Smart Remote

  • iReviews
  • October 14,2016
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Smart Remote

Combining the powers of both a universal remote and a smartphone, SevenHugs’ Smart Remote connects all of your home’s devices in the most intuitive way possible. Simply stated, it’s a remote that controls everything. With its unique sensor fusion technology SevenHugs has developed what it calls, “the world’s first contextual remote control.”

 

By merging the geolocation data tracked by 3 beacons with the movement tracked by the remote’s embedded accelerometer, the Smart Remote knows exactly where your devices are at all times. Just point the device at your TV and the screen identifies all things connected to your home cinema (like your Sonos speakers).

 

If you’re thinking “not another remote in my house,” please put your mind at ease. The Smart Remote solves this very concern. According to a SevenHugs Blog article, their Smart Remote solves three major problems preventing the full acceptance of smart home devices: first and foremost, the lack of interoperability between devices; two, the lack of perceived benefits for those devices by potential buyers; and finally, the home control puzzle. Once the Smart Remote is geolocated (acclimated to its environment) and introduced to your home devices (TV, home cinema, Phillips Hue light bulbs, Sonos speakers, Nest thermostat, etc.), just point to any of your smart devices and you’re in control.

 

SevenHugs’ app makes the set up process a seamless one. After the Smart Remote is acclimated, the user just needs to input the “acquaintances” she wants to control and designate them to a specific area in the house. The Smart Remote does the rest. What’s great about the Smart Remote: it connects to radio frequencies (Wi-Fi/Bluetooth) – making infrared-controlled electronics obsolete.

 

So if SevenHugs’ Smart Remote can do the same things as my universal remote and smart phone, why do I need this device? For one, universal remotes only speak to electronics operated by an infrared transmitter. If you’re someone interested in controlling more than just your cable TV and surround sound, then you need a Wi-Fi connected remote. Secondly, if you’re home is turning into a smart home, your iPhone or Android is not the most intuitive remote control.

 

As we all know, most Wi-Fi connected smart home devices come with their own dedicated app. Whether it’s the Nucleus Home Monitor system, Nest Thermostat, Sonos Speakers, or Phillips Hue light bulbs, they are all set up and subsequently managed by a dedicated app. As SevenHugs’ so eloquently describes: “Why struggle to turn off a light via your smartphone when the operation takes 15 seconds, and it only take you 4 seconds to get up and physically operate the switch.” They’re referencing the painstaking process of turning on your phone, opening the app, and then finding an on/off switch to operate your Phillips Hue smart light bulbs. It totally defeats the purpose of controlling a smart device – just get up and turn off the lights.

 

In closing, the growth of the connected-devices market is on the cusp of exploding. From time tracking devices (Timeular’s ZEI) to alarm clocks (Kello), the home is getting smarter and everything is connected to your smart phone. Instead of battling through applications, why not use a device that seamlessly manages all home devices just by pointing. At the end of the day, technological advances are to make our lives easier, not complicate them even further.

PROS
  • Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi Connectivity
  • Point Anywhere (Sensor Fusion Technology)
  • Adaptable Touch Screen
  • Smart Home Connectivity
CONS