B&O remote gets a little design crazy

(Credit: Bang & Olufsen)

And here we thought the "Serene" phone was weird. Bang & Olufsen, normally one of our favorite tech-meisters, is again testing the limits of our imagination (if not patience) with another avant-garde design--from a remote control, of all things.

The new "Beo 5" eschews the compact and streamlined form favored by most of today's remotes, including its predecessor, instead looking something like a doorknob with an LCD glued onto it. Navigation is handled both by the click wheel on its aluminum ball handle and its touch screen, which has 12 "dynamic buttons" that can be programmed and positioned as needed, according to Fareastgizmos.

But perhaps its most appealing quality, at least to us, is its unique upright posture. Because anything that helps us avoid losing it is a huge plus.