The 700, which we first heard about in September, costs $US150 overseas. Here, it’s $300. The 900, which Jason reviewed back in August, sells for $US400 in the States. Here, it’ll set you back $900.

I’m not going to spend time ranting about copping the short end of the stick on international gadget pricing again. I’ll just suggest you shop around online – there’s no reason why the US version wouldn’t work in Australia…

[Logitech]

The Price: $US100

The Verdict: Actually a good deal.

There are two components of the remote that, depending on your habits, you may use more or less of. There’s the “universal remote” part of the iconRemote RF, which acts similar to the Logitech Harmony remotes in that it controls all your electronics, but it doesn’t have the fancy software programming suite to back it up. And there’s the X10 part of the remote, which acts as a wireless control—via the included wireless receiver and appliance/lamp modules—to various appliances around your house.

The Remote: The iconRemote RF is a so-so universal remote, and you program it like you do the old style ones you buy at Radio Shack; you point it at your TV and you stop cycling when the TV turns on. Repeat as many times as you have A/V equipment you want to control.

This method makes initial setup actually easier than the Logitech Harmony remotes, but limits you to how much fine-grained control you have. The remote may “know” how to turn on and off your receiver, but it doesn’t understand how many HDMI inputs there are or how to switch between them. So it’s a universal remote only for more simple systems with just a TV and maybe a DVD player.

One nice feature the iconRemote introduces is the semi-hard coded favourites, which has network logos on screen that you can click to jump to. And, as the name of the remote implies, it has an RF to IR blaster included, so you can eschew line-of-sight and put your equipment in a cabinet and still be able to change channels.

Package includes an RF to IR blaster

It’s only a rudimentary universal remote

Also, it’s kind of gigantic

The X10 Wireless Control: X10 has dialled down their popup ads in recent years, but their product is the same: home automation via light, appliance and electronics controls. The package includes one wireless transceiver, one lamp module and one appliance module. The transceiver takes the wireless signals and shoots them over your powerline, which them gets interpreted by your lamp or appliance module to turn on/off whatever’s plugged in.

Its major flaw is the fact that the whole transceiver + module has to be on the same circuit. A transceiver upstairs wouldn’t control a lamp downstairs, for example, because they weren’t able to talk to each other over the electrical system. You’ll have to go and buy more transceivers to control every room of your house this way.

But, once you do have everything set up, being able to dim lights, turn on and off appliances, and otherwise interact with other X10 home automation devices, is a pretty valuable thing to have in your universal remote.

Controls X10’s home automation modules

Comes with one transceiver and two control modules

You’ll have to buy a lot more to control your entire house

At $US100, the iconRemote RF is a pretty interesting package. It’s not great enough of a remote to replace a Logitech Harmony for hardcore users, but it is decent enough to be a step up from those cheaper universal remotes you may have. Coupled with the fact that it’s an X10 remote, it’s a very handy thing to have at all times.

To get the package, add both the iconRemote RF and the Remote-Controlled Dimmable theatre Lighting to your cart before checkout. [X10]

* You’re right! That’s not really Latin!

I suppose you’d have been better off whipping out that other wand first, no? Well, anyway, at least you’ll have this cool accelerometer-controlled universal remote to play around with for the rest of the evening. There are no buttons, so to change the channel or the volume you’ll have to wave it around in the air using some easy-to-remember gestures.

Clockwise or counter-clockwise motion adjusts the volume up or down; simple up-and-down movements switch between channels. How one programs such a thing is anyone’s guess. Magic, perhaps?

Overall, pretty simple, although at $US84 (pre-order for October 1) you better really like looking like a jackass while surfing the boob tube.

Then again, I put on my wizard’s robe and hat… [Kymera via Ubergizmo]

When using Logitech remotes, the point is to let the remote know every single appliance in your setup so you can focus on “activities”, such as watching TV, or playing your Xbox, or watching a Blu-ray on your PS3. That way your remote knows exactly which thing needs to be on—and which boxes don’t—for what you want to do. Since these activities are now tied to a separate physical button, you can just hit that button instead of scrolling through a list in order to get where you’re going. It saves a few seconds each time, but adds up over years of TV watching.

Other features on the 700 include a colour LCD screen, rechargeable AAs and compatibility with the standard Logitech remote setup program. It will be available in September. [Logitech]

Additional Features:

• Blu-Link offers advanced PS3 button shape and colours and dedicated buttons for Triangle, Circle, Square, X, Select, Home and Start, Blu-Ray DVD controls for Top Menu, Popup Menu, Angle, Audio Channel and Subtitle movie features
• Blu-Link is an “advanced learning” remote: learning button assignments from existing remotes; and user-configurable.
• Blu-Link’s non-volatile memory retains button assignments even when it’s 2 AA batteries have been removed
• Blu-Link supports more than 400 brands of standard and HDTV television and flatscreens, 150 VCR brands, 200 Satellite Receiver models, 100 Cable TV Receiver brands, 50 DVR models and 200 home theatre surround sound systems

The Blu-Link is available starting today with a price tag of $US50. Not a bad deal if you have like 20 remotes sitting on your coffee table. Consolidate! [SMK-Link]

Dean, with his entry:
“FF for the boring bits, Rewind for the dumb decisions, Record when I tell him something, Stop for the embarrassing moments, Eject for his wallet”

Congratulations Dean. Expect an email shortly. Everyone else – we’ve got some other pretty exciting comps happening this week, so stay tuned for more!

[Logitech Harmony 1100i Comp on Giz]

All you have to do is click here back to our original post, and tell us in the comments section – in 25 words or less- “How would you like to control your dad?” Best answer will receive the $899 remote. It’s that simple!

Good luck!

[Logitech Harmony 1100i comp on Giz]
[T&Cs]

The catalog did get one thing right though: A universal remote would make a great father’s day present…

To enter, all you have to do is click here back to our original competition post, and tell us in the comments section – in 25 words or less- “How would you like to control your dad?”

[Logitech Harmony 1100i comp on Giz]
[T&Cs]

Don’t believe me? Then enter our Logitech Harmony Universal remote competition, and you could find out for yourself. All you have to do is click here back to our original post, and tell us in the comments section – in 25 words or less- “How would you like to control your dad?” Best answer will receive the $899 remote, which you can then either give to your old man or keep for yourself – we won’t judge you. Much.

Good luck!

[Logitech Harmony 1100i comp on Giz]
[T&Cs]