Remote Shoppe is dedicated to Remote Controls

We just received some discouraging news from ThinkFlood that they have issued a total recall of all RedEye Mini units that were shipped from their original release earlier this week (Batch C0101). Their reaction to the situation is admirable and we trust that all customers will be properly taken care of.

** At least they didn't offer to send a free plastic bumper for the RedEye Mini.

Read the complete recall notice after the jump:

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Custom interfaces replicate the look and feel of some of the most popular performance vehicles available, giving the Pronto control panel a fun, intuitive control interface, without hours of programming.

Philips Pronto, the value leader in two-way control solutions for the home, has launched a sleek new user interface to compliment the company’s line of controllers. The new interface, which is currently available to Pronto dealers, allows integrators to easily configure personalized and custom user interfaces for their Pronto controllers. Because the new UI seamlessly integrates with Pronto’s ProntoEdit Professional software, integrators can get a custom look without spending hours in the design process. The five new interfaces mimic the dashboard and design elements of some of the most popular luxury and performance vehicles on the market, down to the smallest detail.

The new interfaces showcase a complete new look for Pronto controllers as every last detail has been redesigned to fit the car theme. Five themes have been created, each modeling after a different brand of sport car, but for those integrators who really want to rev it up, the new interface builder includes a full image gallery which allows integrators to build their own interface using the included buttons and backgrounds. The new in terface includes various templates for the most commonly used control activities like multi-room lighting control, as well as HVAC and shade control. Two-way control is also possible for tuners and the HVAC system.

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As the title suggests, the "HD 101: IR blasters, HDMI-CEC, RS-232 and IP control" recently published at Engadget HD is an excellent primer on many of the control options found in today's AV equipment. If you're looking to upgrade your home theater gear you may want to familiarize yourself with these control protocols and the benefits they offer.

As you can see there are plenty of control options for your home theater gear way beyond IR, but even with some very carefully planning you'll probably end up using more than a few of them at the same time. The only two that have any chance of being used by your mom is HDMI-CEC and IP control with the later being a stretch since it requires all the devices be connected to the same network. We say that because both can auto discover and configure themselves once the proper plumbing is in place. But at the risk of sounding like a broken record if just about every device out there doesn't support the same control interface, then it is all for naught.

Click here to read the complete article Engadget HD that originally appeared on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 11:00:00 EDT

In anticipation of the RedEye Mini, and to support the newest iOS updates, ThinkFlood submitted today their version 1.2.0 software to the App Store for review. This version introduces support for the upcoming RedEye mini hardware, as well as a number of usability improvements. In addition, they updated the app for iOS 3.x users, and even included a bit of iOS4 functionality — although there is much more planned to support the new operating system over the coming weeks.

Notably absent from this release is the new television program guide, which was not quite ready for this update, but will be very soon — please look for v1.3.0 with the program guide and other key new features within the month. Once the program guide is in, ThinkFlood will be finishing up the iPad version.

More details after the jump...

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Today, Genos' final designs for the CYCLOPS are complete and the product is all set for production. The CYCLOPS was invented, using Play Dough, by Genos' founder Rob Shambro. Two patents were filed earlier this year. Robrady design of Sarasota, FL was chosen to create the official prototype design. Genos' engineering team in Shenzhen China has worked feverishly to solidify the BOM and manufacturing process. The product is now ready to go to manufacturing and orders are being taken for the upcoming Christmas season. The CYCLOPS is the most ergonomically correct controller on the market. It was engineered perfectly to fit between two hands. Originally it was designed to be the keyboard for the GenosTV Cable box. The device will be sold as a universal remote control for TVs and consumer electronic devices. A version is being made for video game consoles. Lastly, the CYCLOPS will connect by way of Bluetooth to most cell phones, reducing the phone to a modem. Cell phones were not made to deliver the enormous amount of text messages today's consumers are sending and receiving. The CYCLOPS is ready for the heavy use of today's adolescents. "This is the coolest controller you have ever seen," said Rob Shambro. "It is just the beginning of many bleeding edge products and services coming from our company. We are typing more and more with one or two fingers. The CYCLOPS could be the wireless keyboard of the future."

Click here for more information at www.genos.tv

Remote Shoppe is committed to doing what we can to show our respect for our planet, the environment and, most importantly, for the generations of children to come. Here are just a few of the efforts we take EVERY day - not just on Earth Day.

• Electronic manuals, documents, code libraries and other product literature are all available on their respective product pages. We'd also be happy to email or post anything you may need and appreciate your support in our effort to reduce paperwork.
• We recycle packaging material and boxes and make every effort to get your product to you quickly, safely and efficiently.
• We are proud to support many integrators and end-users building & programming AV control and home automation systems that help reduce the consumption of energy.
• We make every effort ourselves to shut down and unplug all unnecessary computer systems and appliances during non-office hours to prevent standby modes from drawing energy & resources.

Happy Earth Day!

The “Universal Remote Case” Will Give iPhone Users a Convenient and Portable Way to Control All of Their Infrared Devices

POWER A, the consumer products division of Bensussen Deutsch & Associates (BDA), today announced the release of the “Universal Remote Case”, designed specifically for the Apple iPhone 3GS and the iPhone 3G. The slim, lightweight protective case features an integrated infrared (IR) transmitter. When paired with a POWER A free app available on the App Store, the case will enable consumers to use their iPhone as a fully functional universal remote to control most IR-capable devices. The case will have an MSRP of $59.99.

“The POWER A Universal Remote Case was designed to give consumers an effortless way to control all of their devices directly from one of the most in-demand iPhone accessories – a two piece protective case,” said Eric Bensussen, President of POWER A. “The sleek case is
designed to stay on the phone at all times, eliminating the need to attach a supplementary dongle or be tied to a single docking cradle to use the remote. It can be used in multiple rooms in the home -- or even away from home -- to quickly clone most existing IR capable device remotes, such as a TV, DVD, DVR, satellite and cable box, stereo, or even a home lighting system. We’re confident that iPhone users will appreciate the convenient design and the incredibly simple and straightforward setup process.”

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Convenience, ease and reliability combine to make the new Gefen Wireless RS-232 Extender a must-have solution for home theater and home automation installers. As more and more home automation systems utilize RS-232 commands for system control, this device will give access from any room in the home. It is particularly well suited for retrofit installations as control capabilities can be added long after the actual installation. Hard to reach displays and projection systems also benefit from the wireless capability of this new solution.

Wireless RS-232 Extender
Uses small sender and receiver units equipped with short antenna to propel the RS-232 protocol up to 100 feet (30m) in distance. It also offers two transmit speeds, 19200 and 9600, for added flexibility. A built-in 2.4 Ghz RF module in the sender unit is capable of delivering an RS-232 signal through walls unimpeded. Wall mounted displays and ceiling mounted projectors can be accessed from anywhere. When used with other powered devices, no additional power supply is needed. When other 2.4 Ghz devices are operating in the same environment, the Gefen Wireless RS-232 Extender remains immune to interference, working perfectly.

Click here to pre-order now.

Remote Central has re-vamped the popular video section of their site and made room for their video tour from CEDIA 2009 - in HD! Take a look at the complete 18 minute video featuring these remotes:
* Universal Remote Control Inc.’s MX-880Z, MRZ-260, MRX-1, KP-4000 & MX-5000
* Universal Electronics Inc.’s NevoC2 & NevoC3
* Monster Cable’s Monster Control Central AV55
* Philips Electronics’ Pronto TSU9300 (& advanced capabilities)
* Crestron’s Isys i/O TPMC-3X
* RTI’s RK-10, ST-7, vIRsa Mouse & Virtual Panel
* UTAS’ UX3500 & UX7000

Click here to view the complete video on RemoteCentral

We hope you had a wonderful Christmas with your family and friends! We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our customers for making 2009 another amazing year. We will be open and shipping Monday, December 28th through New Years Eve and then we will re-open on January 4th even bigger & better plans for 2010!

The major technology blog, Engadget, posted their 2009 Holiday Gift Guide and proves once again that the mainstream media is unaware of anything in the remote control world other than Logitech Harmony. While I don;t necessarily disagree with the Harmony 1100 making the list - it is still the most affordable touch screen remote on the market - the Harmony PS3 Adapter does leave some question. There are several other PS3 solutions that are firmware upgradeable and are made to work with every remote... not just Logitech's.

Click here to read the complete Engadget Gift Guide

Philips released the update to the new Pronto Edit Professional 2.4.18 and, according to the release notes on their dealer site:

It’s definitely worthwhile to start using this latest version of the PEP2 editor. It offers you multi-page view so you can now easily compare and exchange items on pages, but also a more flexible work environment with resizable and dockable panes. Here’s a list of the new features that will help you creating better results in less time.

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It's certainly not surprising to see a Logitech Harmony remote named in a 2009 Top 10 List but when I saw that it was the 890 model that earned the honors from Home Theater Review I had a flashback to 2008. Many reviewers have favored the newer models like the Harmony ONE, 900 or even the 700 for their lists but Home Theater Review still favors the 890 and writes:

The concept of Harmony's user-friendly remote is just fantastic. Harmony's customer service for consumers looking to get really fancy with their Harmony remotes is even more impressive, but the closer for the HTR editorial staff is the price. You just can't find a better-value universal remote.

Click here to read Home Theater Review's complete list of the Best of 2009

By the way, they also mention the Philips Pronto Professional TSU9400 as a close runner-up. My guess is that the higher price made the difference.

The Pronto TSU9400 is available now in the Remote Shoppe Store

Ahhhh... it wouldn't be the Holidays without another Top Product report but this is one that I actually look forward to each year from CEPro magazine. They have broken the list down into several categories and these are the remote control and home automation solutions that made the cut:

The Universal Remote Control MX-980 made the list of top overall products. We were expecting the hot new MX-5000 to make this list but the fact that CEPro chose the more affordable MX-980 is probably just a sign of the economic times. The 980 is of course very capable and still one of the top models in the URC pro line but the MX-5000 has the sex appeal and the buzz is still there since CEDIA.

The RTI T1B gets a nod in the Best Accessories category thanks to the incredible versatility of an otherwise simple hand held remote.

Click here to check out all the CEPro Editor's Picks