What to do when Apple's abandoned its remote app and you don't want to gum up your dock connector with an adapter? Well, UnityRemote's a great start: an infrared hub that turns iPhones and iPads into a 360-degree universal remote.

Home automation is expensive and complicated, but universal remotes are easy. The IR-Remote Control Power Strip lets you use universal remotes on any electronics, blinking lamps and speakers on and off with lazy precision.