Marshall, known for its amps, has brought some more more than just music to your skull with it’s update to the Marshall Headphones Major. These cans bring you a mic and remote to allow you to put Blindside’s latest album on pause while taking a call.

A single press of the button plays, or pauses, your music. When a call is coming it, the press answers that call and another press hangs up the caller and resumes your tunes. Double presses skips forward while a triple press brings you back in time with backing up in your selection. Sorry, there is no quad pressing allowed.

Pricing and more information can be found at Marshall Headphones.

Berlin based nova media today unveiled a maintenance update for iHub Basic for Mac OS X. Version 1.0.3 ensures flawless synchronisation of contacts and calendars with iOS 4.2 and fixes some minor bugs when working with address book groups and large amounts of data. iHub Basic shares contacts and calendars automatically and wirelessly between several Macs, iPhones, iPads and iPod touch in any local network.

iHub Basic can use the integrated MoHub® technology by nova media to set up an ad-hoc WiFi network with just a few clicks. This way, all Macs and iOS devices can be sychronised even if no network is available at all.

Only once license of iHub Basic is required to synchronise data in a local network. Synchronisation with other Macs and iPhones, iPads, iPod touch does not require additional licenses and no extra client software is necessary, neither.

Pricing and Availability:
iHub Basic is available today for Euro 29.95 including VAT (US-$ 29.95 for residents in the US and Canada) at nova media’s website http://www.novamedia.de. iHub Basic requires Mac OS X 10.6 or higher to install. Synchronisation of calendars requires Mac OS X 10.6.x, iOS 3.x on the clients. Synchronisation of contacts requires Mac OS X 10.6.x, iOS 4.x on the clients. Version 1.0.3 is a free update for current users of iHub Basic.

We reviewed the Rē Universal Remote back in March and now have some great news for you all. It has been updated with some very sweet features, fixing a few of our cons in fact. Here’s the deets:

• Transfer part or all of your personalized Rē setup from one iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad to another through the popular data transfer program “Bump”, which is incorporated into the Rē App.

More brands have been added to the already extensive IR database list.

• Additional remote editing features and view customization.

Includes compatibility with Sony PS3 using the Schmartz wireless Infra-red adapter.

• Auto-dimming can now be enabled in settings, with automatic activation based upon movement.
• App specific timer that can control when the iPhone or iPod goes to sleep. V1.1 also offers vibrate on/off and volume control for button click specifically within the Rē app.

Update is free in the App Store for current users.

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. ]]> http://svenontech.com/2010/01/05/amulet-launch-2nd-generation-voice-enabled-remote-at-ces/feed/ 0 http://svenontech.com/2008/02/15/universal-introduces-wireless-keypad-%e2%80%94-unique-dual-use-remote-for-home-entertainment-system/ http://svenontech.com/2008/02/15/universal-introduces-wireless-keypad-%e2%80%94-unique-dual-use-remote-for-home-entertainment-system/#comments Sat, 16 Feb 2008 05:06:48 +0000 Sven Rafferty http://svenontech.com/2008/02/15/universal-introduces-wireless-keypad-%e2%80%94-unique-dual-use-remote-for-home-entertainment-system/

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
The KP-900 can be added to the kitchen, the bedroom, the bath, even outdoors — or independently to each location. Equally important, there’s no need to break into walls to add new wiring, since the KP-900 is completely wireless. It operates using Infrared (IR) signals with a range of 30-50 feet, or Radio Frequency (RF) signals with a range of 50-100 feet when used with an optional MRF-350 or MRF-260 RF Base Station. In RF mode, components can be controlled without pointing at them, and even if they are in other rooms, hidden in cabinets, or are behind closed doors.

The KP-900 is also compatible with URC’s pioneering MSC-400 Master System Controller, which provides installers with options and advantages not otherwise available, including triggered macros, RS-232 and relay control, video and voltage sensors, among other features.

For homes that already have wall-mounted volume controls, adding a KP-900 keypad lets users operate their systems from whatever room they’re in. They can turn the system on or off, select what to listen to or watch, change songs, CDs, channels, sources, and more. They can harness previously unused features their components might already possess, like second zone outputs, and use the keypad anywhere in the room by simply lifting it from its home bracket.

Programmed to Please
The KP-900 is designed to be professionally programmed using proprietary URC software through a Windows PC equipped with a USB port. The software is available at no extra cost from the URC Web site, www.universalremote.com. While a basic set-up only takes a few minutes, fully automating an A/V system requires a detailed knowledge of the equipment, the user’s preferences, and how the system is connected.

The KP-900 boasts a generous 4 Megabits of user-configurable Flash memory, which supports up to 400 full pages of commands that can be distributed into as many as 255 devices. Additional features include a 255-color backlighting palette for the LCD display, one-touch blue backlighting for all the hard buttons, the ability to learn new IR commands, a small integrated speaker for audible feedback, a built-in sleep timer, and a USB cable. Four AAA batteries supply reliable, long-lasting power.

The KP-900 Wireless Keypad will be available in March from authorized Universal Remote Control dealers at a suggested price of $599. It can be seen with URC’s other outstanding products in Booth 530, Orange County Convention Center, during the show.

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.

The NewerTech iPhone Speaker Dock & Hands-Free Mic features twin 2-watt speakers and a freestanding microphone, delivering extra speaker volume and a more powerful microphone for improved iPhone speakerphone voice quality and music playback. Additionally, while an iPhone is docked, the NewerTech iPhone Speaker Dock & Mic charges and controls it with built-in volume and call start/end touch buttons. The NewerTech iPhone Speaker Dock & Mic retails for $34.99 with availability beginning January 28, 2008.

The NewerTech Hands-Free Mic & Earbud offers hands-free iPhone communication while driving, walking or relaxing. It eliminates awkward/painful neck bending to keep the ear to the iPhone while using hands for another task. A shirt clamp securely attaches the black 39” long cable to prevent unsightly and dangerous cord dangle. The NewerTech Hands-Free Mic & Earbud retails for $19.99 and is available immediately.

iPhone owners that also own high quality headphones with the standard 3.5mm connector can use the NewerTech iPhone Mic Extender Cable to plug into the iPhone’s recessed jack for hands-free talk. An On/Off switch provides music pause, call answer/end, and music resume operation. The black, 27.6” NewerTech iPhone Mic Extender cable retails for $14.99 and is available immediately.

The NewerTech Bass Response Earbuds utilize insert-passive noise reduction engineering to reduce noise an average of 42dB while boosting audio soundtracks up to 10dB at higher frequencies. As a result, they deliver comfortable bass response and volume levels with less energy while keeping out unwanted and distracting ambient background noise. The NewerTech Bass Response Earbuds have a frequency response of 10-20,000 Hz, sensitivity of 105dB (+/- 3dB), and are available immediately at $19.99.

Custom engineered for the iPhone, the NewerTech iPhone Headphone Jack Adapter solves the incompatibility issue between 1/8” (3.5mm) headphone connectors and the iPhone’s recessed headphone jack. This handy adapter fits correctly and snugly into the iPhone so existing headphones can be utilized without any modification or loss of sound. The NewerTech iPhone Headphone Jack Adapter comes in black, is .04” long, and retails for $7.99, available immediately.

The NewerTech iPhone and iPod Auto Charger is compatible with any car’s standard 12V power/accessory outlet and charges an iPhone or iPod while driving. It works in both domestic and foreign vehicles, comes with a 43” long black cable for iPhone or iPod use while charging, retails for $12.99, and is available immediately.

For more information on the entire NewerTech iPhone Accessory line, see: http://www.newertech.com/products/iphoneacc.php.

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.

Custom programming a complex Home Theater is one of the most challenging aspects of an audio/video installation. Setting a Theater system to play a DVD with just one button, for example, can require programming a macro that instructs the screen to lower, the lights to dim, window shades to close, the projector and sound system to turn on, and the DVD player to start, while also making sure the cable box and iPod dock are turned off. The MX-810’s compatibility with the MSC-400 makes such tasks easy for installers to program and easy for clients to use.

MX-810 Pro Wizard Remote Control
Built-In Versatility
With or without the MSC-400, the MX-810 is a powerful, versatile remote that revolutionizes the remote control experience for anyone who prefers a light, hand-held interface. The newest member of URC’s family of Complete Control products, it delivers automation solutions for every purpose and superior entertainment for everyone who prefers to operate their systems as they wish, not as the equipment seems to dictate.

The MX-810 features a big, bright, active matrix LCD, larger and more vivid than comparable remotes, and a broad array of snappy, iconic graphics readable at a glance. It provides access to a vast array of custom control solutions, available free of charge on proprietary software online at the URC Control Room.

The MX-810 is PC-powered, programmable by any Windows-compatible laptop or desktop computer with a USB port. An installer can set up the remote by connecting a PC, then following the instructions of an onscreen programming Wizard. This can be done in advance or onsite, with a laptop in the Home Theater being programmed. The laptop need not be connected to the Internet.

The programming Wizard guides the selection of operating instructions for any combination of A/V components, in part through effortless access to the world’s best library of professional control codes. Afterward, installers can archive their programming instructions on the Web by accessing URC’s dedicated Wizard website (http://www.WizardRemote.com). Even if the installer suffers a future hard drive crash, their MX-810 programs will be safe and available.

The MX-810 can also be customized with a broad array of graphic “themes,” including one-of-a-kind graphics provided by the remote’s owner. Installers can ask the remote for Help at any point in the process, and be guided to an answer through an intelligent, context-sensitive response process.

Once programmed, the MX-810’s color screen labels the six adjacent buttons with whatever functions are needed at the moment. The labels for the buttons change based on what the user is watching or listening to. If a user selects “Watching TV,” he or she will see a list of buttons useful for watching TV. If a user selects “DVD,” the buttons will control the DVD player.

Fully programmed, the MX-810’s powerful 32-megabit flash memory can customize controls for up to 24 activities on eight LCD pages for each of 24 different devices, for a total of 384 pages.

The MX-810’s built-in IR signal is effective at a range of 30 to 50 feet, depending on room conditions. It converts to RF “No Rules” Operation, with the addition of URC’s MRF-350 or MRF-40 Complete Control RF Base Station, both of which extend the remote’s range to 50 to 100 feet, and eliminate the line-of-sight requirement.

Additional features include a motion sensor that automatically turns on the LCD screen when the remote is picked up, and a one-touch blue backlight that ensures the MX-810 can be used easily in dim or darkened rooms. A small integrated speaker optionally beeps in response to button pushes, indicating the remote has understood the instruction. A built-in time/date display, low-battery alert, rechargeable lithium ion battery, and a supplied USB programming cable further enhance its convenience and ease of use.

The MX-810 Pro Wizard Remote Control is available now from authorized Universal Remote Control dealers at a suggested retail price of $399.

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.