remote

It's easy to hook up your iPod to any home audio system, but finding a good remote solution--one that doesn't require you to scurry from the sofa to the stereo every time you want to change a song--is a bit more of a challenge. Personally, I'm only interested in those that let me completely browse the iPod's music collection: the DLO HomeDock Music Remote, Belkin TuneSage 2, and Keyspan TuneView come to mind.

But why clutter the coffee table with yet another remote? That's where the Philips SJM3151 comes in. The remote does double duty … Read more

Sometimes the simplest ideas are the most effective.

Case in point is the Sharp Shootin' Remote Control.

It's shaped like an old-school pistol. It changes channels. It emits a "bang" noise. End of story.

You also get a sheriff's badge with the price of admission.

The $15 remote is programmable with only one function from your existing remote, so it won't consolidate or replace the huge assortment of remotes cluttering your coffee table...but that's not really the point, is it?

Now, if it's functionality and consolidation you crave out of your remote … Read more

We're still waiting on the time machine, human teleportation, and commercially available flying cars. But scientists have been working hard, and now the Remote-Controlled Floating Serving Tray is ready for the world.

Hammacher Schlemmer's remote-controlled tray holds up to five cans (no room for a six-pack?) and a 16-ounce bowl of delicious, delicious snacks.

The piece de resistance--a remote control with 25 feet of range--lets the operator transport various refreshments to you aquatically. (Or, depending on how good a friend the operator is, float the snacks just out of reach and make you swim around and chase them.) … Read more

We've given up: The endless proliferation of remotes in our household is out of control. We've tinkered with so-called universal models, but they either don't seem to work or, more likely, we're just too "challenged" to figure them out.

The only solution, at least in the near term, may be a reduction in their rabbit-like numbers by consolidating them in sub-categories. To wit: The new "Universal Gamer" may not take care of everything in the house, but it at least claims to work with the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 2 (if not … Read more

Just when we thought we'd found the best pool toy ever with the remote-controlled water cannon, another one comes along to run (or swim) circles around it. The "Remote-Controlled Omnidirectional Submarine" supposedly can "dive and surface like an actual naval submarine," including 360 progressive rolls.

The mini-sub can accomplish these mighty feats with three high-powered motors and can even see where it's going at night with its LED headlamps. Oh well, our cannon can still blow that puny yellow submarine out of the water. Tough luck, Caroline.

One of my favorite pieces on the show floor at ICFF, which is headquartered at NYC's Jacob Javits Convention Center through Tuesday (and on Tuesday it's open to the public) was this piece, which is actually a project made by Philadelphia University sophomore Gary Bugno as part of the school's industrial design program. It holds three remote controls. That's what it does. And it tells you what it does, too. It might not be quite as ingenious as Sheriff John "Wayne" Falcone's holster-like display of five remotes at once, but it's quite … Read more

DLO has announced its new HomeDock Music Remote for the iPod. It's a wireless solution for controlling your iPod from anywhere in your house or apartment. Your iPod simply rests in a dock, which doubles as a charger, and is connected to your home stereo. With the included OLED remote, you can navigate through all of the artists on your iPod or even create a playlist of your own. Adding even more functionality to the dock, it's also equipped with a USB port, allowing you to sync your iPod with iTunes.

Like other remote-controlled players, the HomeDock uses … Read more

We have a love-hate relationship with that ultimate object of masculine obsession, the remote control. On one hand, it's risen to a deified status; on the other, we're sick and tired of having so many of them hiding under every cushion in the house.

Yes, we've tried all kinds of universal models, including the very first version of that brick-like Sony remote whose size was matched only by its price. The best part, of course, is that it was so complicated we never learned how to use it. So as tempting as they may sound, we can'… Read more

How quickly things can turn. Only yesterday, we discovered that we have a mild interest in remote controls (as a lifestyle, not just gadgets); today, we learn that it's already on the verge of becoming a full-blown obsession.

What was our first clue? When we came across an item on BornRich, an innocent writeup on something called the "ThermaSol Steam Shower." It's pretty great, in and of itself: You can have a restort-style steam shower in your home, turning the bathroom into a mini-spa, complete with "a light system, a slick handheld remote, a metallic … Read more