Back at CES, Panasonic was demoing a brilliant touchpad remote control—but I didn't spot it until my way out. Luckily, Elan has designed something very similar and posted this clip.

In fact, Elan's Smart Remote is so close to what I remember seeing that it might be the same hardware.

Regardless, what's brilliant about the remote is/was not only the laptop-like touchpad allowing for a new level of universal functionality, but its smartphone-like ability to orient function based upon portrait or landscape positioning. In other words, when you hold the remote like a remote, it acts as a remote. When you turn the remote like a game controller, it acts as a game controller. (Onscreen diagrams keep your head straight.)

Now if only Elantec would sell this thing. [via Engadget]

Send an email to Mark Wilson, the author of this post, at mark@gizmodo.com.