remote

Anyone who does most of their work on a laptop knows the pain of not having a mouse. Since your smartphone is always nearby, it only makes sense to turn it into a mouse. Remote Mouse will let you do just that, but there are definitely some hiccups. It's better than any other free mouse app you can find, though.

Though it calls itself a mouse app, the app is really more of a trackpad. Moving your smartphone like you would a mouse does nothing. In order to set it up, you need to download a desktop app. Sadly, … Read more

Yahoo's focus on mobile apparently requires its employees to stay in the office.

ATD is reporting that CEO Marissa Mayer let it be known yesterday -- via a memo to employees from HR head Jackie Reses -- that come June, any existing work-from-home arrangements will no longer apply.

"To become the absolute best place to work, communication and collaboration will be important, so we need to be working side-by-side," reads the memo, as published by ATD's Kara Swisher, to whom it was leaked.

Swisher reports that the change has rankled some workers who say they were … Read more

The PlayStation 4 is Sony's last great hope in keeping control of the gaming industry. It's also the best chance at turning the PlayStation Vita into a more relevant piece of gaming hardware.

At last night's PlayStation 4 event in New York, many hew tidbits of hardware magic were discussed, and a good handful of them involved the Vita: as a remote-play device and additional controller like the Wii U's GamePad, and maybe even as a functional second screen. It's encouraging, but not surprising. I bet it would happen long before last night's event … Read more

This is an update of a deal I posted last summer.

Juggling is meant for circus folk, not home-theater owners. Yet that's exactly what you're doing if you have more than one device and, ergo, more than one remote.

Regular Cheapskate readers know I'm a fan of Logitech's Harmony series of universal remotes. One of the better models, the 700, has a list price of $119.99 (or used to -- it's been discontinued). Ouch.

For a limited time, and while supplies last, TigerDirect via eBay has the refurbished Harmony 700 universal remote for $59.99 shipped.… Read more

The funny thing about headphones and earphones is that sometimes the same product costs much less depending on its color. That's the case for the V-Moda Remix Remote earphones, which carry a list price of $79.99, but the pink version goes for $38 on Amazon (the standard Remix model without an inline remote and microphone is only $30).

We've generally given positive reviews to V-Moda headphones, and like some of the full-size models, the Remix Remote features a sleek design and big bass.

I've been listening to a black version for a few weeks and the … Read more

I love my Harmony 650 universal remote, but it has one major flaw. As the first line of The Bad from our review says, it can only control up to five different devices.

I hit that limit last year when I wanted to add a Roku to my system to access HBO Go. I already had five devices -- a TV, an AV receiver, a Fios DVR, a PS3 (via an IR-to-BT controller), and a Moxi Mate -- so I figured I'd have to "go manual" and use the Roku's remote in conjunction with my beloved … Read more

Logitech today announced its intention to sell its Harmony remotes division after a "disappointing" third quarter.

The electronics company posted an operating loss of $180 million for the third quarter of fiscal 2013 on sales of $615 million, a 14 percent decline over the same period last year.

"As we articulated when we started the third quarter, continued weakness in the global PC market was the primary factor in our disappointing Q3 results," Logitech CEO Bracken P. Darrell said in a statement. "These results are unacceptable and we are taking decisive action as an outcome … Read more

Millions of people use TeamViewer to remotely control their own and others' PCs to provide support, host online meetings, and manage files. TeamViewer for Remote Control lets you control computers remotely from your smartphone. Wherever you are, you can access and control your partner PCs using TeamViewer's Mobile app, just like using TeamViewer from a desktop or laptop. To use TeamViewer for Remote Control, you'll need to be a TeamViewer user and have the client software installed on the machine you want to control, but that's free. You don't even have to sign up for a … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Vizio is traditionally known for cheap TVs, but at CES 2013 it's doubling down on its foray into step-up, feature-rich (read: slightly more expensive) territory with the 4K XVT models and the all-new "M" series.

The company's M range LED-based LCD TVs goes from 32- up to the company's first 80-inch model, the M801d pictured above. All of the sizes in the series should ship in the first half with the exception of the 80-incher, which is a second-half product. Pricing was not announced, but knowing Vizio it will be extremely competitive.

No other … Read more