PS3 owners, sit up and take notice – Logitech has just announced that its Logitech Harmony Adapter for the PS3 is readily available, letting you use your Harmony universal remote control with Sony’s latest gaming console. It will offer support for all 51 PS3 commands (yes, count them!), where you will be able to navigate the PS3 XrossMediaBar from afar (as long as the range permits, that is) without having to tussle with the PS3 controller’s form factor that was meant more for gaming than anything else. Those who are interested can pick up the Logitech Harmony Adapter for $59.99 while our friends across the pond can only do so in July.

Press Release

When I was a kid, TV remotes essentially had a handful of buttons for on, off, volume control, and the channel selector. That was it. But as TVs became more sophisticated and programming choices expanded beyond 3 networks and a gaggle of local channels, the remote control became larger and more complicated. Eventually, it became not only programmable, but some are quite expensive (on the order of up to $1,000 or more). The problem is that programmable all in one remotes that can handle your TV, Cable box, even Internet access have buttons that just never get used. Now researchers are seeking to change with GestureTek, a camera mounted on the TV which translates your hand movements into TV remote control functions.

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Now this is how you get your kids to go outside and play.  Buy them a toy that’s highly similar to their favorite video game.  Granted this method isn’t advised for kids that play the more violent games.  Somehow I see telling them to go outside and pretend they’re playing Grand Theft Auto in the outdoors causing some issues.  However, for those that enjoy Mario Kart, you can pick up these R/C toys that would be fun to race around the house or outside on some pavement.

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Nothing goes together like iPod Speakers and Remote Control Cars. Okay, those are two devices that don’t really pair together very well, but I can still remember the day when no one would have paired a cellular phone with a camera. Not that it was a long time ago, by the way.

In other words, you never know what two devices the electronic world is going to blend together. Bless Automatica has done it with the Remote Control car with iPod speakers.

So what can you do with this? Well, start by putting the speakers in the back, and take your pimped-out remote control car for a ride with some serious ghetto-blasting speaker action. Apparently, it can somehow hold these speakers on the back of the car, and the car will not tip over.

Yeah, don’t ask me how that is possible. By the way, the remote control car can be used as a CD holder or a tray.

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Manta rays are majestic creatures that roam the earth’s oceans, and chances are you won’t be able to bring one home by any means which leads us to the next best thing – the Remote Controlled Manta Ray.

This is the remote controlled manta ray that glides underwater while you swim or snorkel nearby. Its hydrodynamic body has small holes in its upper body that allow water to displace air as it submerges down to its maximum depth of 8′. You can control it from 6′ away with the remote (which is waterproof down to 3′). Forefinger triggers on the underside of the remote enable independent pitch for each thruster, providing control for steep, powered dives to the bottom of pools and rapid ascents. Thumb toggles on the topside of the remote allow for independent thrust operation of each shrouded propeller, providing the ability to move forward, backward, make left and right turns, barrel rolls, or complete underwater loops–even intricate submerged Immelmann turns. Three LED panels provide a phosphorescent glow as it moves through the water. A rechargeable battery (sold separately) contained in a sealed, waterproof compartment powers the manta for up to 30 minutes (takes four hours to fully charge); the remote requires one 9-volt battery. Four AA batteries (not included) can also power the manta ray. Sturdy PVC, ABS, and stainless steel construction. For freshwater use.

It is interesting to note that while the real manta rays live in the ocean, this remote controlled version will just have to make do with freshwater only, probably due to the materials it was constructed from where salt water could end up being more abrasive than normal. After all, you wouldn’t want something that cost you a handsome $119.95 wear out so fast, do you?

Did you ever crave a remote control for your television with a built-in speaker? Me neither. A Japanese company called ELPA has made the RC-25SP, and it has been receiving a lot of criticism.

As you can see, this universal remote is not bar-shaped like most, but an odd box-shape with a speaker on the flip-out lid. This is definitely not very ergonomic, unless you are the Thing from the Fantastic Four.

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When I was at CES 2009, I got to meet with Hillcrest Labs. I met them near the Kodak booth, where one of their Hillcrest remotes was being used on one of Kodak’s products. I had no idea who Hillcrest was, but when they showed me their motion control technology, they had my attention.

Hillcrest is responsible for Freespace technology, which requires no line of sight in order to work. That means that if you go into the other room to get a snack, you can still use the remote. As long as you can see the cursor on the television, it will work. Hillcrest also uses orientation compensation which can filter out any tremors for shaky-hand remote-control users.

Of course, what really got my attention is when the Hillcrest representative pulled out the Loop. More like kidnapped my attention, and then held it for ransom. As soon as I saw the Loop, I couldn’t stop taking pictures of it. Right now, the Loop is only a concept remote control for now, but it feels like it was plucked from the future. However, I can just see it sitting on my coffee table in a charger now.

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Take a look at this picture to the left. This is Eddy, a concept device by European company 3KNT. See if you can’t guess what it is. If you said “vacuum cleaner”, then you are only half-right! You see, Eddy is more than just your average vacuum, but a “suction excavator”. Something tells me that is just a fancy word for vacuum cleaner, but Eddy is worth the title.

Eddy is designed to suck up all the dirt or debris that is in a hole. This would definitely come in handy as the new type of shop-vac for construction areas, and it has a range of 1000mm (semicircular radius).

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