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VooMote Zapper universal remote for iOS: A first look and a rant
Zero1.tv has released its new VooMote Zapper (US$69.95) universal remote for iOS devices into the wild, and it's also now in your nearby Apple Store. I had an opportunity to try the new device out over the last week, and while less expensive and smaller than the VooMote One remote we mentioned at its release last last year, the Zapper still seems to have some of the same issues that many other iOS remotes have. First, the good news. The tiny Zapper plugs into the 30-pin Universal Dock port on the bottom of your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad. As such, it's able to provide the infrared transceiver on the device with more power than some of the cheap devices we've seen that plug into the headphone jack. The company boasts that the Zapper has four IR mini-blasters for range, and it really does seem to make a difference. I found that the Zapper was able to control devices easily from across a room in broad daylight, so it's definitely got the power. The dongle comes in eight colors that match the iPad 2 Smart Covers, and it appears that there will be colored cases for iPad 2, iPhone 4/4S, and iPod touch 4th Generation. Those cases you see in the image at the top of this post? They're not available yet. %Gallery-146732% Now, the not-so-good news. Even after getting an update to the free VooMote Zapper app the other day, most of the devices that make up my home entertainment system were not in the library of codes. The Zapper app has one irritating habit right off the bat: it runs upside down on the iPhone so that the Zapper is always at the "top" of the screen. Want to check email? Flip your device upside-down again. The app is not universal, so if you run it on your iPad, it's either a tiny window on your device or a fuzzy 2X version of the app. VooMote is coming out with an iPad-specific TV Guide app sometime in 2012. The way the app works is you add a room to your home, then add individual devices to that room. The list of rooms is quite extensive, but it doesn't include that staple of American homes, the "family room." I decided to use "living room" instead, although that is a completely separate room in my home that doesn't have any tech in it. Next, I started adding devices to my "living room." Immediately I was confused. Is my Comcast / Motorola DVR considered a DVR, or is it a cable box? There are listings for both types of devices. I decided to call it a cable box. Upon choosing cable box, I found one that was named "Comcast", but the box I have wasn't listed. The Zapper app took me through a process of trying to figure out what it was by asking me if it was changing channels, bringing the volume up, etc. When it was done, I had a virtual remote on my iPhone called "Cable-Box" that looks nothing like the remote I normally use, and it has controls that make absolutely no sense for the model I'm using. Next I added the TV. I have a Panasonic Viera 50" Plasma TV that's about five years old. The only Panasonic TVs that are listed are about fifteen units that must be quite new. Once again, I had to go through the training process to see if the app could come up with a remote that would work with my TV. Sure, it turns it on and off, changes channels, and bumps the volume up and down, but I still have to grab my old TV remote in order to change the input (HDMI1, HDMI2, etc.). I went through the same process with everything but the Apple TV, which miraculously was already in the database. However, it didn't actually turn the Apple TV on, so my guess is that the device settings were for the first-generation device. Sure, this is a new device and I'm sure that the code library for devices will expand in the future. But I'd bet that a lot of TUAW readers have the same opinion that I do -- when I get a "universal remote," I want it to work out of the box without needing to go through this tedious type of hit-and-miss process. Like the Logitech Harmony One remote that I previously used, the Zapper has a way to string together commands so that you can turn on multiple devices in sequence for doing something like watching a DVD -- turn on TV, turn on DVD player, turn on audio device (home theater), etc. I didn't even try this function. I am not going to single out just the VooMote Zapper for having this problem; just about every iOS remote control device I've tried has been lacking, and the Logitech remote described earlier was also a pain to program. I will give the VooMote Zapper a chance, and I've set up an appointment on my calendar to see if an expanded code library in a few months makes this device easier to set up and use. I certainly like the design of the little dongle. If Apple really wants to capture the home entertainment market, it doesn't need to come to market with a new HDTV -- it just needs to figure out how to get every type of device working together seamlessly and without a lot of annoying setup. For that, I'd be willing to pay a lot of money.
Zero1's VooMote Zapper remote control for iOS devices is now available
Looking for yet another way to control your TV or home theater from your iOS-based device? Then you may be glad to know that Zero1's VooMote Zapper remote control is now available for $70. That buys you just the Zapper dongle itself -- you'll have to shell out $80 for the bundle including the iPhone case you see above, or $90 for one with an iPad case instead (both of which will be shipping a bit later in January). Key to whichever package you choose is Zero1's accompanying remote control app, which is available as a free download and can be fully customized to suit your setup. You can get an idea of how it works in our hands-on from this fall.
Zero1 VooMote Zapper remote control for iOS hands-on (video)
Are you one of those old-school types who still watches TV programs on an actual television? Then you probably also own one or fifteen of those cordless channel changer contraptions -- you know, the kind that use AA batteries and magic beams of light to command station and volume adjustments. Well, set down the remote, lean back in that oversized plastic-covered velvet sofa, and get ready to toss out your last pair of alkalines. Zero1's new VooMote Zapper remote module has been making the rounds at IFA, letting you use any iOS device as a universal remote. Sure, the concept itself isn't new -- there have been other iOS-integrated remotes -- but the Zapper is small, relatively inexpensive, and interfaces quite nicely with your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. Your programmed selections are stored on the Zapper itself, so you can easily use it with multiple iOS devices. The $70 device can be matched with identically colored cases ($20 and up), and also includes rather comprehensive TV Guide functionality, enabling you to see local programming, watch previews of unfamiliar content, and send an infrared signal to your TV to launch a program -- during its scheduled airing time, of course. We took a look at the app / itsy bitsy hardware combo, and it seemed to work well, with an easy setup process (codes for nearly every device come preloaded) and fast response time. VooMote reps said the device has a range of 25 feet, which is more than plenty for our tiny apartment configs, but may not suffice in some stadium-style media rooms. At the end of the day, it's really just a (very) elegant touchscreen universal remote solution, so we'll leave it at that. Jump past the break to see the Zapper in action.%Gallery-132608%
Zero1.tv's Voomote Zapper brings remote-controlled universality to iOS users
Back in July, we caught a glimpse of the Voomote One -- Zero1.tv's universal remote adapter for iPhone and iPod Touch users. Now, the company has just announced a slimmer, iPad compatible successor to its bulky peripheral, with the Voomote Zapper. Slated to debut at IFA later today, this paperclip-sized dongle attaches to your iDevice's 30-pin connector, allowing you to remotely control any A / V gadget with the help of Zero1.tv's free and customizable iOS app. The Zapper's Room Control feature also lets you catalog all your infrared devices by location, while controlling multiple systems with a single button, thanks to its One View function. Its iPad-optimized TV Guide, meanwhile, allows you to fire up your favorite shows with even greater ease, using the app's graphically-displayed programming schedules. No word yet on pricing or availability, but you can zap your way past the break for the full press release.
