Logitech has announced two new universal remote controls to tidy up your cluttered coffee table. They can also control your lights and even make use of Wi-Fi. Take that, poor range.
The new devices, the Harmony Ultimate and the Harmony Smart Control, are able to connect to another new device called the Harmony Hub. It’s the hub that actually controls your home entertainment equipment, via RF or Wi-Fi. That means you can put your devices anywhere you damn choose.
The Ultimate is quite something for a remote control: it has a 2.4-inch colour touchscreen that can control up to 15 devices — from a bewildering range of 225,000 products — with touch gestures. You can also use it to control your new Philips’ Hue LED lightbulbs. The Smart Control pairs with your phone, to lets you start using your iPhone or Android as a personalised remote. That might not prove quite as useful with the advent of IR beamers built into phones, but it’s still a nice feature for now.
The Harmony Ultimate will be available sometime after April for $350; the Smart Control will land in May for $130. Both remotes come with the Harmony Hub included. [All Things D]