Laptop IR Port As A Learning Remote?

JWhitlock asks: "My wife recently purchased a Handspring Visor. There is a program that turns your Palm-based handheld into a learning remote control, which seems like a cool (and possibly useful) application, since I have at least four remotes, and digital cable's navigation system is nearly worthless. One problem - she won't let me install it. She's under the illusion that her toy is just for productivity, or that I'll steal it if I play with it too much. In any case, I do have a laptop with an Infrared port to play with, but there appears to be no software out there that uses it. Is this because it's not technically feasible, or has no one else thought of it?"

Comments

Check this software out

[dcigary]

I downloaded this a few years ago and played around with it. It does work on Win98 (what I had loaded on the laptop) regardless of what they say.

http://hp.vector.co.jp/authors/VA005810/remocon/re mocone.htm

From what I remember, it "worked"....sorta. Remember that a laptop simply doesn't have the IR output power that your handheld remote has. I would have to put the laptop right next to the TV to get it to work, which, of course, defeats the purpose of a remote control... :)

If you're interested in a consumer-type product that will learn all your remotes and is sorta like a HandSpring device, check out:

http://www.pronto.philips.com/

A buddy of mine has one of these and it's actually pretty slick!