TouchRemote
Latest
Samsung Smart Touch Remote and Smart TV hands-on
Samsung made a lot of noise about its first-party Smart TV initiative yesterday, so we had to stop by and check things out -- especially that new WiFi-based RMC30D Smart Touch Remote, which comes bundled with all new 8000-series TVs and above. (It also works with the 7000 series, but you have to buy it separately.) Unfortunately, things weren't working so well -- tons of WiFi interference in the area made control hard to do, and the system itself was a confusing UI nightmare made worse by the remote's slow resistive touchscreen. Oh, and did we mention that the remote itself is a straight-up iPhone 3G KIRF? Because yeah -- it is. Things were slightly improved when we loaded up the soon-to-be-released Android control app on a nearby Fascinate, but that didn't fix the essential issues with the UI -- it's very much just a picture of a regular remote drawn on the screen, which rarely works well on a touchscreen device. Don't just take our word for it -- check the video after the break. %Gallery-113378% %Gallery-113379%
Savant stuffs iPod touch into multifunctional Touch Remote, includes VoIP and FaceTime promises
That's no render we're looking at, Savant assures us, it's the most recent photograph of the company's Touch Remote prototype. This crazy do-it-all peripheral comes with an embedded fourth-gen iPod touch -- no word on whether you'll be able to remove it, though it looks unlikely -- and mirrors the abilities of Savant's iPad home control and automation app. That means that once you get your lights, climate control, network cameras, and home cinema hooked up to Savant's control hub, you'll have yourself a neatly streamlined remote to save you doing anything yourself again. Or so goes the theory, anyhow. Savant augments the offering with promises of VoIP and FaceTime integration by the time the Touch Remote ships to retailers in the first quarter of next year. MSRP is set at $399, which may or may not be feasible given that the iPod touch by itself costs at least $229. We shall see. For now, you can see the prototype device on video after the break.
Samsung's 55-inch C9000 LCD and its amazing Touch Remote control land at IFA
That's not a PMP wirelessly mirroring the TV's display. It's a Samsung remote control that first blew us away at CES in January when Samsung's ultra-thin LCD 9000 series TV was first announced. So why revisit it? Well, for starters... look at it! It's a 3-inch touchscreen remote control in its production form that's now shipping with the LED backlit 200Hz (not 240Hz, it's Europe remember) Samsung C9000 -- a TV measuring just 7.98-mm thick with a 55-inch diagonal. The remote control itself is built on a 600MHz ARM 11 processor with a custom remote control layer sitting atop Linux and a 2.4GHz 802.11n radio. As such, this little powerhouse gives you lots of options to control and view your media including the ability to continue watching the game even as your bladder drags you into less, shall we say, comfortable rooms. You can even preview other channels without interrupting that vast expanse of LCD viewed by others in the room. It also supports DLNA for streaming your media from any number of compatible devices. Naturally, it also functions as a programmable remote for all your new gadget additions. Really, the entire package is quite amazing. Check it for yourself after the break.
