Using a PC as a Remote Control?

Dave2 Wickham asks: "I am interested in using one of my PCs as a remote control. The most likely candidate for this would be my laptop - which runs Windows XP (flame on, but I don't want to make any major changes in my last year of school). It has a standard IR port built in - nothing fancy. If there is, for some reason, no option for this, then is there any way for me to use my Live! Drive with LIRC on my Linux machine?" For those interested, Ask Slashdot handled the converse of this issue, in an article on controlling PCs with IR remotes.

Comments

The easy way to do it

[miyako]

although there are many other, more technical solutions, may requiring some sort of external power supply, there is a much simplier way to do this.
first you have to get duct tape, a foot or so should do, although as with all things duct tape the more the better
next get a universal remote and find a good, non-intrusive spot on the laptop. make sure you have batteries in the remote and it is programmed for your TV/VCR/DVD Player/etc. Place the remote firmly against the laptop and apply duct tape*.

*note you may need to cut the duct tape into thinner strips to avoid covering any buttons on the remote*