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Posts Tagged “

Remotes

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concepts

Twist and Squeeze Remote Concept Requires Two Hands

Jason Kline's gesture-based remote looks cool, but might not be practical for everyday usage. You adjust the volume with the left knob and the channel with the right, but there's no place to enter in buttons. It does allow you to keep going with the knob turning concept of old time TVs while still allowing you to be lazy on the couch. Not that we'd ever use it, but it might be a decent concept for octogenarians who still miss the old days. [Yanko Design]

6:43 PM on Wed Jul 2 2008
By Jason Chen
2,525 views, 12 comments

Latest by SgtMac02: @Dynasty: I do believe that is actual size, but the picture is deceiving. It's a practice in the art of perspective. It looks like its' slightly smaller than your average volleyball, but look at it's size in relation to the more »

home entertainment

How "Ultimate" is ESPN's Ultimate Remote? (Verdict: Not So Ultimate )

Last month ESPN unveiled a remote that they dubbed "The Ultimate." But here is the thing—if you are going to be bold enough to make a claim like that right in the name of the product, you had damn well better be able to back it up. Unfortunately, PC Magazine believes that the device falls well short of expectations. More »

4:00 PM on Thu Jun 19 2008
By Sean Fallon
5,401 views, 24 comments

home entertainment

The SMK Television Remote is Funky and Battery Free

Sure it looks weird, but this little prototype remote from SMK operates without the use of battery power. Like similar flashlight-type devices, this remote uses a electromagnetic induction coil to generate electricity when the user pulls the trigger. Pulling the trigger once will change channels, two pulls will turn the TV on or off, and the volume can be controlled by pulling the trigger and pushing a separate button at the same time. Personally, I'm going to need a little more features built into this thing before I decide to make the switch, but eco-friendly types with weak grips may find it to be of some use. [Fareastgizmos]

6:20 PM on Thu Jun 5 2008
By Sean Fallon
2,862 views, 13 comments

Latest by Worf: The first remote control didn't use batteries either - or have we forgotten Giz's retro remote coverage? It used ultrasound to accomplish channel changing, and the buttons just controlled hammers that generated the sound on aluminum tuning forks. more »

home entertainment

Is ESPN's Remote Truly "The Ultimate?"

ESPN is making a bid for your Father's Day gift-giving dollar with their new "Ultimate Remote." So what kind of features have made ESPN cocky enough to refer to it as the be-all-and-end-all of universal remotes? For starters, it can manage your "home theater components, set top boxes and IP equipment with intuitive "location-free" setup and one-handed operation, using a standard wireless connection." More »

6:00 PM on Tue May 20 2008
By Sean Fallon
6,721 views, 27 comments

Latest by ChrisH027: @robinandtami: On another note--there are some IR recievers you could plug into your PS3 that will work with our remotes! more »

gadgets

Harmony Universal Remotes Get Unofficial Linux Support

If you absolutely refuse to let either a Mac or Windows inside your Penguin home, but still want to use a Logitech Harmony universal remote, there are now two solutions for you. The first is Concordance, a cross-platform application that runs on Linux to let you program your remotes without having to run any icky, icky corporate-backed operating system. The second is to get some therapy, because being so adamant about absolutely not using Windows or OS X even for 10 minutes to program a remote is probably signs of deeper problems. [Phil Dev via Hackaday]

1:40 PM on Mon May 5 2008
By Jason Chen
1,635 views, 7 comments

Latest by n/a: Or you could just set up an IP remote that anyone with a wifi device can use to control the htpc. That way my N810 and my partner's iPhone can both do the job without worrying over OS. Only catch more »

question of the day

Question of the Day: Hotel Porn Or Bring-It-Yourself Porn?

Today's Gizmodo writers' conversation inevitably turned, as it always does, toward pornography. Jesus brought up the very interesting observation that in this day and age, with iPods and portable media players and laptops and portable hard drives, what kind of person still orders hotel porn? It's expensive, slightly embarrassing ("Ma'am, I have never even heard of Dirt Pipe Milkshakes"), and unhygienic (think of who touched those remotes before you). So we pose the question to you, our faithful readers. Do you enjoy hotel porn, or do you bring a sack lunch? More »

8:00 PM on Mon Apr 28 2008
By Jason Chen
31,604 views, 97 comments

Latest by emdy: @FreemanGman: Also, calling me a "pretentious fat pig" and then asking me to be respectful seems hypocritical. If you meant to say that my statement makes it seem that all non-Asian guys with Asian girls have Asian fetishes, and that more »

concepts

Button Remote: A Neat Controller On Your Shirt

I like this concept of a stylish remote control that clasps over the button on a piece of clothing. The idea doesn't account for the rise of this little invention called the zipper. But it appeals to me for the subtlety of integration with clothing, and well, because I like to fiddle with buttons. Always have. [Yanko]

7:22 PM on Fri Apr 18 2008
By Jason Chen
2,802 views, 17 comments

Latest by Worf: I was thinking more of the CES Gizmodo pranking with this little gadget... more »

question of the day

Question of the Day: How Many Remotes Do You Have?

There is no question that having a bunch of separate remotes is downright annoying, but it seems to be the norm in most households. In fact, I would be willing to bet that the vast majority of Americans have at least 2 or 3 remotes lying on their coffee table at this very moment. But let's open this question up a bit and expand it to the entire house. Not including game controllers, how many remotes to you have in your home? More »

6:20 PM on Thu Apr 10 2008
By Sean Fallon
14,699 views, 142 comments

Latest by n/a: 1 Logitech Harmony 890PRO. All I'll ever need. more »

gadgets

Pocket Pillow Holds Remotes, Jabs Sides

Why this TV pocket pillow decided to use the remote of a crappy Comcast/Motorola DVR box as their illustration of a remote is beyond me, but the idea is actually quite useful. It's a pillow with a pocket designed for you to shove your remote into when you're not using it. There are quite a few problems with it, such as the fact that if you're not disciplined enough to put a remote on the coffee table when you're done using it, you probably won't put it into the pillow either. But hey, we won't tell you how to spend your $116. [Uncommon Goods via Nerd Approved]

4:00 PM on Mon Mar 17 2008
By Jason Chen
1,592 views, 11 comments

Latest by n/a: We bought some nice khaki colored foot rest squares from Target for $20 with pockets in the side of them. 100x more useful for 1/6 the price. more »

false alarm

Drunk Aussie Threatens to Blow Up City With TV Remote

A 57-year-old man was sentenced to a year's probation for threatening to blow up Brisbane, Australia with his TV remote. Geoffrey Fryatt's drunken stunt prompted Australia to declare a state of emergency in the city, send in paramilitary police to pelt Fryatt with rubber bullets and arrest him. Fryatt expressed concerns that probation would interfere with his trip overseas to do humanitarian aid work. Hmmm, a bit ironic? [Reuters]

7:30 PM on Thu Feb 7 2008
By Adrian Covert
3,240 views, 36 comments

gadget

A Playing Card Concept Remote

This remote control design is inspired by a deck of playing cards, with two card-shaped halves that slide in different directions. By gripping it and sliding it up and down you can change your TV's volume, and a twisting gesture changes channels or tracks on your DVD. Designer Sungwoo Park has gone for clean white curves and minimalist control option, and I like its tactile slide design as an antidote for all the touchpad/screen action going on at the moment. [Yanko design]

6:13 AM on Tue Jan 22 2008
By Kit Eaton
2,864 views, 6 comments

Latest by deusdiabolus: If it goes to production, I hope they get Ricky Jay to do promotion. more »

news

IR Hacks: Some Perspective

While much of the internet may be up in arms over Richard Blakeley's recent IR-induced video stunt, a 14-year-old boy from Poland allegedly took an IR hack to more tragic proportions this week, and has been accused of hacking a standard TV remote to override track switching at rail junctions in the city of Lodz. Four trams were derailed and (luckily) only 12 people were injured with none killed. The youth in question was described by teachers as an "electronics buff and exemplary student," according to The Register.

The lesson? From here on out, Blakeley takes a cab. And he stays the fuck away from our train set. [theregister via boingboing] [image]

3:00 PM on Sat Jan 12 2008
By Mark Wilson
20,544 views, 60 comments

Latest by Subterfuge: Unbelievable. Most of the world is hungry while some people here are whining about TV sets. I would have less respect for Gizmodo if they did apologize. Let's recap:Someone used a remote control to turn off some TVs at an overrated more »

ces 2008

Logitech Harmony One IR Remote Is Easy-Grip Capacitive-Touch Couch Buddy

Logitech's first new universal remote in a year, the $250 Harmony One, marries the sleek handheld grippiness of its skinnier Harmony models with the power of its $500 bad-ass, the Harmony 1000.
The Goods: The capacitive-touch 2.2" color screen is designed to respond quickly and accurately to your taps, while the ergonomically set tactile buttons should meet your general needs without you having to look down from your show. Like its predecessors, it uses an online database of 225,000 products to set up without any annoying codes to punch in.
The Catch: It's got a rechargeable battery, which is good for organized folks but bad for forgetful types. Also, PS3s and other new products can't be controlled with IR remotes, making the "universal" term less accurate. Oh, and we're already getting sick of this whole "One" naming scheme.
More »

4:00 PM on Sat Jan 5 2008
By Wilson Rothman
15,382 views, 28 comments

Latest by n/a: Nyko Blu-Wave Follow-UpI recieved my Nyko Blu-Wave from amazon tuesday. It plugs into one of the 4 USB ports on the front of the PS3. The Harmony database already has the codes so set-up was pretty quick. The only hang-up more »

deals

Dealzmodo: Logitech Harmony 550 $70

Tiger Direct has the Logitech Harmony 550 universal remote control for a cheap $69.99. We've got one of these ourselves, so we can safely say that it's the most cost- and time-effective way to control your entertainment system if you've got a bunch of devices. The best part is probably "activities," which turns on and off different units in tandem according to activities you set like "watching TV" or "watching DVDs." [Tiger Direct via Dealhack via Boing Boing Gadgets] More »

2:50 PM on Thu Dec 13 2007
By Jason Chen
8,924 views, 24 comments

Latest by dotScott: It's a nice looking remote but if you have fingers the size of a normal adult you may have trouble with the buttons. Particularly the number pad. Also, the throw length on the buttons is also a little more »

design

Ceramic Remote Solves One Problem, Creates Others

Designer Yuta Watanabe's motivation in creating a ceramic concept TV remote was the disdain we usually show our little infrared friends, tossing them around, losing them in seat cushions, leaving them in another room. If the remote was an objet rather than a mere object, we might not be so rough on it. Yes? I say no. I give it a week—maybe two—in this house. But it sure is pretty to look at. [Yanko Design]

9:24 AM on Fri Oct 12 2007
By Wilson Rothman
1,643 views, 18 comments

Latest by Nekoincardine: This seems to me to be a bit of a Chindogu. It 'solves' the problem of remotes being just objects, thus thrown stuffed in couches and otherwise treated like junk.... By making it shaped kind of like a discus, meaning more »

displays

JVC Introduces The Clapper TV

viiiA.jpgIn addition to their mean-looking 180Hz LCD, JVC has introduced another display technology in progress at this year's CEATEC. Specifically, it's a TV that responds to claps and gestures, or "handclap & gesture recognition TV" as it's officially labeled. Here's a little channel surfing scenario to demonstrate: More »

5:25 PM on Sun Oct 7 2007
By Mark Wilson
5,201 views, 14 comments

Harmony 880, kick-ass universal remote available for $119.99 (plus shipping) at Dell, or $128.48 at Amazon with free shipping.

3 comments

it's alive

ControlThink's Vista SideShow and Z-Wave Home Theater/Automation Remote

The Vista feature you pretty much forgot about is back: ControlThink's got a new remote control platform for Windows Media Center and other devices called ThinkRemote that leverages Vista's oft-touted-but-rarely used SideShow. That's right, you can get SideShow information and gadgets anywhere in your house since the platform uses the Z-Wave flavor of wireless for communication for home automation tricks like turning lightbulbs on and off. Logitech's big remote was supposed to do this last year, but it failed to, um, work as promised. So is this the first? Maybe. More »

1:30 PM on Tue Sep 11 2007
By Matt Buchanan
3,192 views, 7 comments

Latest by apeguero: Now that's a mans remote, baby! Yeah! Bring it on! more »

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