If you ’ve ever spent a Saturday watch out male figure skate because you could n’t find the remote , you may receive the news fromGriffinthat itsBeacon Universal Remote Controlfor iOS ( first demo at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show ) is now available at an Apple Store near you . Griffin ’s gimmick aims to overwork the fact that while your various remote control always seem to go omit , your iPhone ’s normally right in your pocket .
Beacon itself is an $ 80 hardware twist . Your iPhone , iPad , or iPod Touch communicates with it via Bluetooth , and Beacon in turn communicates with your entertainment substance by sending signals to pretty much any IR equipment in sight . You utilise Beacon in tandem with the free Dijit iOS app , which employs what Griffin predict “ a library of constantly updated equipment codes to simplify setup for your TV , set - top box , healthy system , mass medium players , and more . ” Beacon can curb common gadget like televisions and DVD player , but also more advanced equipment like a TiVo DVR , Microsoft ’s Xbox , or an Apple TV .
As with the Harmony air of computer hardware remotes , you may configure the Dijit app to switch between your machine on its own . That is , you’re able to teach Dijit that when you want to play your Wii , it needs to turn off your receiver and set the goggle box to a different input . The app keeps path of your devices ’ current statuses , so when you later tap to just observe TV , it trade the input and turn the receiver back on — but make love not to mistakenly toggle the television off .
The Beacon requires no wire or cables ; it trust upon 4 AA battery , which Griffin say should last for two months . The building block is out of stock at Griffin ’s web site , but may be available for immediate leverage at your local Apple Store .
