Ricavision has finally unveiled the VAVE100 Windows® Vista SideShow remote control that provides direct access and complete control of home entertainment devices. Probably the coolest feature of this device is the Vista Sideshow capability meaning you can use it as a secondary display for a Vista PC. If you're a heavy Windows Media center user or home automators enthusiasts, the Ricavision WAVE100 SideShow enable remote appears to be awesome. It's capable of controlling over 20 home automation devices via IR and Windows Vista PCs over the 17-meter range. ...[Read more »]

RicaVision International, a leading provider of digital entertainment solutions will be announcing this new Vista Sideshow compatible hardware device at CES 2007. Aside a nice 2.5" color TFT display and SideShow compatibility, this remote control also has a very interesting feature: Long range Bluetooth capabilities. Long range Bluetooth, also known as Class A Bluetooth can have an effective range of 100 meters. When compared with a strandard Bluetooth implementation of aboput 10 meters, this device really stands out from the crowd. At 100 meters (300ft) such remote control should never get out of range, a feature that is becoming more and more important as these devices need constant communication with the PC for program updates or interractive sessions....[Read more »]

Apparently Phillips has an entire fleet of remote controls with built in SidesShow support. Go to http://www.remotecontrol.philips.com/index.cfm?id=1336 and see it for yourself. Interesting enough, these remote controls do not have a build in LCD nor operate via radio. They seem to be classic Infrared remote controls with sideshow support. Also on this page you will find 3 types of USB IR receivers, a standalone model as well as a card module for internal use.

Looks like Phillips is banking on the fact that not all remote controlls needs an LCD. Definitevely Phillips will win a price war when such units are compared with more expensive remote controls with build-in color TFT displays.

As reported by the CE-PRO magazine, Interlink Electronics is the first to announce a SideShow capable remote control. This SideShow enabled remote control will enbable customers "select songs, schedule recordings, navigate video clips and photographs, display TV program guides and even browse recorded TV shows--all right on the remote." Also, CE-PRO reports that Microsoft has swung a deal with its EPG provider TMS (Tribune Media Services) to extend the TV guide to remote devices via SideShow, no licensing hassles involved. This is big news, because if Microsoft extends TV guides information to the desktop via SideShow devices such as remote controls, etc, TIVO-like devices can become extint. Finally, Microsoft's Media Center vision is slowly gaining ground......[Read more »]