I came across this handy – but expensive – gadget the other day. A remote than you can use to control literally ever device you have in your life that can be controlled by a remote. Has to be interesting I felt.
With the curious name of Huis E-Ink Remote Controller, which you might be forgiven for thinking meant it was made by a Dutch firm (Huis = House), but no, it is in fact made by Sony, and as I said, its purpose in life is to be able to control everything electronic in your life, be it your TV, curtains, sound set-up, lights, central heating and so on. 
The idea is that you can set it up so that you can choose from a menu on its screen that you have created which device it will control. So simply a case of selecting TV from the list on the screen, setting the TV the way you want it, then selecting Central Heating from your list, and then setting that how you wish it to be, for comfortable TV viewing.. and so on with every device you have in your house.
You can set it up either by means of its touch screen, or via an app on a computer, which ever you prefer. And apparently all very simple in use.
Another great feature of this gadget is that it uses an E-Ink touch screen, so you have no need to turn it off when not in use, as E-Ink screens can happily work away for a month between recharges (also no expensive batteries, it has its own rechargeable batteries inside itself).
Currently there are only two negative points about this gadget, one its price, about $250!!! And the fact that currently it is only being sold in Japan, but you can pre-order one if you want via this link: First Flight. This is a site that Sony have created as a sort of crowd funding site for their more extreme ideas, such as this one.
OZTHOUGHTS 