• On TV.com: TOP 10 Shows CANCELED Too Soon
May 8, 2007 12:07 PM PDT

Philips' intimidating uber-remote

by Mike Yamamoto
(Credit: SlashGear)

We have a love-hate relationship with that ultimate object of masculine obsession, the remote control. On one hand, it's risen to a deified status; on the other, we're sick and tired of having so many of them hiding under every cushion in the house.

Yes, we've tried all kinds of universal models, including the very first version of that brick-like Sony remote whose size was matched only by its price. The best part, of course, is that it was so complicated we never learned how to use it. So as tempting as they may sound, we can't help but be skeptical about uber-remotes like the latest one from Philips.

The "Pronto NX PowerLite" is so sophisticated that, at first glance, we thought it was a media player. And in a way, it is: With a VGA interface that organizes entertainment into activities on dynamic Web pages, there's control of not only audio and visual sources but a built-in Escient Fireball music server and Lutron RadioRa lighting control with complete on-screen feedback," SlashGear says. We'll take their word for it.

If all that weren't enough to scare us to death (and it is), we're terrified by the price: $1,836. It's almost enough to make a potato leave his couch.

Recent posts from Crave
Beamer, the iPhone case for night owls
This week in Crave: Day of the Droid edition
Verizon's LG Chocolate Touch is nice but nothing new
Popular iPhone movie app flops on BlackBerry
Top 5 most popular products for November
Ridiculous new Peeks inspired by TwitterPeek
Hands-on with the Nokia Booklet 3G
Battle of the international power plugs

About Crave

The name says it all. Crave is our blog about gorgeous gadgets and other crushworthy stuff. If you would like to contact Crave with a tip or comment, please write to: crave@cnet.com

Add this feed to your online news reader

Crave topics

FAQ: Buying the right Windows 7 upgrade

Readers still have lots of questions on just which version of the software they need to buy in order to upgrade their PC. CNET News tries to offer some answers.

N.Y. lawsuit details Intel's 'largesse' toward Dell

Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's federal antitrust case filed Wednesday alleges a longstanding symbiotic relationship between Intel and Dell.