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ThinkFlood closes shop, brings RedEye universal remote down with it
Fans of ThinkFlood might want to shed a few tears today, as the company has just announced it's closing its doors. As a reminder, ThinkFlood was responsible for the RedEye universal remote control system that allowed any smartphone or web-connected device to control everything from a home theatre to a HVAC unit. It was an ambitious project to be sure, which might be the reason behind its demise. If you're a current RedEye customer, rest assured that your hardware and apps will continue to work. However, certain licensed tech like ThinkFlood's device code database and television program guide will become unavailable as licenses expire, so be sure to get those configured ASAP. As the curtains close, there might be a sliver of hope; ThinkFlood's intellectual property is currently up for sale from a creditor, which could point toward a RedEye resurrection if the right buyer is found. Until then however, we might suggest looking for an alternative solution.
ThinkFlood releases RedEye remote control app for Android, makes it even easier to sit around
Nearly two years after releasing their Red Eye app for iOS users, the convenience enthusiasts over at ThinkFlood have now brought the universal remote control to the Android community, as well. The app, which was released in beta a few months ago, allows users to remotely control their non-networked home theater, lighting and air conditioning systems from the comfort of their tablets, laptops or smartphones. Version 2.7.0 also brings plenty of customizable graphics and layouts, for those looking to add a more personal touch to their lives of leisure. Compatible with any device running Android 1.6 or later (including tablets running Honeycomb), the app features a built-in TV program guide that can be used with any display, but in order to take advantage of its other home theater controls, you'll have to purchase networked ThinkFlood hardware products like RedEye or RedEye Pro (it's not compatible with RedEye mini). If you're interested in downloading the tool for free, check out the source links below, or click past the break for more details, in the full PR.
ThinkFlood WiFi remote for Android goes beta, but still requires iOS
ThinkFlood is best known for its universal remote control systems, but now it might become famous for something totally different: discovering a way to bring peace to the tiresome iOS/Android fanboy wars. Its new beta app for Android provides complete control over the company's RedEye and RedEye Pro products, which in the past were strictly iOS-only. In turn, a RedEye system allows a range of IR-equipped devices in a home to be controlled via WiFi -- so in principle you should now be able to control your home theater and other kit using your Android tablet or smartphone. But here's the twist: users of the beta app will need both an Android device and an iOS device in order to get full functionality, because the Android app can't yet handle configuration. The company insists this limitation will soon be fixed, but we say keep it. If all apps required us to own both platforms, things would be so much more harmonious. Full PR after the break. [Thanks, Martin]
Thinkflood intros RedEye Pro networked home automation controller
Talk about slamming down on the left of the wheel. Quite frankly, we haven't seen a veering this drastic since ZeeVee decided to shelve its consumer plans in favor of more professionally oriented wares, but we're willing to give Thinkflood the benefit of the doubt here. The same folks made famous for their IR-beaming iPhone remote dongle have just come forward with something completely out of the ordinary -- the RedEye Pro. The company claims that this newfangled A/V accessory works exactly like the original, attaching to one's home network in order to control a gaggle of devices. Everything from your iPhone to your PC can be dictated, and with eight dual-purpose 3.5mm infrared emitter / contact closure sensor ports, all but the hugest of mansions should be taken care of. We're guessing that the install is only for the brave (and the jobless, given the time away from work that you'll need), but it certainly sounds like an appealing option for those who've grown tired of getting up to activate their HVAC unit. Oh, and if you're curious about the original RedEye, you'll be pleased to know that Thinkflood just shot out the gen2 today; it'll retail at $199 and offering a newly added IR-out port for those who keep their components in a cabinet or rack. Details galore in the source links below.
RedEye launches mini app for IR plugin
We've covered RedEye's IR dongle for the iPhone a few times. Originally, it was introduced as a complete add-on for the iPhone that allowed you to control any entertainment center reached by infrared. Over time RedEye has pushed to simplify the unit more and more, instead providing a cheaper and smaller experience. Now the company has done that again. While the original iOS app offered a lot of different customization and functionality, the new RedEye mini app offers a straightforward TV remote experience. It's free, like the full app, but instead of having to customize everything exactly the way you want it, you can get a simple channel changer and volume control to use on your iPhone. It's been interesting to watch companies like this learning what Apple already knows: while power and customization definitely drives part of your audience, the real way to sell a product is to make it easy to use for anybody who picks it up. I'm sure some people prefer the more complex, self-designed system (myself included), but if you want to aim for a larger market, simple and easy is often best.
RedEye universal remote launches 'mini' app on iTunes for users who want something simpler
Did you know that red eyes are not directly caused by lack of sleep, but rather from dryness and irritation caused by simply leaving them open for too long? While you ponder that bombshell, if you've been losing sleep trying to figure out your RedEye universal remote system the company behind the system, ThinkFlood, has something for you. The current solutions allow users to create activities that turn on and control multiple devices simultaneously, but the new "mini" app now available in the App Store simplifies that greatly, a "device focused" approach acting more like a basic universal remote. That's not exactly how we'd choose to use our $49 IR adapter, but if you're so inclined this free download should offer more power to the non-power user.
ThinkFlood's RedEye universal remote control becomes web compatible, leaves past woes in the dust
After going through some rough times with its RedEye mini dongle and doing right by replacing them, ThinkFlood appears to be running full beam ahead once more. Specifically, the company has announced that RedEye owners will soon have the ability to setup and control their remote systems straight from their PC or mobile browser. On the mobile front, apparently the web app will even work on Android and BlackBerry devices, despite being optimized for Safari on iOS -- hinting that non iPhone owners could possibly let their phones control more than their social lives soon. Setup wise, the web version also allows users to automatically align and move multiple buttons at once, plus assign commands to over 70+ keyboard shortcuts. Combined with the ability to make adjustments using a mouse on a computer's larger screen, tweaking custom RedEye remote layouts just got infinitely easier -- you hear that Harmony? The iOS app 2.0 update is also now available as a free 'Plus' download in the iTunes store, and finally supports the iPad's lovely screen in either orientation. In a sense, it's further substantiating the tablet's new career path as a jumbo-buttoned geezer remote of the future, but hey -- no gripes here.
Thinkflood survives recall, now shipping redesigned RedEye Mini
We're guessing the past few months haven't been the greatest at Thinkflood, who has been dealing with a nasty recall of RedEye Mini IR dongles. Based on information passed down from the company to us today, each one of the recalled units has been replaced, and now the redesigned / better-than-ever models are on sale for the same price as before. $49 nets you an IR adapter that plugs into your iDevice headphone jack, enabling your iPod touch, iPhone or iPad to control essentially any home entertainment component that understands Infrared. Crisis averted, as they say.
Waging WAR: Finding the sandbox
In this installment of Waging WAR, Greg takes a look at Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning from a few different angles and goes in search of the proverbial "sandbox" in a game that contains neither sand nor boxes. Somewhere along the line during my childhood, I developed a habit for playing games with nearly every game I've ever played. I can even remember a time in my early teens when I sat down with a few friends and collaborated on making our own version of battlechess. Pages of chicken-scratched rules and several dice results-tables later, and we were off and running for a solid week of the most entertaining chess matches I've ever played. Or there was that time with The Sims when I started creating experimental families and then leaving my computer on overnight and not interacting with them, just to see how successful they could be without my help. I could bore you for hours on end with examples of how I twisted the rules and made my own games from the games I've played. I suppose I can blame my penchant for metagaming on my early introduction to pen-and-paper roleplaying (i.e., D&D 1st Ed., to be specific). All I had was a sheet of paper, a handful of dice, a description of the world around me, and my imagination. By its very nature, PnP gaming is sandbox gaming. The reason I'm bringing this up now is that, until WAR, I had pretty much been able to "find the sandbox" in any MMO I was able to get my hands on. Whether it was building hardcore Dungeons & Dragons Online characters, roleplaying in City of Heroes, or achievement-chasing in World of Warcraft, I've never really been troubled with finding something to do when the grind started to wear me down. But now, with WAR, I'm finding most of my old tricks for MMO metagaming just aren't working. To read about what I've tried, and why it didn't work in WAR, follow along after the break.
ThinkFlood recalls lot of RedEye Mini IR dongles
That didn't take long, in fact just days after we told you that Thinkflood started shipping the RedEye Mini IR dongles that help turn your iOS device into a remote control, and with favorable results, the company's website is now recalling a lot of them. If you bought one that happens to have a serial number that starts with C0101, then you can expect a replacement sent to you out of lot D0102, when they become available (whose headphone jack is held to the board with solder like the prototype pictured, instead of foam). For those who don't want to wait, full refunds will be available. This is obviously not what anyone wants to hear, but the only thing worse than a recall is when a company notices a problem with the manufacturing process and instead just hopes you don't notice.
Redeye mini dongle out now
We posted about the Redeye mini a while back -- it's an IR dongle that hooks up to the audio port on the iPhone to let you control any IR device (your TV, DVD, or whatever else you've got) with the touchscreen on your phone. You need a free app from the App Store to use the dongle and it doesn't look like much, but ZDnet actually says it works great, controlling multiple devices with ease. You can also set up various activity settings on the remote, and then customize buttons to do whatever you want to do. So it looks like this is a very workable solution if you're interested in using your iPhone as a remote, especially compared to something much more expensive. At just US$49 (though of course you'll need an iPhone), this easily beats most other touchscreen remotes. Thinkflood is taking orders on the dongle right now.
RedEye Mini dongle now on sale for $49, looking good in early review
You've heard about it for months, and now the universal remote that looks nothing like a universal remote is finally on sale in 52 nations. Thinkflood's RedEye Mini -- which simply plugs into the headphone jack of your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch -- can now be procured for $49, and when used with the gratis app in the App Store, can control anything in your home entertainment setup that accepts IR commands. ZDNet was fortunate enough to get a little hands-on time with the device, and their early impressions are quite positive. In fact, they recommend skipping the Harmony hoopla and heading right for this if you're already an iDevice owner (who doesn't use an imposing case or Bumper), and at a buck under a Grant, we certainly aren't in a position to argue. %Gallery-97818%
IR-beaming RedEye mini iPad / iPhone remote dongle gets real, its own video demo
Oh, sure -- ThinkFlood promised us back in early March that a RedEye mini would be landing this summer, but at the time, all we had were a few luscious renders. Today, the company has finally revealed the first actual shots of the forthcoming device, along with a video showing it in action. While diminutive, it's certainly not as compact and discrete as IR-enabled cases, but if you've already committed to an iPod touch / iPhone / iPad case (or just prefer rocking your device sans clothing), this here dongle is likely the next best thing. In case you're wondering, this little guy will transform your iDevice into a universal remote, enabling it to talk to any home entertainment component that listens to IR (read: that's just about all of 'em). We're still stuck waiting a few more months for this $49 product to hit shelves, but for now, feel free to hop past the break and peek a brief demonstration.
RedEye mini converts iPhone, iPad or iPod touch into IR-beaming universal remote
ThinkFlood's original RedEye was pretty swank, but unfortunately, it was both expensive and somewhat convoluted. It's only been four months since that very device hit the scene, but it's safe to say it's already history. Today, the RedEye mini is setting a new bar in the world of iPhone / iPad / iPod touch remotes, with a single plug-in Infrared (IR) adapter enabling your Apple device to beam out a near-limitless array of IR commands. All that's needed is the 3.5mm dongle (read: your dock connector remains open), the latest iPhone OS and the free RedEye app; once you're setup, you can then control your TV, AV receiver, Blu-ray player and whatever else is lucky enough to be in your home theater rack and support IR dictation. Better still, the app allows users to customize the way they control their gear, with full multitouch and accelerometer support complementing the ability to add (soft) macro buttons. Oh, and did we mention that this wealth of functionality will only set you back $49? Huzzah! Update: Not feeling the dongle? Power A has a similar option for iPod touch and iPhone, but their solution is built right into a case. Not bad!
WoW Moviewatch: Mangletooth
Mangletooth is the entry from RedEyeLobine into Blizzard's Rise to Power contest. According to the author, the video was created pretty late in the game as a "last minute thing." The contest had a three minute time limit. If you put these factors together, then RedEyeLobine was dealing with quite a challenge. Nonetheless, I think he did a great job of pulling together a wonderful video with a pretty funny ending. Mangletooth himself is an old, classic World of Warcraft NPC. RedEyeLobine's video answers the question of what would happen when this old, captured, frustrated NPC grows tired of a two-expansion long imprisonment. The video has a few nice little gags along the way, and is pretty enjoyable for something RedEye says he whipped up quickly. When he posted Mangletooth, RedEyeLobine took the time to say that he's still working on completing Frontline and Dude What's My Class? He's been busy during exams, and hopes to get them finished. Given the ongoing quality of his work, I certainly look forward to those two releases. Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an e-mail at machinima AT wow DOT com.
RedEye turns your iPhone and iPod touch into bona fide universal remote (video)
Apple's 'Remote' application was a good start, but we've known for some time now that the platform was capable of far, far more. ThinkFlood is stepping up today and proving our assumptions right, as the RedEye universal remote control system effectively converts your iPhone or iPod touch into a remote for any IR-equipped component. The app itself is completely free to download, though it's the $188 base station that really makes the magic happen; your handheld talks to said dock via WiFi, and if you've got an AV device, home automation system or pretty much anything that responds to IR signals, your iPhone can now control it. The setup supports multiple rooms, controllers and users simultaneously, and we're told that it "controls a virtually unlimited number of devices and can store a virtually unlimited number of commands." Heck, this thing even reacts to multitouch gestures and accelerometer controls. Don't believe us? Check the vids just past the break.
RedEye gives you a universal iPhone remote for your home entertainment center
ThinkFlood has released RedEye, their universal remote add-on for iPhone and iPod touch. The RedEye remote is a combination of hardware and software that turns your iPhone into a truly universal remote control for IR-based devices. I received an advance unit to take for a spin, and tested it out with my (modest) home theater setup and an iPhone 3GS. The RedEye hardware is retailing at $188US. I mention this early because the price point affected my perception of the product quite a bit. From the packaging to the construction of the unit, it doesn't really feel like high-end hardware -- not the way my Harmony 1000 remote does. Granted, it's still almost half the cost of the Harmony 1000 and less than half of the 1100, but the lightweight, plastic unit just doesn't pull off the aesthetics or feel of a $200 piece of hardware. The hardware portion of the RedEye is an IR-blaster with a built-in charging dock for the iPhone/iPod touch. It creates a bridge between Wi-Fi (from the iPhone/iPod) and IR devices. The base unit has a fairly good IR range, but no built-in options for extending it. A repeater may be required in some circumstances, especially if your equipment is behind closed cabinet doors. The device has built-in Wi-Fi broadcast, and can connect to your iPhone/iPod right out of the box. You get better performance (and easier configuration), however, by modifying the setup to use an existing Wi-Fi signal in your home. Multiple units can be used to cover additional rooms and control them all from a single iPhone/iPod, and multiple iPhones/iPods can connect to a single RedEye unit. Configurations are stored in the unit itself, so software modifications made on one iPhone/iPod are available to any other iPhone/iPod. The RedEye software [iTunes link] is a free download on the App Store. It detects RedEye units on the current network, and allows you to add multiple rooms, IR devices, commands and activities. Devices are easy to add from an extensive list, and most devices have commands presets available. New commands can be learned at any time by capturing the control signal from an existing remote. Activities combine commands for multiple IR devices into a single control panel with assignable buttons. Activities also have optional startup and shutdown macros, so devices can be turned on or off, inputs can be set, volume controlled, etc. when starting or stopping an Activity. Control panels can be built by adding buttons, assigning commands and icons to them and dragging them around to create your own remote. Ready-to-go templates are included for many devices/activities. Ignoring my concerns about hardware quality for a bit, the functionality of the hardware/software combination is quite impressive. The premise is simple -- turn commands sent over Wi-Fi into infrared signals -- but the possibilities are endless. The large touch screen of the iPhone/iPod touch rivals that of the Harmony 1000/1100 or Pronto remotes. It lacks any hardware buttons, of course, but provides custom configurations limited only by screen space. The software setup is not as simple as I'd like, but the app itself is stable and reliable at this point. I think it would be well-served by a desktop-based application that could upload directly to the base unit. That would allow the user to build a remote/activity much faster than is possible with the iPhone, and decrease frustration significantly. I'm not saying the RedEye isn't worth $188. It's a great universal remote system, and as far as I can tell, it's the only device of its type available for the iPhone/iPod touch (UIRemote seems to be dead?). It just needs some construction refinement, and maybe some software usability tweaks. If you've got an iPhone or an iPod touch, a lot of remotes on your coffee table, and a little time to spend with the initial setup, RedEye is really a very cost-effective solution. For more information (and ordering info), take a look at the RedEye site.
WoW Moviewatch: Ravenholdt Labyrinth (Interactive WoW Adventure)
A small crew of machinima creators and artists have stepped up their gamed and delivered something truly new to the World of Warcraft fan video scene. Check out the Ravenholdt Labyrinth (Interactive WoW Adventure). This isn't a single video. Instead, using the interactive linking annotation feature in YouTube, the creators have made a sort of "Choose your own adventure" adventure using WoW machinima. Depending on your choices, you can navigate Gigi further into Ravenholdt to discover the mystery . . . or get her killed. You make the choices as you proceed. This is the first machinima of this kind that I've seen, and my hat's off to Gigi, RedEye, Dan, WoPairs, and Abandonation for opening the doors to a new style of machinima. It would be awesome to see them do more like this, since I think it really broadens the scope of experience offered by machinima. The overall style of this video is suited to Halloween. It's moody and spooky. The creep factor gets higher as you take Gigi further into the labyrinth. This is a really great job by everyone involved. My hat is off to the creators. Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an e-mail at machinima AT wow DOT com.
Atree rolls out J2 Red Eye White Edition PMP
Atree's J2 "Red Eye" PMP has only floating around for a short while now, but it looks like the company is already busy filling out its offerings, and it's now kicked out a new white model for those not so keen on the previous candy-colored options. Apart from that change, however, the player looks to remain the same as before, with it sporting a 2.4-inch QVGA display, your choice of 4GB or 8GB capacities, a microSD card slot for expansion, support for most of the big audio / video formats, and that trademark HAL 9000-esque "Red Eye" button on the front. Still no word on an official release 'round here, as you might have guessed, but it starts at the local equivalent $92 if you're planning a Korean vacation anytime soon.[Via PMP Today]
Enable an advanced edit mode in iPhoto 6
Rob Griffiths at Macworld has stumbled upon an advanced edit mode in iPhoto 6 that offers some advanced functions when using the Retouch or Red-Eye tools. When using either of these tools, you can hit ctrl-caps lock-9 (yes, I said caps lock) to switch on these specialized cursors that allow you to fine-tune the affected areas and intensities that will be applied to your image.Check out the Macworld article for the full run-down on how these tools work and how you can customize them, as well as an example of their abilities.[via Daring Fireball, image via Macworld]
