as a universal remote seems a little silly. But what do we know? Maybe you hold all calls while Jersey Shore is on anyways. In that case, Re could be your next favorite gadget. This bad boy lets your handset communicate with all your AV equipment via infrared, contains an extensive database of devices, and can learn from any IR remote. If that weren’t enough, New Kinetix promises regular updates to the app — and your typical remote can’t do that! Compatible with the iPod Touch as well, there’s no word yet on a price or release date, but we’re expecting that we’ll be getting plenty more details come CES time.

Re transforms your iPhone into a universal remote (which seems like a step backwards, to be honest) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 20 Dec 2009 02:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dec 02

RedEye turns your iPhone and iPod touch into bona fide universal remote (video)

Posted in: accessories, app, Apple, AppStore, iPhone, ipod touch, IpodTouch, remote, remote control, RemoteControl, Today's Chili, video, wifi

Apple’s ‘Remote‘ application was a good start, but we’ve known for some time now that the platform was capable of far, far more. ThinkFlood is stepping up today and proving our assumptions right, as the RedEye universal remote control system effectively converts your iPhone or iPod touch into a remote for any IR-equipped component. The app itself is completely free to download, though it’s the $188 base station that really makes the magic happen; your handheld talks to said dock via WiFi, and if you’ve got an AV device, home automation system or pretty much anything that responds to IR signals, your iPhone can now control it. The setup supports multiple rooms, controllers and users simultaneously, and we’re told that it “controls a virtually unlimited number of devices and can store a virtually unlimited number of commands.” Heck, this thing even reacts to multitouch gestures and accelerometer controls. Don’t believe us? Check the vids just past the break.

Continue reading RedEye turns your iPhone and iPod touch into bona fide universal remote (video)

RedEye turns your iPhone and iPod touch into bona fide universal remote (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Dec 2009 14:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nov 18

Battery-less remote gets power from button presses, aims for production in 2011

Posted in: Japan, prototype, remote, remote control, RemoteControl, Today's Chili

You know what you’ll be doing in 2011? Everything that you’ve ever wanted, that’s what, ’cause the world as we know will unquestionably end in 2012. Amazingly enough, one of those bucket list items that you’ll be able to achieve is to change the channel on your tele without ever slipping a battery into your remote. A prototype clicker was recently shown over in Japan utilizing technologies from NEC and Soundpower; essentially, the remote turns the small vibrations from button presses into power, which it then uses to beam out signals to the nearby set. If all goes well, the two hope to have battery-less remotes shipping with televisions in just two years — a proposition that surely exasperate the likes of Duracell and Energizer (and enraptures us to no end).

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Battery-less remote gets power from button presses, aims for production in 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nov 04

Bang & Olufsen’s multifunctional BeoTime gets carefully handled

Posted in: hands-on, luxury, remote, remote control, RemoteControl, Today's Chili, Wireless

It’s rare that we get to see magic wand-shaped remote controls, and rarer still for them to have integrated alarm clocks. The Bang & Olufsen BeoTime is just that sort of exotic specimen, and its $375 touch-sensitive aluminum body has now been tested for our amusement. Being able to turn on your other B&O products by simply grabbing the remote or setting an alarm for the desired time struck positive notes, and those bite-sized displays earned praise too. With automatic backlighting, built-in accelerometer, and full channel readouts, they ensured the minimum of strain for the user (which is probably still pretty high considering they’re tiny!). There wasn’t much to complain about, but at that price point you wouldn’t expect it either. Full hands-on gallery can be found at the read link.

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Bang & Olufsen’s multifunctional BeoTime gets carefully handled originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oct 26

GlideTV Navigator gets a thorough hands-on and critiquing

Posted in: remote, remote control, RemoteControl, Today's Chili, touchpad, usb

If you’re not down with snapping up an HTPC-centric keyboard with an integrated trackpad or trackball, controlling the likes of Hulu, Boxee and ZeeVee’s Zinc TV viewer can be a real chore. Dave Zatz was able to wrap his paws around the problem-solving GlideTV Navigator, and while he deemed the actual remote trackpad “the best he’d ever used,” he couldn’t unequivocally say that this beauty was worth a buck-fifty. He also found that the remote could be used one-handed with a bit of practice, and he expressed understandable concern about this thing’s ability to stay functional as the software around it evolves. If you’ve been waffling on pulling the trigger here, you owe it to yourself to give the read link a look.

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GlideTV Navigator gets a thorough hands-on and critiquing originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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