When GlideTV arrived on the scene last month it garnered all sorts of press thanks to its cool design and what appeared to be ease of use factor.  If you haven’t heard, it’s a remote/mouse targeted at the home theater PC crowd, you know, the folks that prefer to watch their media on their computer rather than pay the money hungry cable companies.  Or you could be like me and do both.

Right out of the box I noticed how light weight the GlideTV remote is.  Front and center is your standard mouse touchpad – similar to those found on laptops – which is surrounded by 8 buttons.  Beyond that there is a designated GlideTV button that fires up their custom software, a power button (it controls the PC power), volume control, search button (opens up GlideTV’s search which can be designated to Hulu, Google, etc) and media player controls (play, pause, etc).   The 8 surrounding buttons each do something different in their respective applications, so a little trial and error will help you figure that out.

But, before you get started with the GlideTV you’ll first need to designate a profile for either Mac, PC or PS3.  In my case I selected Mac, which increased its functionally exponentially – before that I was struggling to even get it to work.

After that, you’ll need to determine if you want the touchpad to be in Absolute mode or Relative Mode.  Absolute Mode places the mouse cursor in correspondence with where you place your finger on the touch pad.  So if you touch the top left corner of the touch pad the mouse will appear there.  Personally, I prefer Relative Mode since this is more analogous to my laptop and as I discovered much easier to use out of the box.

There are myriad of controls for each respective function, so I suggest firing up their online User Guide to figure out what you need or as I suggested before just go ‘trial and error’, though you might miss out on some functionality, such as the ability to scroll up/down in web pages by sliding your finger up and down in the right most section of the touchpad (left and right scrolling is accomplished by sliding your finger left and right at the bottom most portion).

What makes the GlideTV remote unique, beyond it’s design, is the included software.  It’s currently in an Alpha mode, but for someone like me who doesn’t really use their PC as a home theater PC all that much it was a God send.  You’ll need to download it from GlideTV.com as they want you to have the latest version – it’s not included in the box.  Functionality wise it’s very straightforward.  As previously mentioned, you just need to hit the GlideTV button on the remote to activate the software, but you will need to launch the program first, by ‘hand’, for this to work.

Within the application you’re presented with four options: Applications, Website, Search the Internet and Settings.  The application section can be modified to add more applications, but by default the popular ones exist such as Boxee, Safari, iTunes, Front Row, Desktop Hulu and some others.  If you don’t have the applications, such as Desktop Hulu, the app will download it for you upon initial launch.  Accessing the application is equivalent to pointing and clicking with your touchpad, but once it is fired up the GlideTV does it stuff.  In the event you decided to search the net or surf the web, the GlideTV does include a virtual keyboard.  I don’t recommend this activity since typing in words one mouse point at a time can be beyond cumbersome.

I’m into Hulu so I tested that out.  While I won’t go into all the controls I can say that they’re all intuitive and worked perfectly.  I also launched Front Row, Apple’s proprietary media program and the control were intuitive as ever, but nothing leaps and bounds over Apple’s Remote; in other words don’t get the GlideTV to replace just the Apple Remote Front Row experience.

Battery life is a bit tough to gauge since the GlideTV remote shuts off automatically after one hour of use.  Additionally, it will go into standby mode after 10 seconds of inactivity which lessens its power consumption.  The remote indicates that it is powered up by flashing the power button about every 2 seconds.  If you’re concerned about accidentally waking the remote from off mode by hitting a button, you can lock the remote’s keys by holding down the Power and Search buttons for 3 seconds – you do the same to unlock the device.  This is ideal when you’ll traveling with the GlideTV, or at least that’s what the manufacturer says.

I ran into very few problems with the GlideTV.  It is a bit difficult to tell when the device is powered down, but since it includes a no brainer charging base you just need replace it after use.  Surprisingly, the charging base does not double as a receiver.  Instead a USB dongle is provided and required for use.  I suppose this is convenient if you’d like to charge your GlideTV via an AC outlet (you can also plug the charger in via USB), especially since many people today set their computers to sleep mode when not in use, which doesn’t provide any power to the USB ports.  Nonetheless, I would have liked to have the charging dock do double duty as a receiver as well.

I should note that I did test the GlideTV out on a last generation Mac Mini running Mac OS X 10.6.1 with 1GB of RAM and it was riddled with problems.  The mouse was unresponsive and would often lag, only receiving commands 1 or 2 seconds after entering them.  The distance was no more than 12 feet to the Mac Mini and since I subsequently did an equitable distance test on my Macbook Pro (non Unibody), I can negate that as an issue.  Nonetheless, the GlideTV did work flawlessly on my computer, which runs a 2.4Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo with 2GB of DDR2 RAM.  What the problem was I don’t know, but if you have a Mac Mini and don’t have any problems we’d love to hear.

So at this point I can’t really say anything overwhelming bad, or anything bad for that matter about the GlideTV.  But in this day and age, especially with the economy in the slump that it is, it does come down to bang for you buck.  Sure, you can use this thing with your PS3 or Home Theater PC, but at $149, that’s asking an awful lot, especially when for half that money the same can be accomplished by purchasing a wireless keyboard/mouse combo.  Of course, you won’t have the same slick design, small form factor and ease of use.  So if GlideTV can drop the price well below $100 it could be the must have remote for the Hulu watching, Boxee using web TV crowd.

You can purchase the GlideTV for $149 here

Pros:

• Slick design
• Ease of use (software and device)
• One handed operation
• Decent battery life

Cons:

• Expensive
• No keyboard

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In the past we’ve seen piezoelectric technology applied to flooring in train stations and mats to take advantage of people’s stepping power.  Now the technology is being applied to a home theater remote control developed by NEC and Soundpower.

How does it work you ask?  Instead of being powered by batteries, the remote harvests the kintentic energy of a pushed button and uses that to power itself, hence piezoelectric technology.  It’s not too often that my remote dies, but it would be great to have at least one self sustainable device.

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• The 15 in 1 controller provides the convenience of controlling up to 15 home entertainment devices with one remote control
• The remote control incorporates a library of channel icons for most countries’ main TV stations; via the color LCD screen you can program the right channel icons for the right channel
• The universal IR code database refers to a library of infrared codes built-in to a particular remote. This feature allows the remote to control your equipment without needing to learn individual signals
• Unlike other universal remote controls, where a 3-digit code needs to be input to identify a brand and device, this remote incorporates on-device step-by-step instructions to setup your equipment, regardless of brand
• High resolution quality ( 2.0 inch high resolution, 220×175 pixel TFT display) ensures great readability of the content on the screen
• The rotary wheel cursor enables you to navigate through the setup menu and the device pages, in both clockwise and counter-clockwise directions
• Backlighting illuminates the LCD screen and keypad for use in the dark (Backlight color: White)

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I just got my mitts on the GlideTV remote, which is designed specifically for use with a home theater PC.  While I have yet to actually fire it up and use the remote, I very impressed with the packaging and overall presentation.

Form factor wise it fits relatively well in the hand and is pretty light weight.  I’m currently charging it – scratch that – I think I’m charging it; I had a hard time telling if the contacts were sitting in the dock correctly and receiving a charge.  The backlighting did light up initially when I plugged it in, but then turned off.  Anyway…well see later tonight.  Tons of pics below and video.

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Logitech’s latest Harmony remote, the 700, is now available for your divine purchasing behavior.  Amazon has it for $140 out the door, which ain’t too shabby considering it’s got a half way decent color screen and works with over 200k devices.  It’s not equitable in feature set to some of Logitech’s other Harmony remotes, but for those of you with 6 devices or less it should be a fit.

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The Black Wii might not ever make it to the US, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get in on the monochrome action.  Starting November 16th Nintendo (and all its retailers) will offer a black Wii Remote with Motionplus for $50 and a black Wii Nunchuk, sold separately, for $20.  Damn Nintendo, talk about being a prick tease.

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Like the Jitterbug phone for old people, Sony has plans to release a set of remotes that features over sized buttons and are resistant to liquid spills.  They’ve done a nice job to dress up the ‘you’re too senile to use a real remote’, by offering them in a variety of finishes and colored button patterns.  For now, they’ll only be available in Japan for about $29.

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Logitech kicked out a new touchscreen remote today, the Harmony 900.  Based on the Logitech Haromoy One – it’s essentially the same form factor – it adds Radio Frequency technology that enables you to control your home theater components, or just about any piece of kit from almost anywhere in your home.

Included in the package is a RF blaster and two mini blasters, which unlike other systems sit on your cabinet’s shelves and transmit remote commands to your non-RF infused gear.  How exactly these are better than the stick on RF to IR converters is anyone’s guess, especially if you’ve got very limited shelf space in your cabinet, but Logitech seems to think so.

Logitech’s has also beefed up the remote’s display by adding a higher resolution touchscreen, a more sophiticated user interface and four additional programmable buttons for STB/DVR/teletext controls.

Expect the Logitech Harmony 900 to ship this September in the US and the EU for a painstaking $399.99.

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Logitech announced two new wireless presenters today, the R800 and R400. I know, I know, wireless presenters aren’t exactly drool worthy kit but Logitech’s version brings something slightly different to the game.

Both models include a built-in laser pointer (red for the R400, green for the R800) and battery indicator, but the R800 features a timer that vibrates when you reach your 5-minute, 2-minute and 0-minute limit.  After that the timer, displayed on the 1-by-1/2-inch LCD display, begin to count up indicating how much time you’ve exceeded.

Other features include a wireless range indicator, a receiver that stores inside the presenter and intuitive slide show controls.

The R800 will arrive this August for $99.99, while the R400 should hit the shelves by September for $49.99.

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Sonos accidentally posted the product page for the newest remote yesterday, the CR200, ahead of schedule.  The product page has now been taken down but that didn’t stop Engadget from screen capturing all the leaked info.

It looks to be a scratch resistant 3.5-inch touchscreen (capacitive like the iPhone) encased in an all aluminum body.  Much like the iPhone it includes a built-in light sensor that detects the ambient light that adjusts the screens brightness accordingly as well as a motion sensor that automatically wakes the device when its picked up.  Battery life is variable depending on use, 2-5 days, is fully user swappable and takes 2 hours for a complete charge.  No word on a street date but it will be $349 or $290 if purchased with a bundle.

Personally, I’ll just stick with my iPhone’s iTunes Remote app and a few of Audioengine’s wireless dongles scattered throughout the house.

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After years in development, and rumors of vaporware Hillcrest is finally bringing to market their Loop remote. Instead of featuring tens of buttons, the Loop is an air mouse that utilizes internal sensors to determine where the pointer is on the screen and two buttons to navigate the onscreen menus. Since it uses RF to communicate with whatever device the USB dongle is plugged into, such as a PS3 or Apple TV, no line of sight is necessary. You can grab one at Amazon for $99.

Full release after the ‘leap’

Before Father’s Day, Award Winning Product Now Available to Consumers -

- Targeted to Consumers who Connect their TV to a PC or Mac(R) -

- Available for $99 via Amazon.com or www.hillcrestlabs.com/loop -

ROCKVILLE, Md., June 15 /PRNewswire/ — Today, in time for Father’s Day, Hillcrest Labs launched its award-winning Loop(TM) pointer to be sold directly to consumers. The Loop pointer is a unique Freespace(R) mouse that lets users control an on-screen cursor with the flick of wrist. The Loop pointer is designed to be used by the growing number of consumers who connect their PC or Mac(R) to a TV.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090615/SF32032)

According to data derived from a recent Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)(R) report, there are now more than 7 million US households that have connected a personal computer to their home television sets(1). With the Loop pointer, these consumers now have an engaging new way to search, browse, and navigate the Web or their home media content on TV.

The Loop pointer’s distinctive design is round and ergonomic including just four buttons and a scroll wheel. Originally developed as a concept product to showcase Hillcrest Labs’ Freespace in-air pointing and motion control technology, the Loop pointer is available to consumers for the first time for just $99. Consumers can purchase the Loop pointer at www.amazon.com or www.hillcrestlabs.com/loop.

“As our flagship Freespace product design, the Loop pointer has captured the imagination and interest of most people who have used it,” said Dan Simpkins, CEO and founder of Hillcrest Labs. “Although today we are introducing our first product directly to the public, at our core, we remain a software and IP licensing company.”

“Hillcrest Labs is recognized as one of the most innovative developers of motion control technology and graphical user interfaces for television,” said Colin Dixon, principal analyst at the Diffusion Group. “Their new Loop pointer is a simple, elegant product whose unique design will make it a great conversation piece in the living room, dorm room, lecture hall, or board room.”

Examples of Applications and Uses

To use the Loop pointer, consumers simply plug a small, USB 2.0 transceiver that comes with the device into a compatible computer or device. As with a conventional mouse, no special driver software is required for use on a PC or Mac. Device applications include:

Mouse for TV: For consumers who connect a PC-to-TV or Mac-to-TV, the Loop is an in-air pointer that offers the industry’s highest performance. Users can relax comfortably on a couch, hold the Loop pointer in any position, and control their favorite online video sites, photo sites, music sites, and more. Using the standard on-screen keyboards that are included with the Windows or Mac operating systems, people can enter search terms, passwords, and more.
Presenters: Executives, professors or other PowerPoint(TM) users now have a far more useful and eye-catching tool for use with keynotes, company presentations, or lectures. The Loop pointer also makes it easy to switch between presentations, web pages and other applications, all while walking around the conference room or lecture hall.
The Loop pointer can also complement the following products:

KODAK Theatre HD Player: Owners of the highly acclaimed KODAK Theatre HD Player can use the Loop pointer as a fully functioning alternative controller to interact with pictures, videos and music, and more.
PS3(TM): The Loop pointer is not a game controller for PS3, but it can be used as a complementary device to navigate the Internet using the PS3’s web browser.
Apple TV: While Apple TV does not support mouse controllers, consumers who use aTV Flash, from Fire Core (version 3.6), will be able to use the Loop pointer to navigate content on the device and the aTV Flash web browser.
Freespace Technology

The Loop pointer incorporates Hillcrest Labs’ patented Freespace technology. Attributes of the Loop pointer that are made possible by Freespace technology include:

High Accuracy/Precision: The Loop is a highly precise pointer which allows users to point to individual pixels on a high-resolution screen.
Orientation Compensation: Regardless of the orientation of the device in space (e.g. pointing at the ground, turned sideways, etc.), Freespace generates intuitive cursor motions on the screen. MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) sensors combined with Hillcrest’s proprietary software enable consistent control of the device from any position – standing, sitting or reclining.
Adaptive Tremor Removal: Hillcrest’s technology can distinguish between intentional and unintentional movement, including natural hand tremors. Instead of filtering out the entire range of human tremor, which would reduce the accuracy of the pointer, the Loop pointer dynamically measures each individual user’s specific tremor and unintentional movements and removes them.
No Line-of-Site: Unlike conventional Infrared devices and optical motion-sensing devices that require “line-of-site” operation, the Loop pointer uses RF (radio frequency) technology, so users do not need to point directly at the computer or TV screen. This gives users greater freedom to move around at a range of up to 30 feet. It also means that the PC or Mac could be stored in a media cabinet while in use.
Freespace technology can also be licensed by companies as a complete hardware and software platform to create peripheral devices that accurately track motion with six degrees of freedom. Companies that have licensed Freespace for use in their products include: Eastman Kodak, Logitech, UEI, and ZillionTV. In addition, Hillcrest Labs licenses a broad set of intellectual property including more than 40 issued patents, out of more than 190 filed by the company.

Loop Pointer Specifications

Diameter: 4.8 inches (approximately the size of a CD or DVD)
Width: 1.2 inches
Weight: 4.9 ounces
Color: Black with silver buttons
Connectivity: USB 2.0 antenna with built in RF (radio frequency transceiver)
Power supply: 2 AA batteries (included)
To order the Loop pointer, consumers should visit www.amazon.com or www.hillcrestlabs.com/loop. For more details about Hillcrest Labs, visit www.hillcrestlabs.com.

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