remote

I love me some Roku boxes. They're cheap, easy to use, and capable of streaming everything from HBO Go and Hulu Plus to Netflix and Pandora. Oh, and don't forget the awesome CNET TV channel, nudge-nudge, wink-wink.

Of course, another box means another remote, and Roku's clickers are so small they can easily vanish into the couch cushions, never to be seen again. (Well, unless you look.)

Here's a handy alternative: Roku for Android, which brings a full-featured remote to your Android phone or tablet. (It's also available for iOS.)

The app connects to your box via your home network. I quickly and easily linked my Republic Wireless LG Optimus S to both an older Roku XR and a new Roku LT.… Read more

Samsung has unveiled its new flagship control peripherals--the Smart Touch Remote and optional Smart Wireless Keyboard--at an event in New York today.

The new remote will ship with the company's Smart Interaction televisions, the ES7500 and ES8000 LED and E8000 plasma. The keyboard is an optional accessory ($99).

Last year, Samsung was one of the few manufacturers to offer a reversible QWERTY remote and despite Samsung's claims to its popularity at today's press conference, the company has decided to discontinue the peripheral. Instead, Samsung now offers the $99 Bluetooth Smart Wireless Keyboard, which it says will also work with smartphones and tablets.… Read more

Imagine having a real-time card game with a friend thousands of miles away without looking at a computer screen.

Microsoft Research is showing off IllumiShare, a virtual shared whiteboard that works on any surface. Despite having the innocent appearance of a lamp, the low-cost device actually shares the surface it's illuminating over the Internet. This means you could sketch a portrait with someone else using real paper, or create a real-time dynamic learning scenario that enables a remote tutor to teach a child much more effectively than ever before. You could even play a game of Canasta with your grandmother if you wanted to. … Read more

A researcher plans to demonstrate an attack on a smartphone at the RSA security conference this week that starts with social engineering via a text message and leads to a malicious Web link that triggers a browser exploit and silently downloads a Trojan.

"It's a demo of a new attack vector on mobile, using a Remote Access Tool" called Nickispy, which showed up a few months ago in China, said Dmitri Alperovitch, formerly of McAfee Labs who is chief technology officer at a brand new startup called CrowdStrike. "No one has publicly demonstrated an end-to-end attack … Read more

This is an update of a deal I posted last 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. However, if you don't mind going the refurb route, Logitech will set you up with a Harmony One remote for $99.99 shipped. … Read more

I have seen the future of the remote control.

Actually, I've seen several futures of the remote control, from the ultimate expression of the traditional infrared remote (the Logitech Harmony products), to strong "second screen" apps (like Dijit) that use a smartphone's smarts and interface to build a better guide or remote, to the latest iPhone apps that you can download for nearly every new home entertainment product (most are awful).

One company, though, has gone off in a different direction: Clik. I think it has a new, powerful idea and a platform technology to go … Read more

Apple's Apple TV, iPhone, and remote-control app for iOS are the targets of a new lawsuit alleging that when used together, the three products infringe on a patent held by another company.

Switzerland-based technology firm SmartData filed suit against Apple earlier this week in the Northern District of California, claiming that the trio of products infringe on a patent it holds covering "wireless computing technology."

The suit asks for damages, a permanent injunction against Apple's products, and a trial by jury.

SmartData describes itself as a "wireless solution provider." Its patent (U.S. Patent … Read more

Most remote control cars come with dual stick controllers, but Hot Wheels opens up many more driving options with its iPhone controller app.

Although a little clunky to set up, Hot Wheel's iNitro Speeders gives the option of using an iPhone to control its little remote control cars. The iPhone app includes the standard dual stick controller, but also lets you drive the car with the iPhone's accelerometer, choose a predefined driving pattern, or draw your own pattern. … Read more

PowerDVD version 12 Ultra is here, and it brings with it increased 3D support and improved playback controls. At the same time, it changes its game a bit by offering tools for organizing and managing all of your media across devices. Now you can use your desktop PC as a server for all of your content, and with PowerDVD Mobile, you can browse and play that content from anywhere.

PowerDVD's bread and butter has always been its movie playback capabilities, and with version 12 that hasn't changed. The program can still play DVDs, Blu-ray discs, and an impressive … Read more