New Potato Technologies, an innovator and developer of iPod and iPhone accessories, today introduced FLPR™, a revolutionary new accessory and app that transforms iPhone and iPod touch into a universal remote control. FLPR lets users control multiple electronic devices, including televisions, cable and satellite boxes, stereo systems, lights, ceiling fans and just about anything else that uses an infrared remote control. Available this month from Best Buy stores nationwide, and online at http://www.newpotatotech.com, the revolutionary FLPR replaces a sea of remotes cluttering up the home.
FLPR is a snap to set up. After purchasing the FLPR infrared interface and popping it into the iPhone/iPod touch dock connector, users simply download the free FLPR app from the App Store℠ online store. Once the app is launched, choose the device “type,” select “brand,” “name it” and “use it.” It’s that easy. FLPR comes pre‐programmed with over 14,000 remote control codes, including all major electronics brands.
Unlike other universal remote solutions for iPhone and iPod touch, FLPR’s extensive database of over 14,000 pre‐programmed remote control codes means that you don’t have to spend time learning your existing remotes “button by button.” FLPR works with hundreds of brands of devices out of box with no programming necessary.
FLPR is also a learning remote. If the remote control code for that old television in the guest bedroom is not in the extensive FLPR database, you can easily teach FLPR the code for that old relic, creating a brand new remote.
The user‐friendly, stylish interface of FLPR rivals that of expensive, high‐end universal remotes. What’s more, FLPR can be personalized with the included free background skins. The screen for each device you control can have a distinct look so you can instantly tell the remote for the television apart from the iPod docking sound system.
FLPR has a range of about 30 feet and is powered by the iPhone/iPod touch. The free FLPR app is available now in the iTunes store. For more, visit http://www.newpotatotech.com/flpr.
The FLPR infrared interface will be available March 4, 2010 at NewPotatoTech.com and in‐store nationwide at Best Buy on March 28, 2010 for $79.99.
NewKinetix LLC, of Portland, Oregon, will be demonstrating their Universal Remote Control, RēTM, at the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.
The Rē infrared (IR) hardware accessory plugs into your iPhone or iPod touch mobile digital device and the user interface will be provided by a supporting Rē Universal Remote iPhone application planned to be offered free on the App Store. As users are turning to their iPhone for information and entertainment, an IR universal remote accessory for the iPhone has been highly requested throughout social media platforms, as in mobilecrunch.com’s “5 iPhone Accessories We’re Still Waiting For.”
As a plug-in accessory, the Rē Universal Remote requires no cables, batteries, charging, or network connections to provide complete control of your TV, stereo, DVD player, or most any remote controlled device. Its portability allows you to use it anywhere you go, and it is set up and ready for use with any IR ready AV entertainment device within minutes. The Rē accessory includes an extensive database of IR codes that will control most popular AV entertainment devices. Not only will it eliminate remote control clutter by consolidating all of your remotes into a single unit at your fingertips, but the smart design and functionality of the application software is intended to offer extensive personalization capabilities including:
• Create remotes automatically for each device to be controlled • Customize Activity Remotes to control entertainment activities like “Watch TV” or “Watch Movie”
• Edit button images and button layout on the touch screen • Add buttons and learn IR codes to enhance device remotes
• Setup and playback of button sequences to provide automated device control • Create “Favorites” lists that span multiple sources, so quick access can be personalized for TV channels, CD tracks, movie scenes etc. The Rē is planned for initial availability in North America. For more information on the Rē, you can check out the new Rē web site.
Amulet Devices will launch their new second generation voice-enabled Remote control for Windows Media Center at CES 2010 in Las Vegas, running from 7-10 January.
Fully compatible with Microsoft’s new Windows 7 Media Center, as well as supporting existing Windows Vista users, the Amulet Remote uses simple voice commands to provide instant access to any media item in your digital library – music, television programs, movies, home videos and photos.
Building on the company’s previous successful voice-enabled remote for Windows Vista, a CES i-stage nominee, the new product features a sleek new case design, improved voice capability and full IR learning capability.
CEO Garry McMullan said, “CES is the most important show we attend each year, and we can’t wait to let visitors get some hands on experience with our new model. I know they’ll be amazed.”
President, Amulet Devices US Pat Lawless added, “The early feedback from customers who have previewed the new Amulet Remote has been exceptional, and demand is very high. This is the remote Media Center users have been waiting for.”
In conjunction with product availability Amulet Devices are launching an Early Adopter Program (EAP) for a select number of end-users and resellers. Early adopters will have access to the newest Amulet® products and the opportunity to provide suggestions on the features of new products before they are released.
The Windows 7 Amulet Voice Remote is due to ship in Q1 2010 and will retail for $249. For more information, including demonstration videos, visit the company’s website at www.amuletdevices.com.
Universal Remote Control, Inc., the leader in control system design and manufacturing for home and professional entertainment systems, will introduces the wireless, dual-use KP-900 Wireless Keypad at this Spring’s Electronic House Expo, beginning Mar. 13 in Orlando, Florida.
The KP-900 is a powerful keypad remote that controls all audio and video equipment in a home, simplifying and automating the operation of even the most complex Home Theater system to achieve an extraordinary combination of power and flexibility. It can be mounted on a wall AND used as a handheld remote, making it ideal for retrofitting into homes with existing entertainment systems, as well as for new homes.
Universal Remote Control’s KP-900 Wireless Keypad
Four simple screws attach the KP-900’s bracket to a wall, eliminating the expense and inconvenience of running new wires or opening the wall to add new wires. The keypad can be mounted in any room, and anywhere in a room. It can be used on the wall in its bracket, independently as a handheld, or affixed to a refrigerator or other metal surface thanks to a built-in magnet. The keypad is compatible with iPods and other portable music players, and comes in three decorator-friendly finishes — white, light almond and black.
The KP-900 is equipped with a bright, easy to read, backlit LCD screen, and injection-molded backlit buttons with laser-etched labeling. Six buttons to the right of the screen are labeled based on what a user is watching or listening to, and change accordingly. Someone ‘Watching TV,’ for example, will see a list of buttons useful to that activity. If he selects ‘DVD,’ the buttons will automatically change to control the DVD — making operation of the system simple, fluid and intuitive.
To further enhance customized installation, the keypad comes with three sets of keycaps for the top buttons. One set has no labels. The other two simplify volume control (Volume Up, Mute and Volume Down) and transport control (Seek–, Shuffle and Seek+). They help installers more perfectly adapt the keypad to specific systems and user preferences, and cannot be removed once installed.
Any Room, Anywhere Read the rest of this entry »
Newer Technology, Inc. (NewerTech) announced its new NewerTech iPhone Accessory Line consisting of six products that add iPhone functionality and user convenience. The NewerTech iPhone Accessory Line will be debuted at Macworld, held January 15-18, 2008 in San Francisco.
The NewerTech iPhone Accessory Line includes:
- NewerTech iPhone Speaker Dock & Hands-Free Mic – speaker phone.
- NewerTech Hands-Free Mic & Earbud – hands-free communication while driving.
- NewerTech iPhone Mic Extender Cable – mic extender for hands-free use.
- NewerTech Bass Response Earbuds – noise reduction and sound quality enhancer.
- NewerTech iPhone Headphone Jack Adapter – links to headphone connectors.
- NewerTech iPhone and iPod Auto Charger – charges an iPhone or iPod while driving.
Universal Remote Control, Inc., the leader in control system design and manufacturing for home and professional entertainment systems, introduces the MX-810 Pro Wizard Remote Control, bringing a new level of programming sophistication to the operation of Home Theaters.
MX-810 Pro Wizard Remote Control
Stylish and state-of-the-art, the MX-810 provides Home Theater owners and professional installers with dedicated, custom control over single-room Home Theaters or AV entertainment systems. It’s an ideal remote for single-room Home Theater systems, as well as homes with multiple AV systems and more than one remote control, as each MX-810 remains dedicated to a single room’s equipment, complete with a user-changeable label identifying the room.
The MX-810 is also pragmatic — as easy for owners to use as it is quick for installers to program, achieving a unique synergy of power and flexibility that automates and simplifies the operation of even the most complex Home Theaters.
Featuring Radio Frequency (RF) addressability and a bright, color LCD display, the MX-810’s readiness for programming allows custom installers to put any command on any LCD page, and fully personalize the screen’s iconography for any and every user. The RF capability also eliminates the need to point the remote at whatever it’s activating, or even remain in the line of sight of any equipment. It can control components up to 100 feet away from locations throughout a home, even components concealed in cabinets or behind doors.
Power Plus Compatibility
Equally important, the MX-810 is fully compatible with URC’s pioneering MSC-400 Master System Controller. The MSC-400 seamlessly harnesses the power of sophisticated home entertainment systems, providing installers with options and advantages not otherwise available. It offers triggered macros, RS-232 and relay control, video and voltage sensors, rock-solid Narrow Band RF and many more features — taming systems’ complexity, while delivering unmatched flexibility, automation power, installation speed, and diagnostic capabilities.
The remote’s addressability feature lets it communicate with a specific location or device, like the Master Controller, and comfortably co-exist with other RF remotes in a home, and AV systems in other rooms. Read the rest of this entry »
So much is being said about the iPhone and how great it will be but interesting enough, those that can truly afford this luxury, Corporate America, is the one being ignored in all the hype. As previously stated on SvenOnTech, the iPhones lack of support for BlackBerry and Exchange Direct-Push is going to be one dubious problem for Steve Jobs to hit that announced 1% of market share by next year (2008.) At a staggering $500 a pop, most tweens are going to be left wishing they had an iPhone instead of owning one. What Steve Jobs forgot to mention at his Keynote back in January was the majority of smartphone buyers are not tweens but rather “suits”. And what are the suits looking for? E-mail. Not Yahoo e-mail, corporate e-mail. You know, stuff that plugs into HQs Exchange server or BlackBerry service without a hitch.
Without support for these two mainstream e-mail services, you can pretty much figure the iPhone is going to have issue maintaining a rise in the market share. Sure, the iPhone is going to sell out on the 29th, but that’s what happens to a limited supplied product on its premiere day after months of hype before it. But when these phones get in the hands of those users and many find no way to connect to their Exchange server, whelp, refreshed stock will be met with returned day-one sold iPhones. Heck, that’s my plan if the iPhone doesn’t support my Exchange server and I know many other professionals will be doing the same thing.
One feature the iPhone is certain not to have is the ability to remotely synchronize like Windows Mobile phones do. Boy, has this been a life saver for me more than once. Out in the middle of no-where, my phone required a hard-reset and gone is all my data. Thankfully I was able to configure my Exchange Server information and in 20 minutes, I had all my contacts, calendar, and e-mail back to where it was previously. Actually, new e-mail had arrived. The iPhone won’t have this luxury and trust me, you’ll have to do a hard-reset on the iPhone, too. As good as Apple is, nothing is perfect.
Topping it off, Apple CEO Steve Jobs stated today at WWDC that they “hope” to have an SDK (developers kit) out for the iPhone (someday?) which basically means that a third-party won’t be able to even make an application to do the Exchange or Blackberry connect if it wanted to. This leaves little hope for Exchange and BlackBerry support. One can only pray that Jobs just felt like not acknowledging the support for personal reasons (hates Microsoft) and professional ones (Yahoo was on stage, not RIM). Honestly, I’m still baffled why Yahoo Mail is even supported at all! But I digress.
In short, I’m not the only one that feels this way. Forbes released a very in depth article stating all the issues with the iPhone (battery, scratches, keyboard, etc.) It’s nice to see not everyone is blinded by the hype.
I use LogMeIn for all of my clients PCs but have actually had to drop some of them from my companies support services when they moved to a Mac due to the lack of OSX support. Well, I’m happy to say, LogMeIn now offers a preview release of its superb remote control software for the Mac! Working on both PowerPC and Intel chips, LogMeIn will allow you to log into any Mac from any Mac or PC with an Internet connection. From within your browser, you’ll be able to click, drag, and type on your remote Mac’s screen. Help friends, family, or clients with computer issues by logging into remotely or connect to your Mac and edit files while away from your Mac. All for free.
I’ve already installed it on a Mac and tested the remote control feature from my Windows XP PC in Firefox as well as from my MacBook Pro’s Firefox browser. Like any other PC I’ve worked on, the Mac version worked like a charm. All features supported on the PC are replicated on the Mac, too.
Users will be able to install LogMeIn for free on any Mac by simply creating a free user account. Monthly subscriptions are offered as well which gives you features that IT departments thirst as well file transfer and printer use for a smaller monthly fee.
Thank you, LogMeIn for bringing your awesome software to the Mac! Now lets fix the screen redraw problem in the Java Viewer for the Mac! 
Many Mac users probably don’t realize that their Mac OS X has built-in capability to be remotely controlled from another Mac anywhere in the world. With Apple’s Remote Desktop, controlling anyones Mac is as easy as few clicks of approval on the host Mac. But…it’ll cost ya. $300 (minimum.)
Now, for those who do have a desire to control other Macs in their household of family members Macs in another city to assist in some technical support but wish to avert the high price, there is an alternative. A free product called Chicken of the VNC gives you the power of Apple’s product at the great rate of free. Add in HamachiX and now you’ve got free secure remote desktop control!
If you’re looking to control Macs in your local network, say work or home, then you can get the even easier Teleport. With a double click of Teleport and a firewall rule addition, you’ll be in remote control business.
Now, if you’re looking for in depth instructions and a bit more detail on these apps, then take a look at the great write up over at 5thirtyone. Derek does a fine job explaining this all and it’ll surely help you better understand these fine free applications.
BeInSync, a company that provides an all-in-one solution for consumers and small businesses to access, share and protect their data, today announced BeInSync Pro Version 3.0. BeInSync Pro Version 3.0 includes new simplified file sync, instant file sharing, remote access via a Web interface, automatic online backup and support for Microsoft Windows Vista. BeInSync leverages the Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3) from Amazon Web Services as the solution’s underlying infrastructure to provide its users with up to 5GB of highly reliable performance and available storage.
Managing personal and business data can be difficult and time consuming. Many users work on multiple computers and in multiple locations, travel frequently, interact and share files, needing to maintain the integrity of their data. BeInSync Pro Version 3.0 relies on patent-pending, secure peer-to-peer networking technology to create a user’s own private data network that makes it easy to stay connected and always in sync with colleagues and friends, remote files and computers. This technology eliminates the need to install costly servers, configure complex Virtual Private Networks or other remote access solutions in order to mobilize data.
Key features of BeInSync 3.0 include: Read the rest of this entry »