remote

This is an update of a deal I posted earlier this year.

My Logitech Harmony One remote control has outlasted two TVs and one DVR. After a good three years of use, I can say without a doubt that it's my favorite clicker ever.

CNET agrees with me, calling it "arguably the best consumer remote control currently available" in its review.

Unfortunately, Logitech still sells it for $200, which is not much less than when it first debuted years ago. But for a limited time, and while supplies last, Radio Shack will set you up with a … Read more

In an obvious effort to turn YouTube into more of a TV-like experience, Google has created the YouTube Remote app for Android devices. With this free download, you can pair your mobile device with a desktop computer or YouTube-ready television, and use Android to share control of your YouTube playlist.

As great as the concept is for YouTube Remote, in practice, I see some things that need to be ironed out. My biggest gripe is that the device pairing process is not as simple as it should be. You must first navigate to YouTube.com/leanback on your computer or … Read more

Users of the Splashtop app, which lets you control your PC from an iPad, will find a few enhancements in the latest version.

Released on Wednesday, Splashtop 2 throws in support for the new iPad's Retina Display, so users can take advantage of the higher resolution. You can also now set up a connection without having to enter an IP address or port numbers. Just install and launch the Splashtop streamer app on your computer and the Splashtop iPad app on your tablet, and your computer automatically pops up as an available connection.

Security has also been beefed up … Read more

Remote access to a computer system is a convenient option to have, as it can allow you to change settings, get to your files and folders, or otherwise use the system without needing to be immediately in front of it. Being a Unix-like system, Apple has included the popular SSH remote log-in service for administering the system via the command line. However, this service can be used for more than a text-based interface to running commands, and you can use it to create secured FTP connections and similarly mount remote folders on a local system using the SSH filesystem (SSHFS) … Read more

Microsoft's update to the My Xbox Live app 1.5 brought along support for controlling an Xbox 360 straight from an iPhone. (The update was rolled out across all iOS platforms, but for whatever reason, this feature only works with an iPhone.) Here's how to get it to work.… Read more

Skype's got ads, Vizio's got PCs, and we got issues (a whole Newsstand full of 'em):

Time Inc. has had a change of heart with Apple and will now begin selling magazine subscriptions through iPad's Newsstand app. Previous apps for Time Inc. magazines, like Sports Illustrated, only allowed for one issue to be purchased at a time. It also gave print subscribers free access.

Last year, Time Inc. opposed how Apple handled subscriptions, such as taking a 30 percent cut of sales and not releasing data on subscribers. But since then, Apple has lets readers opt-in to … Read more

Regular Cheapskate readers know of my fondness for Logitech's Harmony series of universal remotes. One of the better models, the 700, has a list price of $119.99. Ouch.

For a limited time, Logitech has the refurbished Harmony 700 universal remote for $59.99 shipped. That's after applying coupon code logi_h700_61212 at checkout.

What's so great about the Harmony series? Thanks to Logitech's wizard-driven software, they're significantly easier to program than most universal remotes. Just choose your gear from a mammoth database and presto: you're good to go. They're also blissfully user-friendly, with … Read more

Last month, CNET reported that Apple was granted a patent for a steering-wheel remote, a clever-sounding gizmo that would allow drivers to control audio playback without having to look at or interact with their iPhones.

Of course, who knows if or when this product will see the light of day. Fortunately, there's another one that already has: the Satechi BT Media Remote. I've spent the last couple days test-driving one, and I've arrived at this conclusion: Best. Accessory. Ever!

OK, maybe I'm a little overenthusiastic about a Bluetooth remote, but it solves exactly the problem described … Read more

My watch is an iPod Nano. It's not perfect. In fact, there are many ways I'd like it to be better. But, it works. It also looks cool.

Those are two seemingly small details that are in fact quite major when considering a smart watch these days. "Working" is a matter of opinion and design in some cases, but the point is that the iPod Nano-as-a-watch does exactly what you think it does, and it does it well. So far, that can't be said for Sony's SmartWatch, a confusing remote for Android phones that ends up doing less than you expect it to, yet somehow is hard to even work in that limited capacity. I had a chance to try one out here at CNET, and was surprised at how Sony's solution was good-looking, but a complete slave requiring Bluetooth and an Android phone to get anything done -- even tell the time. That's a problem. A good watch can't mess that part up.… Read more