Items Tagged With remotes

Did you know you can turn your iOS or Android device into remote control for your LG CINEMA 3D Smart TV?  Just search for the free “LG Remote App”.  You'll need to pair the app with your LG TV. As long as your smart phone and smart TV are connected to your home Wi-Fi network, this is a snap. After you launch the LG TV Remote App, it will automatically scan for your TV. Once it finds it, just tap “connect” and watch the TV for a code to appear. Plug that in, and you’re good to go...

Here's an interesting little video from the guys at Savant showing off their novel take on a universal remote.  The 'Select' is a hardware device that you dock with an iPod Touch to create the worlds only multi-touch, retina display, home automation remote control.  Check out the video after the jump...

Here's a two-part video demo showing an OpenRemote setup controlling a Z-Wave home automation system - "In this video, Marcus Redeker shows OpenRemote controller with an iPhone user interface controlling Z-Wave enabled hardware -- door sensor, light and dimmer and a motion sensor.  The Z-Wave hardware is controlled via an IP-to-ZWave gateway from HomeScenario.  OpenRemote helps installers integrate various protocols and devices including popular home automation protocols such as KNX, Lutron, Insteon, X10, Z-Wave, GlobalCache and 1-Wire."  Check out the 2 videos below...

Marmitek has revealed the new Invisible Control 6! infrared repeater/extender. You can use it to control up to 6 A/V devices in a closed cabinet and it is suitable for new IR code formats (like RC-MM) that are used in BT Vision, Freesat, Freeview, Sky TV and Virgin boxes.  The system also includes built in IR filtering so it can be used with Plasma, LCD and LED TVs without the normal interference problems.  The unit is available now For around £60...

VooMote have announced another hardware addon that turns iOS devices into universal remote controls.  The new 'Zapper', due to launch this month, combines a remote and a TV Guide functionality which they say will transform your iDevice into a 'digital hub'...

Back in April ThinkFlood announced the RedEye Pro, their new 1U rackmount, Linux powered whole house IP / IR remote solution.  Now Volutone have put together this video tour of the unit in operation.  The system works with iOS devices, Android, PCs etc converting IP to IR and RS232 allowing you to control your home's AV, lighting music etc...

Many of us control our Sky box from other rooms in the house using an IR emitter stuck on the front of the unit.  These can become detach, either through time or little prying finger.  Now for under £20 you can ensure perfect transmission of your IR commands every time and clean up the look of the front of than new 1TB Sky+HD box you just bought...

The idea of creating a battery with a built in RF transmitter to convert your IR remote to something that would work through walls has been around since 2004.  Now NexGen have announced two new systems that work up to 40 metres away from your equipment.  The Xray Remote Extender (£59) and the enhanced Genius Remote Extender (£69) that will operate multiple Sky boxes individually for example.  Check out the full PR details and video after the jump...

We just got an email from the guys over at ThinkFlood as they have announced a beta of their RedEye remote control product for Android.  Read on for the details of the free application that allows you to control your home in conjunction with their hardware...

If you were looking for a global player powerful enough to enter the Home Automation space and finally create a universal standard I guess Google may be near the top of your list.  Earlier today at Google's I/O 2011 event, the search behemoth announce a new framework for smart home applications called 'Android @ Home'...

1remote for Kaleidescape is a new iPhone and iPad remote control application for Kaleidescape Entertainment Systems that gives you full movie and music control. You are also able to check out your media collection away from home which can be handy when shopping for new films or albums. It can also be integrated with 3rd party home automation systems such as AMX or Crestron for full AV control...

ThinkFlood's popular original IR system for iOS devices just got a new big brother.  The RedEye Pro is a rack mount Linux server that attaches to your network to provide IR and Home Automation control.  You can command your home from your iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch with the iOS app, as well as any PC, Smartphone, tablet or other device with a browser.  ThinkFlood are currently developing apps for Android phones and tablets too...

This months My Automated Home feature comes from Tom Lawrence, a final year student at Staffordshire University.  Along with his friend Andy Jackson, he has created a bespoke C# home automation system which controls X10 and XBMC with clients for Android and Windows Phone...

With Philips killing the Pronto line many CI's and home automation enthusiasts are looking for a new feature rich line of universal remote controls.  We're hearing good things about the RTI range from the installers we respect and the latest model, the 3rd gen T3-V+ looks like a peach...

With Philips announcing the death of their entire range of Pronto remotes a few weeks ago, and UEI following suit at CES cancelling their NeVo range too, the universal remote market seems to have taken a huge hit from the iPod Touch and the iPad.  Never the less, Sony have decided to enter the fray with their own Wi-Fi and DLNA equipped touchscreen...

This months "My Automated Home" feature is from Keyvan Rahimian who shows us around his DIY IPad based home automation set-up. The system uses an impressively professional looking visual interface in conjunction with with a hardware Ethernet to IR gateway from Global Cache to control his AV and Sonos whole house audio systems...

Here's a neat combination of hardware and software to allow you to control your AV system from your iOS device.  The Demopad app provides the customisable front end to your control set-up, while the Keene KIRA128 IP to infra-red module allows you to learn, store and send the commands...

Marmitek have launched 2 new IR products.  One aimed at controlling components in another part of the house - the GigaControl450, the other - the Invisible Control4 - redistributes IR in the same room (into a closed AV cabinet for example).  Both devices are under £40 and available now.  Read on for the details...

The Masked Installer mulls the recent death of the Philips Pronto and considers how much a certain Cuppertino tablet was to blame.  He considers the Control System alternatives and ponders what it means for the Custom Installation industry...

It's a sad day for lovers of the Philips range of Pronto universal remote controls.  According to CE Pro Philips has pulled the plug completely on the Pronto business after 2 years of looking for a buyer.  Corporate speak says that the Pronto "activity no longer fits with the Philips strategy".  We still have our original old green Pronto from the 90's - one of the very first bit of smart home tech we brought to the Automated Home.  Read on (with a tear in your eye) for the release...

Savant has been using Apple hardware for smart home applications for years now.  Today's latest announcement is the 'Touch Remote' - a device that transforms an iPod Touch into a home automation remote control, complete with hard buttons (often the thing that's most lacking in a touch based remote control).  Savant point out this is a remote that you can also use for VoIP phone calls and FaceTime chat.  Savant’s Touch Remote will be on display at CEDIA 2010 and will ship to dealers Q1, 2011 with an MSRP of $399...

Julie Jacobson has an exclusive over at CEPro on a new Creston remote due to launch in 2011.  The aptly named 'UFO-4X' is a disc shaped craft and its touchcreen can serve as a trackpad as well as a virtual keyboard.  It attaches to its base by magnets so can be wall mounted and it supports Adobe Flash for high quality UI design...

Amulet Devices are a young Irish based company and we recently featured their innvative voice controlled remote in the e-Home Automation show house.  This week they are launching the 2nd Generation Voice-enabled Amulet Remote at CES in Las Vegas, the first voice-enabled remote control designed specifically for Windows 7 Media Center.  Read on for the shipping date and price...

This week Philips released the next major update of their ProntoEdit Professional software.  Amongst the array of new features and fixes is support for uPnP and DLNA.  This has allowed Philips to release a free ProntoScript module which gives users control of their Sonos zoned music system from their WiFi equiped Pronto remotes.  Check out our quick video tour of how to set it up all up and what it's like in use after the jump...

The new RedEye dock from ThinkFlood links to your iPhone or iPod Touch via Wi-Fi.  This allows you to send IR commands (va the dock) from your touchscreen to control any infrared device from any room in your home. Check out the video after the jump...

Apple's diminutive infrared remote control was replaced a few weeks back (along with a raft of other new hardware).  The new unit leaves the old white glossy plastic look behind and adopts the brushed aluminium finish of the rest of the modern Mac range...

We've been watching the Cortexa Home Automation system since 2005.  Recently they have the introduced Graphite, their new GUI which will be available on their controllers from V5 on. In addition they have released an Phone app that mirrors Graphites controls.  Watch the videos after the jump...

Cytech, creators of the Comfort smart home security system, have just released their new Prontoscript file for the Philips range of Wi-Fi universal remotes.  The free download gives full keypad emulation as well as control of C-Bus, EIB / KNX and X10 with others like Z-Wave, Dynalite, Ulti promised in the future,  Read on for all the details...

The OpenRemote guys have been pretty busy over the last few months.  From launching their new website and Twitter feed, to publishing a new YouTube channel.  But perhaps most tantalisingly this weeks blog post for the open source project shows prototype hardware up and running - sending commands from an iPhone, across Wi-Fi and out of their ORB hardware device to an IR signal.  Even more interesting it promises that "two more weeks or so and you'll be able to try it out for yourself"  Watch the video after the jump and read on for more information on this open source project and all the links...

The iPhone and iPod Touch continue to prove themselves the platform of choice for Home Automation developers.  Now high-end Smart Home company Crestron have released their own app that allows management and control of climate, lighting, shades and security systems over Wi-Fi and even the cellular network...

Philips have just added the TSU9300 Pronto to their site.  The new universal remote has a flush mounted 2.8 inch colour touchscreen.  As with the rest of the TSU Pronto range, it includes WiFi and supports Escient, Imerge,  Windows Media Center and the the Lutron RadioRa lighting system out of the box...

We reported back in June on some interesting new modules Keene Electronics were working on.  Well their IR Anywhere product has now been launched, allowing you to send your IR remote control signals across IP networks...

We've updated the iPhone to V2.0 and installed a few apps to play with.  Of most interest to Home Automators will be the new free Apple "Remote" application.  Here's a quick two minute video tour showing just how quick and easy it is to install and use...

iTunes | Miro | Zune | RSS | Right Click to Download (2 Minutes - 27.1MB)

AV Custom Design company Polar Bear Solutions has announced a new in-wall docking station for the Philips Pronto TSU9600. As well as holding/charging the remote the dock also has four hard buttons of its own which are available even if the Pronto is not docked.  These can be interfaced to a 3rd party lighting system for scene control for example.  The dock is currently in the final stages of testing and should be available by September '08....

Melloware Intelliremote 2 is a Windows (98/NT/2K/XP,Vista) program that gives you control of many windows apps - think iTunes, VLC, GOM Player, Windows Media Player etc - all from your MCE remote.  Many other remotes are supported too (including X10).  Check it out...

Danny from Mavromatic recently reviewed the Logitech Harmony One.  This new universal remote uses a 2.2" colour capacitive touchscreen, but also employs lots of physical buttons that give the "feel" that touchscreen only remotes struggle to provide.  Watch the video after the jump for Danny's verdict...

Amongst the Touch Panels and Waterproof remotes launched at ISE recently, were two new releases from RTI. - "XP-8 Controller. The XP8 is a new Control Processor with more power and I/O ports than any previous RTI Controller. Fast MPU, real time/multitasking operating system and expandability makes the XP-8 the perfect solution for large scale and complex projects. RTI are now firmly in the business of providing remote control solutions for commercial projects...

This morning I was primed to settle down to a normal day's work when Chaos on the UK Home Automation IRC Channel mentioned something about "B&Qs HomeEasy automation stuff", and that pretty much put paid to the rest of the morning. We turfed up the website but there was precious little information on there besides the usual marketing guff. So, time for an in-depth review for Automated Home.  Is this the successor to X10 I've been looking for?  Read on to find out and check out the rest of the photos and the video...

It's January, and we thank the gadget god for the CES show!  Here's the skinny on the new Logitech Harmony One  Universal Remote with Colour Touch Screen.  Watch the video after the jump...

Lagotek will present its “HIP1 Modes” Sideshow home control gadget working on iPhone and iPod touch at the up-coming CES 2008... "The ability to run Vista Sideshow gadgets on Apple’s legendary devices to control the home was made possible by Lagotek Corporation and Ikanos Consulting Ltd. working together to merge cutting edge Vista Sideshow technologies with Apple’s famous devices for home automation use...

I love the idea of Sonos but for me the price is prohibitive.  Being almost entirely a Mac household I've used an airport express for a few months now and with the release of the Ipod touch and the discovery of Remote Buddy seeds of a solution were planted.  Read on to find out how I put these items together to create my own budget priced whole house audio solution...

The Ricavision VAVE100 is a new $300 Windows Media centre remote that's due in early 2008.  Of particular interest to home automators will be the Vista SideShow "Gadget" capability of this remote, potentially allowing Smart Home information to be fed back to the device and appear in your hand.  With a 2.4" QVGA screen this is a backlit remote too and features bluetooth...

RemoteCentral.com have released their latest video, this time from the CEDIA Expo - "This year’s report is an information-packed thirteen and three-quarter minutes covering more than 15 new remote controls. We have interviews with representatives from 5 manufacturers, you’ll get to go to the annual Remote Central / Universal Remote Control Inc. CEDIA party, and you’ll even have a front row seat for the ever-popular amp toss...

It's been around for a while but this Philips 4-in-1 programmable remote (RC197) is a great addon to your media centre setup at just £25.00.  The remote will also control Windows Media Player and iTunes and being RF rather than IR means it works through walls and you can control your system from other rooms around your home...

Last week we reported on a new budget RF home automation range about to go on sale in B&Q stores across the UK.  Now we have this exclusive photo of the wireless remote used in the system.

 Here's another new remote that takes a step back from the fancy fancy and produces something simple and easy to understand and use.  While it's not going to have the functionality of some of the more upmarket units, you can be sure your parents will be able to use it...