As useful as smart devices like Philips Hue bulbs or Sonos music streaming systems can be, controlling them using separate apps on a smartphone isn’t always the quickest or most convenient way to use them. Enter the Sevenhugs Smart Remote, a universal remote with a compact 3-inch screen that promises to control any smart device in your home just by pointing at it.
Launched as an Indiegogo project in November last year and earning over $1 million in funding, the now-finalised hardware features a touch screen that automatically changes based on the device you point it at. For example, point it at a Philips Hue bulb and you’re presented with options for dimming the light or changing the colour via a slider. Point it at a Sonos, and the controls change to play, pause, skip, and volume.
The remote is even clever enough to know when two smart devices are close together—say, a Philips Hue lamp next to a Sonos—giving you the option of flicking between the two sets of controls with a swipe. You can even customise it so that pointing at a door or a window automatically brings up an Uber app for ordering a taxi. Almost any Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or infrared device is compatible, and there’s IFTTT support included too.
Read 7 remaining paragraphs | Comments
Source: Ars Technica – Sevenhugs Smart Remote controls any smart device you point it at