Holy Grail of Remote Controls 107
castilejw writes "CNN has an article showing where researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have teamed with researchers from Maya Designs, Inc. to produce the ultimate universal remote, which "would choreograph not just home entertainment systems but also intelligent appliances all around the house: microwave ovens, clothes dryers, air conditioners.". The device they have shown is a modified Compaq iPAQ, which they have so far modified to control two lamps, a fan and a stereo with a five-CD changer." Seems like that much is pretty easy. Now when it
can control my answering machine, my MP3 collection, and my garage door, I'll
be ready to automate my soul. Update: 09/02 15:34 GMT by CT : Oops, this is a duplicate. Move along :) We suck so much. Blah blah blah.
holy dejavu batman! (Score:1)
Haiku (Score:2, Funny)
For I did see this on the
Front page once before
Deja vu? (Score:2, Informative)
What's the battery life? (Score:2, Insightful)
Scenario - go out, come home 5 hours later. Bugger, forgot to charge the remote.
Repost (Score:1)
Already been done (Score:1)
And... (Score:5, Funny)
Perhaps it will also read Slashdot for you and inform you when a story was already posted a few hours before.
Re:And... (Score:1)
Losing it. (Score:2)
Re:Losing it. (Score:2)
Or even worse: cloned!
Never trust too much un New Technology!
ms
--
Old stuff (Score:1)
Re:Interesting (Score:1)
c'mon, you've got to admit that was pretty desperate.
PS: I find this post Insightful, Interesting and Funny.
Re:Interesting (Score:1)
Awesome! (Score:4, Insightful)
We can get our exercise by playing first-person shooters, and if someone could only invent a really *good* in-sofa bodywashing system, I'm thinking there wouldn't be any real reason for any of us to put feet on the carpet at all.
Oh, there is the whole "bodily needs" issue, but we've already got good online porn, so who needs the real thing. That leaves us with expulsion of bodily wastes. Anyone know of a high-quality integrated sofa-crapper unit?
Re:Awesome! (Score:2)
Here's the standard solution [depend.com].
Or you could have a little fun [ratemypoo.com].
Mirrored here.... (Score:5, Funny)
Already on Slashdot (Score:1)
re-run (Score:1)
I suggest you do a "search" on the site (after all, you have the sources) and check if things like that already been published. this is happening all the time and is very weird.
Re:Yes, but there is a problem... (Score:2)
I don't want a company configuring mine. My Marantz is set up exactly how I use it. I don't need all 50 buttons from my receiver on it. I only use 4. I don't need my TV functions just on a few TV pages, I sometimes need them while using my TiVo, so I put them where I need them. I have very specialized macros set up to go between HDTV and TiVo that no parent company would ever do.
ConnectedTV integrates your TV guide with a remote (Score:1)
"Touch Tuning" with ConnectedTV is like speed dialing with the remote: you can forget all those channel numbers, and easily operate ConnectedTV with one hand.
One handed operation is an extremely important feature for a universal remote control, which should be purposefully designed into the user interface from the day one.
Like Mozilla and The Sims, ConnectedTV features "pie menus [piemenu.com]," which enable you to quickly and reliably select several different commands from one button by stroking in different directions, without using (and losing) the stylus. Pie menus make ConnectedTV more powerful per square inch than physical remotes that only support one function per button.
The buttons are big enough to easily select with your finger, and have useful functions in different directions. For example, stroking left or right scrolls to the previous or next page. You can stroke up on the name of a show to find out more about it, or stroke down to watch it, and ConnectedTV sends the numbers to change the channel, without you having to know or press any digits.
ConnectedTV also functions as a hot list and spam filter, so you can easily mark and find your favorite shows, while hiding shows you don't like. It's much better than the slowly scrolling on-screen guide, because it doesn't block the tv screen, you can take it anywhere with up to two weeks of guide, and use it at your own pace.
ConnectedTV is indispensable if you have hundreds of digital cable or satellite channels, because you can filter out the channels and shows you don't like, and mark your favorites so they're easy to find whenever they're on.
-info@Connected.TV [mailto]
Re:ConnectedTV integrates your TV guide with a rem (Score:2)
I do like the show guide on the remote. But, you get more information on a TiVo guide screen. I'd definately use the ConnectedTV guide over my cable system's guide, though.
that's wrong. (Score:2, Funny)
Re:that's wrong. (Score:1)
Re:that's wrong. (Score:1)
Re:that's wrong. (Score:2)
D'oh! (Score:1, Redundant)
Seriously, Taco, we all appreciate the work you and the others put into keeping slashdot going, but some sort of anti-repost mechanism would be useful. I know no method's foolproof, but this one even had the same url!
Alternatively, why doesn't someone repost every article for three weeks, then go back to normal - that way everybody'll be so impressed at the change, they'll stop complaining ^_^
Maran
If I repost my messages... (Score:5, Funny)
Will I get completely new Karma?
Also, I just post a bunch of links to the last discussion of this, will I get +5, Informative?
Re:If I repost my messages... (Score:1)
Yes.
Re:If I repost my messages... (Score:1)
Universal Remote? (Score:1)
My wish (Score:2)
Elvis Presley invented the perfect TV remote (Score:1)
.45 ACP.
Sadly, the King's groundbreaking research in this field hasn't been followed up on a large scale.
/. CNN (Score:1)
Will it.. (Score:1)
Deja vu? hell no (Score:1)
they know...
Using Windows "technology" (Score:2)
Creators of remote controls could learn a lot from a simple philosophy behind the success of Windows: Point And Click.
A laser pointer (so you have feedback about where you are pointing) with 6 buttons which have common meanings to household objects could control most of the functions that remote controls are concerned with:
...and so on. You don't get to program your VCR (timer record, tuning, etc), but you get the important functionality that you want access to remotely (for the average non-couch-potato). The other drawback is that elderly or disabled people may find it more difficult to have to point (assumedly with some degree of accuracy).
With a bit of additional logic, you can add a minimal LCD display so up/down scrolls through the control options, and left/right manipulates them.
Wow!! (Score:2)
Re:Wow!! (Score:2)
You would think that since this morning (Score:2)
In other news, (Score:1)
oh big deal. (Score:2)
What they are doing can and has been done for years. having the minute detail feedback on the remote's screen is a kinda-neat idea but not needed by any means. I have voice feedback throughout the house (misterhouse.. the absolute best home automation software available on the planet... it outclasses the $6,000.00 automation software from Panja/DMX)
I'm glad that they are re-inventing the wheel with neato hardware... but my remote needs it's batteries replaced maybe once every 3 months.. I want to see an Ipaq or their device do the same. (No charging station.. oh and no turning it on or off... I don't turn my remote on or off.)
So I give them a Big thumbs up for neat idea... but It's been done before, cheaper, and with bells and wistles missing that most people really dont care about.
Re:oh big deal. (Score:1)
So yeah, I'm useless
I'm not bragging... ANYONE can do this.. and for very little money.
an entirely automated home is easy, cheap, and very possible... it's not for the ultra rich only anymore... granted they get the overpriced plug-in ready to go system... but then their system can't to 1/2 of what mine can.
So useless?? yeah... I'm useless..
Re:Is this really useful? (Score:1)
Definately cool for your home cinema!
Uh, ever heard of an x10 learning remote? (Score:2)
Hate to break it to them, but someone's already invented this [smarthome.com]! They only cost $35, much less than an iPaq! =)
Mine controls my TV, cable, DVD player, stereo, living room lights, bedroom lights, fan, and even my neighbor's cat (just kidding).
Regurg (Score:2)
I have an IQ of 156
[...]
This is why I only view DVDs on my computer, faaar easier, don't have to switch around audio and video inputs until hell freezes over, then select the proper audio decompression scheme, then select the proper surround sound scheme, and THEN sit down and 'enjoy' the movie, and then have the honor of switching all that shit BACK to watch regular TV.
Here is my question: Since you're so smart, why is it such a difficult task for you to use a console DVD player? I mean, it's not that hard really. 5 to 10 seconds tops, insert DVD, push play, that's it. I simply can't see how you would prefer sitting hunched over your computer to watch a DVD than using a TV.(+4 Funny)
Holy Grail my a$$... (Score:1)
There is also a smaller version [comedy-zone.net] for men who hate large remotes. It includes such handy features as:
'Shut up!'
'Relationship Suspended'
'Let's Play'
'Get a move on'
'Go back and start again'
Automation? (Score:2)
Already has by the looks of it.....
Will I still be able to use my equipment? (Score:2)
Don't get me wrong, there are remotes that surely are better than others, and I understand that many people want one instead of three+ remotes when they watch TV, but how easy can you make it without making it so easy to do certain tasks that those are the only ones you can do?
Besides, it can be a good thing to use your brain now and then
Tell me one thing... (Score:2)
Editorial quality (Score:2, Insightful)
Why do you expect people to pay for subscriptions when you constantly repeat stories, post press releases [slashdot.org] as news, and even post obvious garbled rubbish [slashdot.org]?
This kind of thing might be OK in a free, community led service, but the fact that you don't give a shit what you're publishing hardly inspires enough trust to pay you money. I can see that last post now.
Update: 09/02 15:34 GMT by CT: We're closing down, folks. Move along :) You won't get a rebate on your subscriptions. We suck so much. Blah blah blah.
Slashdot. Newts for Birds. Fluff that natters. (Score:1)
a link to the pebbles project (Score:1)
Voice Controls (Score:2)
Surely the Holy Grail of home automation has got to be voice activated. Perhaps an infared badge to tell rooms receivers where you are, combined with a wireless microphone, linked to a central system, which in turn can drive an array of X 10 controlled devices.
Anyone tried anything like this?
Re:Voice Controls (Score:1)
I simply did the following...
This was 5 years ago when House/2 first came out.
- Rob [binfeeds.com]
This is like 3 years old (Score:1)
Hi... (Score:1)
what passes for research these days... (Score:2)
If you want things to work a little more nicely, get Linux/X11-based X10 software, run an X11 server on your handheld (e.g., the handhelds.org distribution on your iPaq), and run the X11 application with the handheld as the display (that way, the application knows that the screen is small). Or, you can also run one of the open source Java or C based remote control apps directly on a Linux-based handheld and have it connect to the X10 home control device through a network serial port.
I think calling any of this "research" is really stretching things. Next thing you know, those people will patent it, and nerds like myself that have been doing this for a few years will have to buy their cumbersome software.
It *does* control your mp3 player (Score:1)
The system will control anything you write a specification [cmu.edu] for.
Some neat features that the article sort of glossed over: the system generates UIs that are demonstrably better than traditional remote controls. It requires no programming at all. It can generate multi-modal interfaces (combining speech and GUI). It can generate interfaces for any form factor remote control device (this is the same flexibility that allows multi-modal interfaces).
The CMU page [cmu.edu] has lots of information about what the system is really capable of.
Oh, and yeah, the system is currently implemented in Java and it runs on Linux as well as PocketPC (in fact, the widgets look better on the Zaurus).
Unfortunately, our system is not smart enough to read slashdot and detect duplicate posts.
Re:It *does* control your mp3 player (Score:1)
If the point of this is more the interface issues I can see this, but the web site seems more like a competitor to OmniRemote than a research project.
yay! (Score:2)
Simply point original remote at the palm's IR port, switch to "learn" mode. Press button on remote, code entered. Press button on screen you want it assigned to. Repeat.
It even came with some basic layouts and Universal Remote codes installed (unfortunately, not a single device in my house uses a Universal Remote, so...)
my holy grail (Score:2)
then... I want a remote control that accepts voice commands from
anywhere in my house
then... I want a remote system to accept voice commands, but also
understands what noise is coming from the TV/DVD/Stereo and can
process my voice over the (loud) audio system
then... I want a remote audio control, background substracted control
system that does per-user voice authentication and can control my
home security system
then... I want all that installed and working flawlessly for under a grand.
Maybe I should start this as a business?
Crestron & AMX (Score:1)
It needs... (Score:2)