Tag Archives: tv remote

Universal TV remote with a built-in touchscreen display gives remote controllers a ‘modern touch’

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In theory, the TouchSense Remote sounds like a brilliant idea. It could work with practically any TV or set-top box, replacing the need for multiple remote controls, and giving you one device with one interface that’s easy to understand and master. The dynamic touchscreen surface can easily transform to display the UI of any streaming service (in any language too), giving you the ability to more ‘universally’ control your devices. Want to switch apps, want to browse media, want to accurately seek through videos? That’s where a touchscreen display offers much more flexibility and functionality over simple buttons.

Designer: Alan Cabanelas

It’s quite surprising why a touchscreen remote hasn’t been made the default reality yet. Sure, remote controllers are designed as accessories and as auxiliary devices to the actual hardware – the TV or set-top box, but the TouchSense elevates the humble remote to a powerful interface for browsing content. It comes with a uniquely longitudinal screen that lets you browse apps, content within apps, and even control playback with sheer precision and intuition.

The only barrier I personally see with the TouchSense is that unlike with normal remotes (where you can use them blindly without taking your eyes off the screen) the TouchSense requires a bit of getting used to. The flat surface means your hands can never get used to any layout, and you HAVE to look down at the remote every time you use it. While that does seem like a problem, the TouchSense has some clever workarounds. The fact that the entire remote controller is a display means that you can look away from the TV and still see the content on your remote. Scared you’ll miss a scene, the remote could theoretically be displaying the same content as the TV, so you could look down without missing a thing. The long display also means you can’t operate the remote with just one hand. Chances are, you’ll need both hands – one to hold the remote and one to browse. The lack of bezels on the display could accidentally register palm touches, but that’s splitting hairs, to be honest.

Another clever set of details on the TouchSense are the presence of hardware buttons on the side for doing things like changing channels (on a regular TV) or increasing and decreasing volume. A set of buttons and a rotary dial on either side of the remote allow you to intuitively browse channels or alter volume without looking away from the TV.

The TouchSense comes with a rather handy design (unlike the slim, easy-to-lose Apple TV remote) that houses a large battery and charges via USB-C. The fact that it has a touchscreen display also means you won’t accidentally press any buttons with your butt… although you may want to be careful of damaging such a high-end tech accessory!

The post Universal TV remote with a built-in touchscreen display gives remote controllers a ‘modern touch’ first appeared on Yanko Design.

This improved smart remote takes an ergonomic and intuitive design to improve your Netflix experience!

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Nowadays, streaming is the lay of the land. Whether it’s music or television, streaming can bring us entertainment almost as soon as we think of it. Designer and MIT student Shivang Vaishnav had designed a TV remote specifically configured for streaming called Capsule, which, following a year’s worth of improvements, he has revisited to make even simpler and ergonomic– the ideal partner to instant gratification.

Brainstorming on ways the remote’s functions could be streamlined, Vaishnav took a year to fine-tune some visual improvements for Capsule. Lengthening the remote’s body and incorporating sensor touchpads, Vaishnav’s Capsule design still configures the remote’s buttons in the order by which they’ll most frequently be activated. For instance, the touchpad could work as the remote’s browsing wand, which precedes the remote’s display of arrows that work to focus on different searches, ultimately leading to the array of buttons that can be used during viewings, such as pause/play and rewind/fast-forward.

Ditching the cognitive obstacles of traditional remotes to make the search process quicker, Vaishnav maintained Capsule’s optional landscape orientation and voice input methods. Users can either use Capsule’s built-in microphone to vocalize various titles and search keywords or users can type in the film’s title or keywords by holding the remote horizontally and typing with two sets of navigational buttons at the same time. Built to be ergonomic by design, Capsule’s shape keeps the cylindrical shape of a traditional television remote and features an off-center groove on its underbelly to indicate the remote’s upright position.

Designer: Shivang Vaishnav

Designed to adapt to current smart TV hardware, the combination of matte surfaces and stainless steel accents make Capsule feel right at home on the console.

By including stainless steel accents, the shadows found on Capsule work to make it appear a lot slimmer from certain angles.

Capsule still features voice command technology for those who prefer it over typing.

Designed to fit naturally in your palm, Capsule was built with an ergonomic design.

Users can also type in movie titles by holding the remote horizontally and typing with the remote’s adjacent navigational buttons.

The Ultimate Couch Potato Remote

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The Loupe next-gen TV remote goes beyond the capabilities of the average push-button remote, allowing the user to control every aspect of entertainment through a customizable touch-screen interface. Without interrupting what’s playing, users can search the guide, manage recordings, & access media directly from the 1136×640 resolution color display & even take photos or record video with the remote. A voice recognition option also gives the user total hands-free control so you never have to put down the popcorn!

Designers: Sarah Gao & Beata Patasiute

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(The Ultimate Couch Potato Remote was originally posted on Yanko Design)

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Nintendo shows final Wii U Gamepad, TV remote app (update: video)

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Nintendo shows final Wii U Gamepad, TV remote app

Looks like Nintendo didn't want to wait for its proper E3 press conference to spill some Wii U details early -- it just used its preview event to show the finished version of the Wii U controller, called the Gamepad, as well as a TV remote app. The Gamepad is decidedly wider than what we saw a year ago, with comfort clearly the top priority in other areas: the analog sticks have been moved further outwards and made clickable, while the back grip has been tweaked in the process. There's also no doubt as to where to interact with NFC gadgets, either, as a dedicated spot below the directional pad will take all your device-to-device taps. As for the remote, it looks to be a straightforward number pad navigator with a programming guide, all steering your TV through infrared. Between this and the Wii U Pro Controller, though, it's clear Nintendo hasn't been sitting still in the past year, and has some home theater ambitions in the process. We're curious as to what Nintendo is saving up for its bigger gala on Tuesday.

Update: Join us past the break to view the webstream for yourself!

Continue reading Nintendo shows final Wii U Gamepad, TV remote app (update: video)

Nintendo shows final Wii U Gamepad, TV remote app (update: video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 03 Jun 2012 18:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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