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All of Logitech's hub-based Harmony remotes now control your home
You no longer have to be quite so picky about which of Logitech's Harmony remotes you use to control your smart home. The company is trotting out an update this month that gives the Harmony Ultimate Hub the same home automation support as the Home Hub. Once you've upgraded, you can use the Harmony Ultimate, Smart Control or Smart Keyboard to flick on the lights or change the temperature without leaving the couch. You'll need to own all those connected devices for this software to make a difference -- it's not a free update in the strictest sense, then -- but it's nice to know that your home theater remote is suddenly that much more powerful.
Logitech remotes can turn down Hue lights before movie night
Logitech's Harmony remote just got considerably more useful when you're setting the mood for a movie. A recent hub firmware update (available through the Android and iOS apps) for its Smart Control and Ultimate remotes lets you adjust Philips' Hue lights at the start or end of an activity. You can set a colorful backdrop before kicking off a house party, for instance. Frankly, this makes Logitech's Hue integration considerably more useful -- you can now light up a dark room and turn on your TV before you even reach the couch.
Logitech's universal remotes can now control your Sonos speakers
If you like to simplify your home theater with universal remotes, there's a good chance that you also like multi-room audio systems. Wouldn't it be swell if you could combine the two? As of today, it's easy. Logitech has posted updates for both higher-end Harmony remotes (the Smart Control and Ultimate) and its Harmony mobile app that let you control Sonos audio systems. All of the remotes can handle at least basic playback duties, while both the app and Ultimate also provide quick access to your favorite Sonos playlists and stations. They can steer Philips' Hue lights, too -- just in case you need to set the mood for a movie.
Harmony Ultimate and Smart Hub review: Logitech outdoes itself with new remotes
Until now, Logitech's Harmony line has been the name in user programmable remotes. Now the company's back with three follow-up products, and they differ enough from earlier models to warrant an explanation. Instead of using a programmable IR remote, the Harmony Ultimate, Harmony Smart Control and Harmony Ultimate Hub each offload the IR-emitting duties to a networked device, allowing smartphones and tablets to act as remotes too. Additionally, the Hub uses Bluetooth to control your game console. Ranging in price from $99 to $349, the lineup covers almost every budget, with the Hub sold as a standalone accessory for smartphones and tablets. Meanwhile, the Smart Control includes a simple remote, and the high-end Ultimate Hub swaps a basic remote for the Harmony Touch. How exactly might these enhance your home theater enjoyment? Read on to find out.%Gallery-192598%
Logitech unveils Harmony Ultimate and Smart Control universal remote sets for home entertainment heroes
Got no touchscreen on your living room remote? That's a shame, because Logitech and others have been flogging such universal controllers since way back when. After a long new product hiatus, the late 2012 release of the Harmony Touch remote hasn't stopped Logitech from mulling a sale of the brand, but it's not done with it just yet. Coming soon are two fresh bundles bearing the Harmony name: the Ultimate and Smart Control. At the heart of both is the Smart Hub, a palm-sized box somewhat similar to the Harmony Link. It receives commands from remotes via RF, or from smartphone apps via WiFi, and in turn, broadcasts its own orders to your A/V setup using IR and Bluetooth. It's especially useful for those wanting to hide their kit away in cabinets, as it translates inputs into IR signals that'll bounce around those secluded spaces. Optional extender nodes will also pipe IR into other nearby recesses. To do that though, the Hub needs instructions, which is where remotes and apps come in. The new Ultimate remote (aka the Touch Plus) is last year's Touch remote with a few refinements, including the addition of a trigger-like nub on the underside to improve grip. It uses IR, Bluetooth or RF (to the Hub) to control up to 15 devices, and is programmed using Logitech's software for PCs that pulls settings from a database of 225,000 home entertainment products. The Ultimate's 2.4-inch touchscreen serves as a number pad, a favorite channel list for easy hopping, and is the home of one-touch "activities," which are basically macros for issuing multiple commands. Set up an activity for "Play Xbox," for example, and in one touch it'll turn on your console, switch your TV to the correct source, select the right channel on your amp, and so on. It'll even tell Philips' connected Hue lightbulbs to set a mood. Jump on past the break for more.
