UiRemote is like a remote... in your iPhone

Yeah, sure, name any IR-equipped phone in existence and odds good to excellent that you can find a universal remote app for it, but you probably can't think of many for the iPhone, now, can you? They exist, yes, but they tend to carry a home-automation slant since the lack of an infrared port leaves the thing relegated to WiFi duty. Enter UiRemote, an ambitious little project undertaken by a handful of scrappy University of Toronto students that uses a fingertip-sized IR blaster connected to the headphone jack paired with a totally customizable app to get the job done. Novel? Not necessarily, but when you consider that a dedicated remote with these specs would probably run half a grand, it's an interesting way to save money and still end up with the coolest AV controller on the block. The devs are still tweaking both the module and the app, but hopes are high that they'll be available to all interested parties in the next couple months.

[BenDy @ Jan 6th 2009 9:08PM]

That just looks like a basic remote. Don't get me wrong. thats cool that they can do that with an iPhone, but I can get a nice Harmony remote for far less with a screen and much more intuitive controls.

[jonhimself @ Jan 6th 2009 9:14PM]

All in good time, I'm sure.

[Matt @ Jan 6th 2009 10:16PM]

I don't have a Harmony remote, but I do have an iPhone 3G. I wanted an iPhone because it can do all these kinds of things, in addition to being a phone. (Good luck getting your Harmony remote to be able to answer phone calls any time soon...)

So now, the iPhone is a sunk cost for me. If I can purchase an affordable IR dongle and software combo to reduce remote clutter, I won't need to buy a Harmony remote to do the same thing.

Win win, for me. YMMV.

[UnixSystemsEngineer @ Jan 6th 2009 9:08PM]

Well the headphone jack -> IR transmitter seems novel.

[Hamidxa @ Jan 6th 2009 9:38PM]

Meh, waste of time, and impractical.

My Mogul does this and more already with ease.

The iPhone really is crippled when it comes to capabilities and functionalities if it needs 3rd party add-on hardware to assist it in these sorts of endeavors.

[tom @ Jan 6th 2009 9:58PM]

Well, it beats making your smartphone to open your garage. LOL

So, what is answer to the puzzle on the tv? =P

[KarlW @ Jan 6th 2009 10:10PM]

You can get those at any electronics store.

I used to do this with my 1G iPod Nano. I created some special audio files with the codes and synced them through iTunes. When the iPod played the audio file, the pattern that I created would be output through the headphone jack, used to control IR pulses by the dongle, and would change the TV channel.

[BrokenMonkey @ Jan 6th 2009 11:16PM]

They made IR adapters specifically for the iPod and I imagine it came with some kind of software to use with it. Why not just use one of those with the iPhone and then use the same software as audio files in a playlist like the original app probably did (I can't say for sure since I didn't have it but it's really the only way an old iPod could have done it)

[Steve T. @ Jan 6th 2009 11:32PM]

The answer to the puzzle is Sports Memorabilia.

[Jon Nelson @ Jan 6th 2009 11:45PM]

@ Hamidxa

Shut your fucking yap. I HAVE the Mogul, and it does NOT have a strong enough IR output to use as a remote control.

And yes. A WinMo fan berating another WinMo fan.

I suppose it's just that I hate idiots.

[Quix @ Jan 7th 2009 12:48AM]

The big question is, when are component manufacturers going to step into the 21st century and start including Bluetooth/wifi in all their consumer electronics devices? My iPhone would be a perfect controller for my receiver, TV, DVD player, etc. - but not with a lame IR dongle.

It's time to put IR behind us.

[Hamidxa @ Jan 7th 2009 4:15AM]

@ Jon,

Like hell it doesn't.
You don't have to necessarily use it from 25 ft away, but it's a perfectly capable device (the Mogul via its IR port) if you use one of the cooked ROM's via XDA developers which amplifies the ports range.

I can and do in fact use it within a 10-15 ft range (which is more than enough) and it suits all of my needs as a remote, and then some -- since it can be programmed to mimic countless IR devices, not just tv's and dvd's, for example I use it to control my Logitech speakers, my fan, my air purifier, etc.

Just because you lack either the skills or the know-how to get it to work more extensively for you does not give you the authority to berate others, especially since you appear ignorant on the issue.

And my point still stands as firmly as when I made it, the iPhone is a seriously crippled and lacking device in which all of the 3rd party hardware and software in the world can't assusage. Hardware wise and software wise (in terms of functionality) it is simply too limited in terms of features and capabilities.

[cliffhopper @ Jan 6th 2009 9:19PM]

I want to see a video of them pointing the iphone remote at the camera, I never once saw any infrared output from the IR transmitter they have on the phone, this could very well be a hoax...also, how does it learn from a remote when they point it at the transmitter?

[Farris @ Jan 6th 2009 10:43PM]

They probably know (or measured) what the frequencies are for each button for that particular TV and have programmed them into the iPhone. That way there is no "learning" needed like most universal remotes.

[Jay @ Jan 6th 2009 9:17PM]

yes that's one less device, but when you answer the phone how do you change the channel? Oh with the other remote? yea that defeats the purpose. Get a Logitech Harmony for your AV stuff and leave the iphone out of it, it has more important things to do.

[Kyle K @ Jan 6th 2009 9:28PM]

Are you dense? You'd just use that second iPhone you purchased to answer the call.

[David @ Jan 6th 2009 10:21PM]

Are you serious? Why would you be surfing through channels while on the phone??? I could understand if you mentioned muting the TV but wtf. If they could make it so it'd mute the TV when a call came through that'd be cool.

[Jay @ Jan 6th 2009 10:44PM]

David, I don't know about you, but I usually watch T.V. with FRIENDS, and If I my phone rings I usually a.) answer it and sit there or b.) answer and walk out of the room so as to not disturb their viewing experience. So if THEY want to change the channel, should i expect them to also have an iphone with this attachment? No, they would need the remote because A.) I'm on the phone hence the iphone remote is not available. B.) I'm out of the room hence the iphone remote is not available. That being said, the Airport and the use of the iphone or ipod touch to control your itunes, apple tv and which speakers are playing is a nice feature for parties and such.

If you a-holes want to look uber cool and use your phone as a remote go for it, but don't complain when your battery life sucks, and people think you're a deusche because they want to change the channel and they can't cause you're talking into it.

I get it you love your iphone and if it could cook you're breakfast you would marry it, hell some of you will probably marry it now, but seriously there are better things the phone can be doing. Be sure to install the clapper lights to, that way you won't have to get up to turn the lights off cause you look fat in the mirror.

[Levi @ Jan 6th 2009 9:17PM]

This would be supremely awesome if the iPhone had an IR built in. An extra piece of hardware, even if it is something small stuck ni the headphone jack, defeats most of the purpose.

[Ethan @ Jan 6th 2009 9:18PM]

Could be really quite useful.

[yopladas @ Jan 6th 2009 9:19PM]

THIS is the kind of innovation people need. Big companies can be so unimaginative...

[PyRo1509 @ Jan 6th 2009 9:30PM]

ain't that the truth

[yopladas @ Jan 6th 2009 9:36PM]

Let me point you to a little, 3 letter word called can. It implies it may or may not be, and implys that it is my opinion.

There; you learned a new word!

[Craig @ Jan 6th 2009 9:24PM]

This is exactly like what I did with an HP iPaq (remember those?) about 7 years ago. It even used the same IR-blaster-in-the-headphone-jack setup as this. So, score points for making the iPhone 2% less useless, but no bonus for originality.

[chris @ Jan 6th 2009 9:37PM]

just tell me when and i will have my cc ready.

[thethirdmoose @ Jan 6th 2009 9:42PM]

Can you use the iphone as a bluetooth PS3 remote?

[Heurrgh @ Jan 6th 2009 9:45PM]

Why not just build a stand-alone IR transmitter with WiFi connectivity. Then any WiFi enabled gadget or PC or whatever could control all AV stuff.

[Charlie @ Jan 6th 2009 10:03PM]

I completely agree. Some of the previous posters have complained about the "lack of features" or "lack of hardware addons" for the iPhone, they apparently don't really understand Apple design philosophy. People are using this thing as their phone, they're carrying it around in their pocket, they don't want some IR dongle hanging out of the headphone slot that they have to struggle with every time they're on the go and need to plug a headset in. A wifi/ethernet IR blaster sounds like a great idea. Control it from anyone's iPhone or iPod Touch.

[Rocko @ Jan 6th 2009 10:00PM]

there's an awesome bunch of apps to control position/dim/color/pretty much everything with moving stage lights. It's pretty awesome changing the angle and color on the fly without having to be next to the lighting board.

[Mitch @ Jan 6th 2009 10:04PM]

This is too cool.

The IR transmitter in the headphone jack = crazy innovative. I've never heard of such a thing.

I can't wait to get my hands on this.

[JL @ Jan 6th 2009 10:08PM]

Sorry to burst the bubble of all you iPhone fanboys, but this is a redo of a product that has been around for a long time with Pocket PCs running windows. Griffin Total Remote does the same thing with a better looking interface and a better looking IR blaster.

[DarkLight @ Jan 6th 2009 10:33PM]

There's also Novii Remote, for PalmOS and WinMo

This is a rather cheap trick... The old Novii Blaster was more elegant, it used SDIO

And, also, remotes without actual buttons suck big time... This is far more useful on smartphones/handhelds with assignable buttons (such as the old Palm handhelds)

[Seppe @ Jan 6th 2009 10:15PM]

I'm sure that a 7 year old HP iPaq could do it as well, but nobody used it. Why? It wasn't user friendly. My previous phone was a nokia n95 one of the most advanced and featured packed phone on the marked at that time. So why did I buy an iPhone? Usability. From all the features on the Nokia n95 the only ones I used were the phone and sms capabilities, the rest were simply to difficult to use. That's why the iPhone is so successful, the technology is not so new but the way to use it is. And that's where the iPhone is unmatchable by far, usability. People can and do actually use all the smartphone features on the device.

[nbj @ Jan 7th 2009 11:22AM]

logitech should beat them to the punch.

[SlappyWag @ Jan 6th 2009 10:53PM]

(looking at the TV show in the background) Sheesh.. at least YOU get Wheel/Jeopardy in HD... our local ABC affiliate (KOMO-DT) has been giving everyone the runaround with "we don't have the equipment to transcode the shows". Wait, WHAT? It's 2009!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah, so let's see... no HD content if it is supplied in 1080i, since they broadcast in 720p.... LAME

The worst part is that they put up this stupid banner about the DTV transition that will go sometimes a full round on Wheel... and it says at the end, "ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF HOW KOMO4 IS WORKING 4 YOU". Um, how?

/end of bitching session

[Pete W @ Jan 7th 2009 7:28AM]

Good on them for choosing 720p. Just a pity everyone else went for the higher number because they thought that must mean it's better.

But really - no equipment to transcode the shows? Baloney. They could high a Snell & Willcox converter for a a thousand a week.

On topic - yeah, it's the same as what's been done before on our PDA's guys, but it's the first time it's being done on the iPhone. If someone's got one and has the option to splash out on a $5 adapter in order to consolidate their remotes, why wouldn't they? It doesn't automatically mean that all their old remotes stop working. Their friends can still change the bleedin' channel if they leave the room.

I use gmote for controlling what I watch on my television (off the living room pc, off our server). Oh noes! I used to do this on my Pocket Loox PDA! I can't do it on my G1 because it's alreadies been done b4! I use gmote, my brother can use the damn mouse unless my phone is sitting on the coffee table.

[craig @ Jan 6th 2009 10:59PM]

Kinda off topic, but does ANYONE on here know of a true universal remote that features IR learning for controlling my tv and surround system AND bluetooth to control a pc? I have a computer hooked to my tv for all my digital movies, but it's aggravating to have to switch between remotes, mouse, and keyboard. Would love to find a true all-in-one solution!

[Brent @ Jan 7th 2009 2:44AM]

It's low end, but I don't want anything more than my gyration media center remote. Gyroscopic mouse is dead on, TV support is great, surround sound not quite so much, but it is a learning remote so you can map things... one annoyance, the volume buttons cannot be used on AUX, it defaults to the TV, it does work for PC, and a simple remap will let you control surround volume. If you have a media center program on your computer it's all the better. And, at $150 from them, or $75 on ebay, it's better than, as the article says, dropping half a grand on a harmony, although nowhere near as pretty.

[Melvin @ Jan 6th 2009 11:28PM]

I remember trying to do this with my old SE w810i which had infrared. After some research I learned distance was an issue (would work only a foot away from the tv). But, I was able to control front row, mouse movement, etc. via bluetooth.

[shugg @ Jan 7th 2009 2:15AM]

wow so from what im reading will be able to do what n95 mogul n other winmo phones have failed to do. which is to create an everyday user friendly application on iphone.,cant wait till its out.

[adamck @ Jan 7th 2009 3:37AM]

The answer to the quiz on the TV is

SPARTA
& RAAAAAAAA

:D

[Brent @ Jan 7th 2009 2:29PM]

I'm pretty sure you'd have to live alone for this to work. Either that or you'd always have to be home whenever anyone else is, at least if they wanted to watch TV, which people only do for 6 hours a day. It's a neat idea, and if the remote app is superior to other options, then I would consider using a touch as a full time dedicated remote, especially as has been said, over wifi with ir blasters. I somehow doubt that it would be though, 3rd party apps just usually don't look as good or work as well as manufacturer apps. If Apple built a remote into the touch, it would probably be the best remote on the market. As far as I'm concerned though that has more to do with the poor choices available today for a remote.

[dhaasgob @ Jan 7th 2009 7:31PM]

This just reminds me of the days when there was a plug in ir adapter to some old portable Sony and Panasonic CD players. It used a 3.5mm jack, and could feasibly used as a remote transmitter to other devices (if you knew the frequencies of course). A friend of mine did a project with one I owned (bought it for 2 bucks EOLed) and it was never seen again. I liked the idea though...

Griffin Remote was a cool product, and similar products like this are coo but it's so outdated now compared to the possible offerings using wifi, bluetooth, and the web. Nowdays, having a remote blaster connected to wifi, bluetooth and/or the web is awesome albeit expensive.