Remote Controls On The March

faxafloi writes "SFGate has an article about how remote controls have proliferated in our world like rabbits. Even their inventor, Robert Adler, is befuddled by them. 'Universal' remotes help some, but are not interoperable with enough devices to drive everything, so we're stuck with multiple remotes. The article then describes the new top of the line models, ranging to (ahem) $1699.00." (Of course, there were remote controls of a sort long before Adler.) For another approach to universal remote control -- using a cell phone as display and controller -- read on below.

An anonymous reader writes "This whitepaper describes Intel's research into innovative and futuristic uses of camera phones. Cell phones are already much more than a communication device. In cities around the world, purchasing a soda out of a vending machine can be as easy as dialing your cell phone. Even parking and toll fees are easily paid through a cell phone, and they are used as debit/credit cards to purchase food, services, and gas. Now, the global proliferation of cell phones with cameras brings more opportunities to use mobile phone devices in different capacities -- and the best part is that these applications require no additional hardware. In Intel's research, camera phones are being used as pointing devices, authentication devices, storage devices, and even as user interfaces for systems that, because of cost and/or form factor, aren't able to accommodate a display of their own."

Comments

1,699$ Remote

[arieswind]

if I'm going to pay almost 1700$ on a remote, I better be able to drive my car with it like in that one James Bond movie :)

Can't let that happen

[ResidntGeek]

No, we can't be making any sort of changes to our remote system - not while having 5 remotes confuses the technically inept of the world, to my endless amusement. ("Whaddya mean, I have to switch the input on both the stereo AND the TV?" - my uncle)

Too many remotes:

[chickens]

In my day, we'd change channel with a long pointy stick. Problem solved

Universal

[Ms.XingTianCai]

Universal, to me, would mean controlling everything right? I haven't seen a remote control yet that can shut up the neighbor's dog, without, of course, one of those anti-bark collars. THAT, I would pay money for.

Sure I'll buy a can of soda

[MisterSarcastic]

"In cities around the world, purchasing a soda out of a vending machine can be as easy as dialing your cell phone."

Because buying soda from a vending amchine is -so- much more difficult than dialing a cellphone. All that heavy change you have to lug around, when instead you could be reading the number off of the vending machine, entering it into your phone, paying an extra 50 cents or so for the minutes it takes to call, navigate through the menu to choose your soda and Voila! Its all taken care of transparently through the miracle of technology.

I'm going to try this out the next chance I get.

Could have changed the industry years ago

[TrickFred]

...Oh, if only I had invented the Finglonger...

$1699

[Anonymous Coward]

It would be $1000, but it uses SCO code.

As a kid, I was my Dad's remote...

[bergeron76]

... so yes, they did exist (of sorts) before they evolved into what they are today.

Boy were my legs happy when our Betmax player came with a wired remote!

Ahh, the memories.

Re:Consumer A/V devices suck!

[WuphonsReach]

I still haven't figured out why the car stereo I bought a few weeks ago came with a remote control... There isn't one spot from in my car that you can't reach the buttons from.

My JVC MP3 CD player came with one as well.

I guess it's for the folks who are using it in a van / RV, or who are into the "sound scene" where they fill the car with speakers and need to stand a bit away.