Well here’s a brilliant idea. A subsidiary of NEC called NEC Electronics, or NECEL for short, have developed a TV remote control that will never require you to change batteries, nor will it ever run out of power. Every time a couch potato picks up the remote and pushes any of the buttons, the vibrations of those motions generates a small amount of electricity which is enough to perform basic TV remote operations like changing the channel or adjusting the volume. The remote, or at least its power unit, is being developed in conjunction with another company called Soundpower, and instead of it just being a research project, the companies intend for the technology to hopefully hit the market in the next couple of years.

[ NEC Electronics Battery-Less Remote ] VIA [ Asiajin ]

How often have you come across a gadget that was only available as an import item and thought to yourself, “hey! I could really use that, but the website selling it looks a bit sketchy and how do I even know it will work as well as they claim it does, if at all?” Such was the case with the Compact Wireless Keyboard with Touchpad we brought you a few weeks ago. A friend of mine thought the same thing when he first saw it, but since it was the exact thing he needed for his HTPC he decided $40 wasn’t that big of a loss if the thing was a total piece of crap, but it turns out it isn’t.

I had a chance to play with it this past weekend, and for the most part it works rather well. It’s a bit larger than even a classic Blackberry, but it’s quite thin (as you can see below) and it’s remarkably light. The keypad has a good tactile feel to it, though the keys could be a bit easier to press, and the touchpad is as responsive as one you’d find on a laptop. There’s also an orange backlight that makes all of the keys and their labels clearly visible even with no lights on, though the secret to turning it off, without power cycling the touchpad, remains a mystery.

On the bottom edge there’s a mini USB port which is used for charging its internal battery, as well as an on/off slider for preserving battery life when it’s not in use.

And across the top there’s a series of blue LEDs used to indicate various functions from battery life to connection status.

Now I won’t say this is the perfect solution for everyone’s HTPC setup, since doing things like typing out an email could get a bit tedious on its cramped keypad, but as a compact alternative to a mouse and full-sized keyboard sitting on your lap it’s really not a bad solution for just $40. Oh and I know they claim it will also work with the Xbox 360, the PS3 and the Wii, but I never had a chance to test that functionality out, so I still remain skeptical about that.

Thanks Derrick!

[ Unisen Handheld Keyboard & Mouse Touchpad ]

If you ask me, most wireless keyboards designed to be used with HTPCs are just too big. I have no intentions of touch-typing out a novel while sitting on my couch in front of the TV, so this HTPC remote with its compact Blackberry-esque QWERTY keypad is more than adequate for my needs. It’s wireless thanks to a USB dongle that attaches to the HTPC itself, and besides supporting Windows, Linux and Mac OS, it can apparently also be used with the 360, PS3 and the Wii. Oh and that large area that looks like an LCD display? It’s actually a touchpad saving you from having to juggle a wireless mouse as well. Not bad for just $40 from efo, if it works as advertised of course.

[ Wireless Keyboard & HTPC Remote ] VIA [ The Gadgeteer ]

By Chris Scott Barr

It seems like not all that long ago, universal remotes were very plain gadgets that you’d pick up at you local store when you lost your TV remote. Then you’d get it home only to find that your specific model wasn’t listed in the back, so you had to manually program the stupid thing. Yes, I’ve bought several of them over the years, and hated each and every one. Thankfully these days companies like Logitech are making remotes that not only have a lot of extra features, but also are easy to setup.

This morning Logitech announced their latest universal remote, the Harmony 700. This remote can control up to 6 different living room devices, which should clear up some room on your coffee table. They have attempted to simplify the way you use the remote, with buttons like “Watch TV” and “Listen to Music.” The color LCD screen also makes many actions a lot easier. Your favorite TV channels will be stored on the screen, letting you simply press a button to be taken there.

In order to program the remote, you’ll only need to download the software on your computer, and enter the model numbers of the devices you want to control. No codes to enter on the remote. As for power, the Harmony 700 comes with a pair of rechargeable AA batteries. When they start to get low (or die) you can simply plug in the remote with the included power adapter. I have to say that this is the first remote I’ve seen that comes with a power cord, which is an interesting idea. If you have a lot of devices in your living room, and don’t mind dropping $150 on a remote, then this would very likely serve you well when it hits stores later this month.

[ Logitech ]

By Chris Scott Barr

Monster Cables is a company well-known for suing other people for uttering the word “monster” when not referring to their products. Oh, and they produce overpriced cables. Unfortunately it would seem that the poor economy and sheer amount of lawsuits over trademark infringement have really taken their toll on the company. As you can see from their latest product, the MCC AV50 Home Theater Controller, they had to let go their entire design team.

Normally I wouldn’t bother writing about a $50 universal remote, but this thin is too hideous to pass up. Sure, if it were coming from some unknown company out of China, I wouldn’t have given it a second glance. Yet somehow this is being sold by Monster Cable. I suppose if you needed a remote to fit in with your living room which has been modeled after the original Enterprise, then this might do.

[ Monster Cable ] VIA [ BoingBoing ]

What do you get when you combine a couple of DDR dance mats for the PS2, a converter box allowing them to connect to a PC, some custom-written C# code and a set of Windows Media Center themed button graphics? Why the world’s largest Media Center Remote Control of course. Or at least the largest one I’ve ever seen. It’s a bit too physically involved for my liking, as you can see in the video below, but if you’re interested in making your own, the source code is available on the michbex.online website.

[ World's Largest Media Center Remote Control? ] VIA [ SlashGear ]

I’m still finding stuff from CES to write up, and one of the very first gadgets I had the chance to play with was the new Logitech Harmony 1100 universal remote. In fact, it turns out the person I was sitting next to on my flight to Vegas was the Logitech ‘demo guy’ for this product, so I had an ‘in’ even before the plane touched down. The Harmony 1100 is an upgrade to the 1000 model, and features a 3.5 inch color touch screen that’s complimented with a set of ’soft’ buttons on the sides, and dedicated volume and channel buttons to the right. Now these buttons technically duplicate functionality already found on the touch screen, but I like the fact that you can adjust the volume and change the channel without having to look away from the screen. Who knows when that crazy island from Lost might up and disappear again while you’re not paying attention?

And like with all the Logitech Harmony models, programming the 1100 to replace up to 15 different remotes is easy thanks to their guided online setup that currently supports more than 225,000 devices from over 5,000 brands. But if things get too complicated, the UI on the large touch screen can also be re-configured to show only the commands you want to see, even to the point of choosing a custom icon for each one. Now that large display does raise the issue of battery life, but the remote comes with a docking cradle, so whenever it’s not in use or lost, the battery should be recharging. (I think the Logitech rep suggested 3 or 4 days of use before it needed to be recharged.)

The Logitech Harmony 1100 is expected to be available in February for $499.99.

[ Logitech Harmony 1100 Advanced Universal Remote ]

By Luke Anderson

How many remotes do you have in your living room? Personally, I have three: one for the TV/cable box, one for my home theater system and one for my Xbox 360. At any given time, at least two of these are missing. Generally I’ve found that either I wandered off into another room and set one down, or the couch at it. Still, I spend more time searching for them than I’d like. That’s why something like this Remote Buddy Stylish could come in handy.

First, I would like to point out that despite its name, this thing doesn’t actually look all that stylish. It is useful in the respect that it not only provides a good place to set your remotes, but it will also locate them for you at the push of a button. It also provides a drink holder, so you don’t lose that too. You can get yours for right around $60.

[ Taylor Gifts ] VIA [ Crave ]

You might already have a mountain of remotes sitting on your coffee table, but are any of them modeled after a classic 1950’s science fiction ray gun? I didn’t think so. While the Channel Changer Ray Gun can only be used to advance one channel at a time everytime you pull the trigger, it apparently also makes a cool sound effect each time. And if that’s not enough to sell you on the idea, I doubt there’s anything more I can say that will convince you to get one.

It’s available from Play.com for about $18.

[ Channel Changer Ray Gun ] VIA [ Nerd Approved ]

By Luke Anderson

Living in the Midwest means that we usually have a decent amount of rain. Sure, there are times when the farmers complain that their crops are a bit dry, but you rarely see people watering their lawns due to dry weather. In other parts of the country that isn’t always the case. If you happen to live in one of those areas and don’t want to take the time to go outside and turn on and off the sprinklers, you might enjoy this Remote Rain Water Control.

Just hook this little gadget up to your water line and attach the hose. Then just keep the remote somewhere handy and press the button when you want to turn on or off the water. This is also good for playing pranks on people walking through your yard. After all, that “Do not walk on grass” sign is there for a reason.

[ ImprovementsCatalog ] VIA [ UberGizmo ]