Beacon from Griffin Turns Your Android Phone into a Universal Remote
As technology pervades our lives in an attempt to make the world a better place, some things just seem to get more and more complicated. The home media setup has grown to encompass a television, BluRay and DVD players, A/V receivers, video game consoles, and internet connected devices. These typically all come with their own remote control. Universal remotes have long done the trick, but we all know how easily a remote can be misplaced. Griffin is taking a stab at reducing the frustration of searching for the remote with the introduction of a device called Beacon.
For $69.99 the Beacon is a small device you place near your home theater setup. It has a built-in IR blaster and does just about nothing on its own. The magic happens when you connect a smartphone via Bluetooth and fire up a universal remote app created by Dijit Media. The result promises to be an all-encompassing solution to remote woes. The concept has been tried before to various degrees of success. Upcoming Motorola tablets will have built-in IR transmitters while Logitech’s Haromny system (built-in to Google TV) also provides a simple way to control multiple devices from a smartphone. The Beacon is a great concept but it creates yet another device to buy and connect. Ultimately it will live and die by the app that makes the magic happen.