Logitech Harmony Link iOS Remote Solution to Debut Next Month

[Phillip Swanson]

Logitech’s Harmony remotes have long been the benchmark for universal remote solutions. It looks like Logitech’s first foray into the iOS device remote world might be a benchmark as well.

Logitech’s Harmony Link—which will hit stores next month for $99—offers iOS users an extremely competent remote solution. Logitech's Harmony Link includes a base station that plugs into a users wall with eight IR snakes, and the Harmony Link App. The snakes allow for the base station to communicate with your receivers, cable boxes, and other devices no matter their location. Also, the base station connects to the users Wi-Fi station to communicate with the user’s iDevices, no line of sight or IR plugins necessary.

The Harmony Link App includes a fantastic visual TV Guide. The guide shows the user’s TV stations as a series of title cards that the user swipes through until finding something to watch. The interface allows users to separate programming into favorites, shows, and movies and even allows users to perform a spotlight-like search for content.

Controlling devices is just as intuitive. An "activities" tab pops out a list of devices connected to the base station. Users can choose between Watch TV, Watch a Movie, Listen to Music, Play a Game and others. Selecting the activity causes a device specific remote UI to pop out allowing the user to control the device accordingly. This should help even the most technologically challenged member of the household figure out how do more than turn on a blank T.V. I may finally be able to get rid of the instructions taped to the side of my parents’ television.

However, the awesome visual guide is currently only operational on the iPad. iPhone and iPod users will have to use their home entertainment systems without the fancy, and intuitive graphical interface.

Source: TechCrunch

[unison999]

Hopes it work with Tivo, hate the stupid Tivo remote

[recognition]

I have thinkfloods RedEye, great bit of kit but the GUI is abit ugly, this looks alot prettier

[Cer0]

Harmony remotes may be expensive sometimes but tottaly worth it. The first one I bought I thought why would I pay 150$ for a remote. But did it anyways and it has paid itself off many times over.

[sleighton]

All well and good until you get in after using your phone all day - have next to no battery and the app send you to the dreaded screen

So you have to wait 5 mins whilst its plugged in (so now you have a wired remote control a-la 1970's) just to be able to change channel or what you want to do.

[jamesgunaca]

Unless the reviews say terrible things about the Harmony Link, I am absolutely getting one. My iPad 2 hangs out in the living room all the time so being able to use it as a remote for all my devices will be AWESOME!