TechBloggin.com

Filed under: Home Entertainment

So do you go out and throw down on a fully-featured RF remote to control your home automation gizmos, or do you get one of those snazzy wall-mounted keypads installed to handle the same duties? Frankly, we’d recommend option C, which would involve picking up a device that operates as both depending on your mood. Universal Remote Control’s KP-900 is one such unit, which easily snaps into and out of a wall mount for use in both of the aforementioned scenarios. Furthermore, there’s even a built-in LCD which showcases relevant activities depending on what main selection you make first. As with everything else spotted in the FCC, you’ll have to wait a tick longer before finding out a price or release date, but it looks like this bugger may actually be worth holding out for.

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Source: Darren Murph

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Filed under: Home Entertainment, Portable Audio

While the Squeezebox Duet’s original spec sheet might’ve been enticing enough, it doesn’t look like Logitech is just leaving it at that. It turns out this little-remote-that-could includes Flickr support, a built-in speaker and headphone jack, a hidden SD card slot, IR transmitter and a 3-axis accelerometer. That’s in addition to the WiFi media streaming and controls we’ve touched upon, and there’s even an expansion port on the bottom if that still isn’t enough. We’re not quite sure what a WiFi home audio controller needs a 3-axis accelerometer for, but we want.

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Source: Paul Miller

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Filed under: Home Entertainment, Peripherals

Philips apparently came to CEDIA for one reason: to showcase its expanding remote control lineup. Yeah, we saw a digital photo frame and LCD every now and then, but this place felt more like the remote section in Circuit City than a typical booth. ‘Course, we aren’t griping or anything, so head on over to EngadgetHD for all the remote controlling you can handle.

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Source: Darren Murph

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Home Entertainment

Acoustic Research announced a universal remote at CEDIA today, dubbed the “Acoustic Research Wi-Fi Universal Remote.” Of course, it has a WiFi radio built in, which the ARRU449 uses to gather data for the electronic program guide, news, weather, and sports info displayed on the unit’s color LCD display. Acoustic Research has partnered with tvCompass and its click365 technology to tailor and target the data to you specifically. The activity-centric remote also uses WiFi for configuration assistance — tell the remote what component you have, and it can download the correct codes and activities. Sorry, kids, no mention of a browser on this piece of kit. But if your remote is feeling a little content-light compared to your TV, this may help even things out.

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Source: Steven Kim

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Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

Shortly after blessing us with a sneak peek at its BeoVision 8, Bang & Olufsen is now showcasing its interestingly-designed Beo 5 remote control. This device seeks to dictate your AV system and dabble in home automation, and touts a “square glass display with soft touch keys, an aluminum ball with tactile keys and a volume wheel,” and a simple charging base as well. Of course, it wouldn’t be a B&O unit without a few fanciful extras, such as the adaptive backlight in the LCD, macro support, and an “intelligent” interface that “presents just the relevant menus and controls” on the display. Unsurprisingly, there’s no word yet surrounding price or availability, but feel free to check out a few more shots of the Beo 5 over at EngadgetHD’s gallery.

[Thanks, klaus]

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Source: Darren Murph

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Filed under: Home Entertainment, Portable Audio, Portable Video

Are you feeling constrained by your iPod, tired of plugging in unsightly and unnecessary cables, and just ready to break free of your earphones and start remotin’ the hell out of your music collection? Well if that’s the case, you might want to check into BEXY’s iMirror; a dock, remote control “mirror” (i.e., it displays what your iPod does), and video-out for your player (with video, obviously) that lets you snap your chains and get out of the box… literally. The iMirror can charge and sync your pod via USB, output audio from RCA or mini-phono jack connectors, control playback via the remote, and pipe archaic S-Video output to your TV for the viewing of fond memories — and it does it all for the low, low price of $149.99. Sure, we’ve seen products like this before, but this particular iteration is definitely better looking than most, and certainly a more practical solution than say… using your teeth.

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Source: Joshua Topolsky

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Filed under: Home Entertainment

Isn’t it possible that our remotes have gotten too complex? Do you ever long for a time when a basic control was all you needed to navigate the seas of home entertainment? Well, perhaps Sony is feeling your nostalgic vibe, because the company has just launched a new group of remotes in Japan that definitely harken back to a simpler time. The RM-PZ1FD (above) appears to be Sony’s answer to the clutter of your everyday universal behemoth. The model comes in three retro colors, and is strangely waterproof (for those simpler times by the pool). The company is also releasing two other “vertical” models, the RM-PZ1SD and RM-PZ1D, if you’re a stickler for single-handed operation. All controls available in Japan in late August for ¥2,468, or about $21.

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Source: Joshua Topolsky

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Filed under: Home Entertainment, Peripherals

Hot on the heels of Universal Remote’s MX-810 comes the oh-so-versatile MX-980, which aims to allow “professional installers to more quickly and efficiently customize and automate” sophisticated home theaters and entire home AV systems. The wand-style device sports a 320 x 240 resolution display, RF capability, an open programming architecture, and the ability to be programmed by any Windows-based machine with a USB port. Other subtle niceties include a motion sensor that automatically turns on the display when the remote is picked up, blue backlighting for all the buttons, a small integrated speaker, rechargeable Li-ion, and built-in compatibility with the firm’s MSC-400 Master System Controller. If you hadn’t already recognized, URC is clearly aiming for the high-end crowd with this one, and it’s safe to say the $599 pricetag further substantiates that very point.

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Source: Darren Murph

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