Wednesday, Google TV announced their new remote control application for Android devices. This comes as no surprise, and not just because Android is Google’s mobile platform.

Mobile devices are fast-becoming the remote controls of the future. Look in the iTunes store or Android marketplace… There’s definitely a growing trend. Loads of mobile apps are being introduced, to help us quickly manage our home entertainment equipments as well as find and view content.

The app, available in the Android marketplace, allows users to control their program guides, access their DVRs and send content from the mobile device directly to the TV.

Perhaps a bit more interesting are some of the other features – apart from the standard TV remote options (like changing channels or accessing your DVR). Using the Google TV remote app for Android, you can now interact with your TV in ways you never have before. For instance, try using the integrated voice search which allows you to find your favorite shows and movies just by speaking into your Android phone. Pretty slick.

Watch the official Google TV demo of the Android app:

Internet+TV= A Big Deal

It looks like Google is taking a step in the right direction. There are numbers to prove it.

In November, Logitech and independent research firm Wakefield Research announced the results of the Global Remote Control Trends Study. The survey of seven countries from around the globe revealed that consumers are ready for an entertainment overhaul when it comes to ease of use in the living room.

Nine of 10 (93 percent in America, 89 percent and higher globally) people believe their home-entertainment experience would be better if they could press a single button for their favorite feature film.

It makes perfect sense.

Tapping the touchscreen for our favorite movies is intuitive, not only because today’s mobile devices are smart and fast, or because touchscreens provide the perfect input device for the task. It’s because we’re using our touchscreen devices while watching TV anyway. Google TV is even adding voice control to the fray.

Google TV, Sony and Logitech aren’t the only companies up on the trend. Our beloved paid TV providers like AT&T, Dish Network, Comcast, Time Warner and Verizon have all launched or announced new apps for Android and iOS devices as a way to browse on-demand TV content.

This is all great. But what about the actual entertainment?

On-screen clutter disrupts real content.

If you recall, we’ve spoken before about the clutter on the Google TV screen. I don’t want to wait around while someone scrolls around ‘searching’ for something to watch. Doing that on the phone is just fine. It’s almost expected.

Clearly, ad-supported TV isn’t going anywhere. But please, remove that from the big screen. I want content.

A growing number of us are accessing the web, texting or chatting on our phones while we watch TV. We spend our entire day with these devices – so extending our TV viewing experience to the touchscreen and integrating voice commands just feels right.

But do we need the second-screen content on the TV screen? I think not.

And another thing…

I’ll close out with a quick rant. Indulge me for a moment…

Google TV doesn’t support Apple Quicktime video.

That’s just petty. Apple won’t play nice and support Flash video, so Google doesn’t want to take anyone to Apple generated content, in Quicktime. And to justify it by not supporting Microsoft content, in Silverlight either? C’mon.

I would have thought Google would be over that kind of tit for tat behavior. Grow up.

Revue is an Android-based, Google TV platform that allows users to access content from their cable/satellite receiver, personal digital libraries, as well as online content providers like Netflix and Amazon, from one location (your TV screen).

While much about the system’s controllers remains to be seen, one thing is clear: Logitech wants you to have A LOT of options when it comes “Google remotes.”

Logitech Revue with Google TV (via SlashGear)

Google TV is search-driven, which means that you can expect to do a fair amount of of work every time you turn on the TV. Locating and playing content using the Logitech Revue (or any future Google TV platform) requires cruising through an on-the-TV-screen interface, and typing search terms that could be related to whatever you want to watch.

So how does one control this system? With a complex cast of controllers from Logitech, of course. Let’s Revue, shall we?

Wireless (RF) keyboard

A Wireless keyboard is the primary controller. It’s included in the price of the Revue system ($299), and also sold separately for use with any (future) Google TV platform for $99.

This controller is a full-sized, PC-style keyboard. It includes a touch pad for moving an on-screen cursor, directional keys, and many randomly placed hard buttons for things like jumping to the home screen, and powering individual inputs like a cable box or AV receiver.

Mini Controller

The Mini Controller is a netbook-sized,  clam shell with full Qwerty keyboard, and a tiny circular touch pad that can also be used as directional keys. It looks a whole lot like one of Logitech’s controllers that never really caught on—the diNovo Mini.

Sold-separately for $129.99, the Mini Controller is adorable, but entirely unnecessary. Anyone who owns a Revue will already have the full sized wireless keyboard, and presumably their own smartphone, which can also be used as a remote.

Harmony App for Android and iOS devices

The Harmony remote control app (and pricing information) has not been released for either mobile platform yet. The app will eventually be available through Google’s Apps Marketplace (possibly other Android stores), as well as Apple’s App Store.

While it’s a cool idea to have a mobile app for controlling your Google TV instead of the big-ole wireless keyboard, it seems far from ideal. Various product demonstrations available on the web make it clear that Revue users will have to navigate through a lot of on-screen menus, type search terms, and then weed through search results in order to find and control content.

Since it doesn’t look like an easy user experience in the first place, asking someone to do all those things, while using a tiny controller that they will also use to control other components,  is asking a lot.

All the remotes in Logitech’s Harmony line

While it seems impractical,  you can also use any remote in the Harmony line to control Logitech’s Google TV.

I suppose if you already own a Harmony remote, having a separate hand-held controller for volume and other basic control, could be helpful. Though I don’t expect anyone will buy a Harmony remote specifically for use with the Revue, especially since the most inexpensive RF remote in the Harmony line costs $50 more than the entire Revue system.

What does it all mean?

Shoot, I don’t really know. Google TV itself is kind of an odd development. It’s blend of the old, new, good, bad, the incredibly awkward.

Good parts of the system already exist and are in use

The idea of having one central location where you can access all of your entertainment content is not new. You’ve known for years that you can connect your computer (and media center) to your TV. The people most interested in having this type of integration at home have probably already created their own web-connected entertainment center.

Even people who aren’t tech savvy are connecting to online content using gaming consoles and inexpensive hardware like the Roku player.

Will these folks spend an extra $300 (at least) to convert their existing set up to Google TV? Probably not. Will the rest of the population suddenly feel the need to change the way they watch TV because this technology is available? Probably not. But I’m sure they’ll enjoy learning about it on the Today Show.

My mom has probably known about Google TV for months. Will she buy one? Absolutely not; she’s still getting DVDs in the mail. Will I buy one? Absolutely not; I already have ways to get the online content I need—and it doesn’t involve a goofy on-the-TV-screen interface.

Bad parts of the system have already been rejected

Using one’s TV as a browser isn’t a new concept either. Remember WebTV? That was 12 years ago! And for the past two years, owners of TVs include widgets or apps, have been successfully ignoring those features.

Why didn’t these things take off?

It’s probably because much of what we do with our laptops, desktops and smartphones  is private—chatting with friends, paying bill, etc. Needless to say, we don’t want to share those things with other people in the room.

In the same vein, other do not (and will not) enjoy watching your personal stock ticker, baseball stats and IMDB searches while a movie is playing.

Kinks, quirks, and other less-than-ideal aspects to consider

Google TV is search-based. However, if you want to search through your saved DVR programs, the only way to do it is through Dish Network’s special Google TV package. Excuse me? Fail.

Or what about the on-the-TV-screen interface. It’s loud and colorful, some would even say it’s pretty. But before you temporarily fall in love because it looks like, “The TV of the Future,” consider the following:

Is there anything worse than standing behind someone while they do a Google search and slowly scan the results? No. Will watching family members and guests do Google searches on your TV make daydream about punching them in the face and ripping the keyboard out of their hands? Probably.

The concept of Google TV, one place for finding and managing entertainment content, is not the problem. The problem is the interface, and more specifically, how it’s accessed.

Why on earth would they put it on the TV screen? That’s where my TV show needs to go!

I wonder where Logitech stood on this one. I wonder if during the early stages they thought an off-screen control interface would be best. I bet at least some of them did. Were they forced to go with Google’s flow?

Logitech’s Harmony controllers are supposed to be all about simplicity—and baby, there’s nothing simple about controlling this beast.

All the complexity of controlling a home theater full of devices still exists after adding the Revue to your system. And it’s all topped with even more complexity and mandatory labor thanks to the Google TV interface.

Is this the future of home entertainment? I hope not.

Immediately after I finished writing about Verizon’s remote control and DVR Manager apps, Comcast started talking about their Xfinity Remote prototype for the iPad. Good timing.

The app was demoed by CEO Brian Roberts at the Cable Show 2010 (see video below), and honestly, I was pretty impressed with what it had to offer. It looks like the app makes effective use of the iPad’s large user interface, which seems to be fairly uncommon among many iPad apps we’ve seen so far. Although, this is tough to judge until you get your hands on the app yourself.  The remote app also implements some useful features – most notably the attractive, searchable channel guide and the ability to invite a friend to watch a show “with you.”

[youtube RLz72XErN8U]

The Xfinity Remote works by sending a signal via Wi-Fi to a Comcast server that responds by telling your Xfinity box to perform the desired action. It’s a web-based app, so it should work on any device with a compatible browser (iPhone, Android, etc.) Although this seems like a great app, it lacks the ability to control any additional devices you have in your setup.

Both the RedEye and the soon-to-come RedEye Mini control your devices by emitting infrared signals. This gives you a significant advantage over the Xfinity Remote because it allows you to control not only your Xfinity box, but also any additional IR devices you have in your setup. And to make your RedEye experience even more enjoyable, the next software update is going to add a channel guide into the RedEye app (it will be released in roughly two weeks.)

Hello, fellow remote control and home automation enthusiasts.  I’m a new contributor here at MoreControl.com, and a self-confessed home automation and home theater addict.  I’ve spent the last several years automating and tweaking various aspects of my home.  Much of the work has been of a practical nature, introducing user-friendly automation to conserve energy, monitor temperature, avoid water leaks, and simplify tasks for myself and my family.  Though, I’m certainly not averse to implementing something just to see if it can be done.  Lest you think that home automation is just for the über-rich to control their mansions, I thought I’d share a few practical automation features I’ve implemented in my own home. This is part one in a series of posts.

If you spend any time around kids, you’ll likely agree that they seem to not grasp the concept of turning lights off.  My children, for instance, constantly leave the lights on down in the basement when they’re done playing.  Our original solution was to install CFL bulbs to at least conserve some energy while the lights illuminated the empty space.  However, this was more of a band-aid than an actual cure.  We needed an easy way to tell that the lights were on and, subsequently, turn them off.  Ideally, the solution would also provide two more features.  First, we didn’t want to continually go down the basement stairs to turn off the lights.  Worse, we didn’t want to listen to the kids complain when we sent them down. Second, we wanted the lights to turn off automatically if we neglected to do it ourselves.

My current automation system is built primarily with Insteon devices from SmartHome.com all managed by an ISY 99i controller from Universal Devices.  The photo at the top of this post shows a KeypadLinc I installed in my family room (near the stairs to the basement).  You can see that a key is lit on the bottom-left that says “Basemnt Overhd”.  (Note that there’s an unfortunate limitation of 2 lines of text with 7 characters per line on the custom-etched keys, so abbreviate as best you can.)  With a little programming, I set up this key to perform several tasks.

• If either of the basement light switches is turned on, the key lights to let us know.  Likewise, the key goes out if both of the switches in the basement are off.
• Pressing the key will toggle the basement lights on and off with the key always illuminating in sync with the lights.
• A daily reset program runs early each morning to set various facets of the house into a desired state.  Part of this program ensures that the basement lights are off.

It’s a pretty simple bit of automation, but it has been extremely useful.  Not only are we able to save energy because we always know when the basement lights are on, it’s actually had two unexpected side-effects.  First, my kids find the automation so interesting that they frequently actually remember to turn the lights off (preferring to use the keypad vs. the light switches).  Second, my 4-year-old son doesn’t like to go down in the basement when it’s dark down there.  I showed him how he can now turn on the basement lights before even opening the door, and he loves it because he doesn’t need to find mom or dad to ask for help going downstairs any more.

Equipment list:

• Insteon KeypadLinc
• Custom-etched buttons for KeypadLinc
• (2) Insteon ToggleLinc Dimmer switches
• Universal Devices ISY 99i/IR Pro

(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Supposedly an acoustic trigger could have remotely sealed the under sea oil well that is currently spilling 210,000 gallons of oil per day into the Gulf of Mexico.

Many news outlets are reporting that if British Petroleum had invested in this particular remote control technology, workers escaping from the burning BP rig on April 20 would have been able to send a signal more than a mile under water, causing 450-ton hydraulic rams to close off the well, almost immediately stopping the flow of oil.

Since they didn’t install an acoustic trigger, the people at BP are now shamefully watching their precious oil contaminate the once-beautiful Gulf, killing thousands of innocent sea creatures (as well as the price of  their stock).

So why didn’t BP have a remote valve shut-off system in place? Most of the reports I’ve seen and heard blame it on the $500,000 price tag for an acoustic trigger . I know what you’re thinking: “That’s one expensive remote!”

Do I hear crickets chirping?

Okay, so maybe you’re actually thinking about the environmental and economic devastation starting to take hold in the Gulf; but please take one more moment to further consider the remote control technology that “could have” saved the day.

Was  BP just trying to save a buck (er… 500,000 bucks) when they opted not to  install an acoustic trigger in their undersea drilling operation that’s now hemorrhaging oil into the Gulf? Maybe. But we should also consider the possibility that acoustic switches aren’t quite as foolproof as certain outraged lawmakers and media outlets would like us to believe.

These pricey switches are used voluntarily in many offshore drilling operations, and are required by law for drilling off the coast of Brazil and Norway. So why isn’t this technology required for offshore drilling in the US?

Consider one of the earliest everyday remote controls, Zenith’s Space Command, which first appeared in 1956. This remote used sound waves to control the television it was paired with. History tells us that sound control didn’t last long on land; but why?

Zenith’s Space Command fell out of favor because noise in the home environment—say the plunk of a child’s xylophone or a squealing little brother—often matched the frequencies for controlling the TV. Accidentally changing the channel or powering off was all too common.

Could competing sounds be the same reason acoustic triggers aren’t the most popular item in the offshore drilling safety toolbox?

In 2003, the U.S. Minerals Management Service commissioned a report on whether oil companies drilling offshore should be required to install an acoustic trigger for remote valve shut off.

The report concluded that,  “Acoustic systems are not recommended because they tend to be very costly, and there is insufficient data available on system reliability in the presence of a mud or gas plume.”

Hmmm… so it doesn’t really work?

I checked out the MMS report, and here’s what I discovered: the reason sound waves are not the preferred way to achieve remote control under water is same reason sound waves are not the preferred way to achieve remote control on land—acoustic signals leave too much room for error.

Under water, acoustic interference caused by the noise of a flowing oil well or a plume of mud can make the operation of an acoustic trigger unreliable.

It seems both land and sea are just too noisy for acoustic control to be especially effective. Other sounds can get in the way–skewing, blocking or mimicking actual commands.

In living rooms around the world, infrared light has been king of the remote control universe since the 1970s. Unfortunately for the little fishies of the Gulf (and every living thing on Earth),  IR isn’t a viable solution for triggering emergency shut-off valves deep in the ocean.

The Dillinger Escape Plan is giving out 2,000 TV-B-Gone universal remotes with its upcoming album. Watch the anarchy unfold...

Hardcore (-ish) band The Dillinger Escape Plan recently announced that it will include a television quashing universal remote in limited edition box sets of its upcoming album, “Option Paralysis,” on sale March 22.

The band appears to be encouraging its fans to, “Be Here Now,” by arming them with the TV-B-Gone.

The TV-B-Gone is stripped-down universal remote that only controls one function, power. While it can turn almost any television on or off, The Dillinger Escape Plan only appears to encourage using the TV-B-Gone to shut down blaring televisions that are on for no particular reason.

How does it work? When you push the only button on the TV-B-Gone remote, it sends out a sequence of infrared power codes for nearly every television imaginable.

Users will find that 90% of televisions will turn off within 17 seconds of pushing the power button. It takes 69 seconds for the remote to cycle through all of its power codes; fortunately the device emits codes for the most popular televisions first.

Check out TV-B-Gone’s website for a hilarious collection of customer testimonials. Here’s an excerpt from one of my favorites:  “I can’t wait for the next time I go to my doctor’s office so I can turn off the continuous pharmaceutical ad video that runs in his waiting room. “

Dillinger has tour dates scheduled all over the world between now and mid-August; no region is safe. Watch out for unruly, remote-toting fans. I’m picturing Gizmodo’s TV-B-Gone hijinks at CES 2008, but on a much larger scale…

Logitech Touch Mouse app for iPhone and iPod touch (image via Mobiletor.com)

I’m sure you’ve heard about Logitech’s Touch Mouse by now; the internet’s been buzzing with the news since Monday (and the story was floating around in cyberspace for a bit before it took off).

According to Logitech Global Product Marketing Manager Andy Hengel, the Touch Mouse app uses Wi-Fi to turn your iPhone or iPod touch into a wireless trackpad and keyboard for your computer, so you can point, click, scroll and type from afar, in any application, on a Mac or PC.

Yes, “now” you can lie in bed and respond to the IM that’s flashing on your monitor across the room (plus one). However you’ll need to be able to see what you’re responding to, since it won’t appear on your iPhone or iPod touch (minus one).

The above draw aside—it seems like the Touch Mouse would be perfect for controlling video on your computer (or HTPC) from across the room.

Wait a minute; why is everyone so excited? The first wireless trackpad and keyboard app for iPhone and iPod touch, Intelliremote, appeared in 2008. That same year, Logitech debuted a piece of dedicated hardware with similar (yet less robust) functionality, diNovo Mini. Frankly, I’m a little confused about why such a product is still on the market.

Why would anyone buy a cell phone-sized wireless keyboard for $150, when they could buy an iPhone and download a wireless keyboard and track pad app for $99? Please spare me your comments about the price of the wireless plan. Almost everyone has a cell phone. It’s a non-expense.

So now, almost two years later, Logitech has decided that it wants to eat lunch with the cool kids—the developers behind wireless keyboard and track pad apps like Intelliremote, Mobile Air Mouse Pro, Rowmote Pro, TouchPad. Yes Logitech, you can sit down; I hear the app is great. I’m just not sure how long you can stay…

It’s pretty clear that the iPhone and other app-friendly mobile devices are gadget killers. Macworld’s Christopher Breen brought this to our attention last year with his article, “iPhone 3G S and the ‘Uh Oh’ moment.”

I’m feeling a little sad for Logitech at the moment (and all the other companies that manufacture standalone gadgets that will soon be replaced by mobile devices).

Though this isn’t exactly a TV for the mass market, Hannspree certainly made a splash at CES (and on the web) with their newest anti-gadget. Surprisingly it isn’t a gimmick, either, and will be hitting the market in March for those of you who need a new TV … and love polar bears (a large demographic, to be sure). No word on weather of not the TV can catch seals for dinner, but I at least hope it comes with a waterproof remote.

Image via Gizmodo

Slingmedia showed off the beautiful new Sling Touch Control 100 this week at CES. The Touch Control 100 has a 4.3 inch touchscreen and a stunning design which was sleek enough to get it selected as a CES Innovations 2010 Design and Engineering Award honoree.

The Touch Control 100 lets you control SlingGuide enabled DVRs over IP via your home 802.11 wireless network.  Traditional IR devices are supported as well, but no mention of its scope of coverage.  Slingmedia has yet to reveal any information about pricing, but they have said that it will not be sold through traditional retail.  Instead the Sling Touch Control 100 will be offered through various cable and satellite providers as part of a new suite of Sling products.

Certainly the resemblance to another “touch” product — the iPod touch — is unmistakable. Which brings up the question: why spend so much money on developing this kind of hardware, when a solid iPhone app and dock would do just as well?

Call me old fashioned, but I still don’t get this whole gesture control movement that is being adopted for TV’s and other devices.  I get the use of it in video games — it’s more fun playing tennis in a video game when you get to at least swing something instead of just pressing a button.  There is that associated action of swinging your arm and playing tennis.  The problem is, I don’t have any motion or movement that I would like to associate with TV viewing.  Like what’s the thumb’s up gesture associated with? What was the hand wave for page up again?

This doesn’t seem to phase Microsoft and their Project Natal for the X-Box 360.  Yeah, I know Project Natal is originally for playing games but some recent talk from Microsoft shows that they are extremely interested in using Natal as a complete input for your home theater.  Granted they also want you to run that entire theater through an X-Box 360 of course.  With services like SkyTV and Netflix they want to provide all of your media content which you could control via your Natal, or Project Natal, or whatever it will actually be called.

Having your media content centralized in a single place is awesome, I love my XMBC setup but I don’t feel I need any special way to interact with it except for my remote control.  Now to be fair, Microsoft is actually touting the facial recognition and voice recognition as the main way to control your media via Natal, but do I really need a 360 and Natal for that?  The facial recognition is nice since everyone one has different tastes and you can have custom content for each user.  The voice recognition on the other hand, isn’t too special.  My Macbook has been able to recognize voice commands for a few years now, if I wanted to I could easily set all that up myself.  In fact that is a good idea, I think I’ll go do that now.