[chbot] OffTopic: An awesome gift for the one you love (yourself)

[Carl Ranson]

Sorry for the OT post, but its not often I'm THIS impressed.

I must have tried 5 or 6 different "Universal" remotes over the years, 
but now I think I've finally found "one remote to control them all", the 
Logitech Harmony 520 
(http://www.ascent.co.nz/ProductSpecification.aspx?ItemID=343379)

The things that make this one different are...

USB connected:
PC configuration software makes setup easy enough

Online database of  devices:
It knew about every device I wanted except one which is a lot more than 
i can say for any other one I've tried.

Smart approach:
It didn't know the model for my pedestal fan, so it asked me to plug the 
remote in and capture a signal from the fan's remote. The website 
thought for a bit and told me 4 other fans that it thought might be 
using the same IR codes. The first one it suggested worked fine.

Activity based:
You can set up activities like "Watch a dvd, Watch sky" etc and it will 
switch devices and inputs for that activity. It also switches the 
buttons based on the activity - play button becomes dvd play for 
instance. Soft buttons and a screen let you get at the less used functions

Stateful:
It remembers if equipment is on or off and is smart about switching 
stuff when changing activities. You can press help and answer a few 
questions if things get out of sync.

Cheap:
It was NZ$140 for the sort of functions you expect out of a PDA or a 
pronto costing closer to a grand.

All n all its a wicked bit of technology. Start dropping hints for xmas.
CR