As I come into the Beach house from another successful finding expedition I reach for the universal remote and turn on the lights, adjusting them to a soft glow. My fingers next dance across the remote and some music comes on in the background. I throw a frozen Taipei dinner into the microwave and again hit the remote to a saved setting for the entree. Finally, knowing that I must not be the freshest after a day of discovery on the surf I use the remote to turn on the shower, slightly cool, medium strength.
David Chacon probably had a lot in mind when he designed the simply titled "Universal Remote". The touchscreen device is flash enabled, allowing for new icon screens to be easily added and gives an avenue for growth in your home as new controllable products are brought into your home. The remote sports a nice large screen and big icons for easy use.
The unit would need outside support to have it controlling specific devices, but if a standard could be adopted it would be easy, thanks to the propagation of wireless networks and centralized home power systems, for manufacturers to add control to a wide range of products. For now, it looks really nice and adapting the remote is more or less a DIY or specialty job. But soon, we will have the universal remote that controls the TV AND the toaster.
Aloha from the Beach
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