RCA RCU1010 Universal 9 Device Touch Screen Remote Control Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I don't understand everyone else's negative reviews about the learning feature of this remote. For most of my components it took a little extra time and patience, but it got there eventually. The most trouble I had was with my Apex DVD player; the remote preset code wouldn't work and I had to program each button individually. The functions were "forgotten" a few times, but I patiently kept reprogramming and now it finally seems to have stuck. Sure, if I had paid a ridiculous amount for it, this would be unacceptable, but you ALWAYS get what you pay for. I've learned that lesson time and time again.
When I tried programming a second DVD player onto Aux, it screwed up the main player's settings. I haven't tried it again since successfully getting the first to stay in there. There are 4 Audio buttons which unfortunately only offer soft keys suited for audio operation, not adaptable to DVD players. So for now I'm holding onto my lesser-used player's remote.
The pros:
Programming wasn't difficult, I don't think I even bothered reading the manual.
I like that the permanent hard keys are play, FF, rewind, as I need those for 3 of the 5 components I am operating. The prior touchscreen remote I tried (Sima) had those as soft keys, which was annoying.
The response time for the keys seems adequate.
The blue-lit screen looks very high-tech and buttons aren't too hypersensitive about hitting the wrong one.
I love the punch-through feature for the volume keys. On the Sima I had to constantly switch back to TV to change volume.
The touchscreen material makes it very easy to wipe fingerprints off. Keeps it looking newer longer.
I love the PDA look of the unit.
I love FINALLY having only one remote on the coffee table, rather than two or three.
The cons:
The biggest con I can see is the placement of the hard keys. Being at the bottom, it is impossible to use this with only one hand. Would have been better to reverse hard keys and touchscreen (or provided longer hand grip underneath hard keys).
Not able to relabel soft keys for special functions. But from what I have read, only the top-of-the-line models let you do this. Again, you get what you pay for.
Kind of silly to have a "mute" button so prominently placed in the center of the hard keys. Our family never uses it. I wish it could have been reprogrammed for an important Tivo function instead.
Backlight doesn't stay on long enough, and impossible to see screen in the dark without it. Time will tell what kind of wear this puts on the batteries.
Overall I'd say this is a great value for the price. Some people who are more demanding with higher expectations might want to look at higher end units, though.
****EDIT****: 9 months later the remote has forgotten all my codes repeatedly and now nothing will stick. It's back to operating only the TV. Guess you have to pay top dollar to have a remote that is really and truly universal. Subtract 3 of those stars.

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Soyo Freestyler HS11 Kit Bluetooth St Headphone Review

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(More customer reviews)My video review Day 1

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Gemini GRCE-1 IR to RF Remote Control Converter Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I'm sure this product works great, but it would have been nice to know that it only works with remotes that use AA batteries. You can't use it for a AAA battery remote.

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Universal Remote Control MX-6000 2-Way Touch-Screen Remote Control Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Nice functionality. Easy to use. Terrible battery life, i.e. less than one day with a brand new fully charged battery.

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TIME-WARNER CABLE ATLAS 4-DEVICE UNIVERSAL HD REMOTE CONTROL for TV / Cable / VCR / Audio Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Nice looking replacement. Only problem is that it does not work and I have been unable to program it. Time Warner finally sent me a new remote for free that set up in 5 minutes. I believe this unit was defective.

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Yamaha PDX-60BU Speaker Dock for iPod and iPhone, 1 Each (Blue) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is the next generation of iPod sound docks! I own a Logitech and a Bose sound dock. They both have their good and bad points, but neither of them offers the capability of this product...namely, the ability to have complete control of all iPod functions, using the iPod itself, at a remote distance from the sound box. The remote controls on all other units serve mainly as volume controllers, with the user having to approach the sound box to see what's going on on the iPod's screen. And though this is obviously anecdotal, I would testify that the Yamaha's sound quality outstrips both my Bose Sound Dock II, which has the typical Bose "muffled," soft, basey, quality, and my Logitech PureFi II, which has very good crisp sound at low levels but rapidly loses quality as the volume goes up (and has other well-documented issues as well). The Yamaha appears to have a wide frequency range and the ability to hold the sound quality with increased volume. The Yamaha also offers you the option to plug your iPod directly into the sound box itself, as you do with other brands, and use the separate, included hand-held to control the functions if you prefer. All is not perfect. If I am not mistaken, the hand-held transmitter, which hold your iPod, is RF (radio frequency) operated, but responds in a line-of-site manner, akin to an infrared system. If you block the transmitter with an obstruction, even your own body, the sound will be disrupted. Still, this is a minor limitation, considering the complete control available. This was a gift purchase for my spouse, but it is so impressive I wouldn't be surprised to see one appearing for my own use in the future. Kudos Yamaha! (note that this product is only compatible with later generation iPod models which use USB connectors)

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The Yamaha PDX-60 is a powered speaker dock that virtually every iPhone or iPod fan who wants to enjoy a higher sound quality with a powerful output needs to have! The PDX-30 is certified as a "works with iPhone" product, and comes with a card-type remote control for additional convenience.

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Logitech Harmony RF Wireless Extender Review

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(More customer reviews)The Logitech Harmony RF Wireless Extender allows your RF-equipped Harmony Remote (the 890, 895 or new 1000) to control components without having an IR "line of sight" to the components. One RF Wireless Extender is included with the Harmony 890, but it is unfortunately not included with the Harmony 1000.
Make no mistake, this device is an absolute REQUIREMENT for any large room or complex setup. In my configuration, the Harmony 1000 didn't have the strength to power all of my components through IR from 20 feet distance. The RF extender solved this problem, and now I can control my entire setup even from another room.
One RF Wireless Extender can control up to 8 components within the line of sight of the unit, or within line of sight of the 8 included IR emitters. You can add multiple extenders to your configuration if you have components in different rooms or areas that could not be served by one unit. Annoyingly, even if you have more than 8 components within the reach of the unit or the emitters the Harmony software won't let you assign more than 8 devices to a single extender.
IMPORTANT: You should try to setup and verify your Harmony configuration using IR-only if possible before adding the extender, even if you have to sit near your components or have cabinet doors open. This is because the Harmony software makes you connect and disconnect both the extender (which must be unplugged from AC power) and the remote each time you make a change. Setting up the Harmony first, by itself, with IR is much easier to make changes to the configuration.
After verifying I could control my components using IR-only, I added the RF Wireless Extender to my setup. The Harmony software updated to the latest firmware, and I have had no problems configuring it using both Mac OS X and Windows clients.
Setup is very easy. If all of your components are behind a cabinet, you can simply mount this "blaster" unit inside, at least 10 inches from the front of your components. Or, you can attach the 8 included wired emitters (in 4 pairs of 2) near the IR receivers of each component. The wires for each of the 4 pairs are roughly 7 feet long, splitting into 2 emitters that must be placed within 25 inches of each other. Also good to note is that the tape is strong enough to attach to your component, but not strong enough to leave any residue should you need to remove them.
Within the Harmony setup, you then assign each component to either IR or RF Extender control. Optionally, you can assign each component to a channel (A,B,C,D,blaster) which corresponds to the 4 sets of 2 wired emitters and base, or all channels which sends all commands to all emitters. I chose to specifically assign each component to its channel, which seems to give better performance. (TIP: label your emitter wires!)
Once configured, you connect the RF Extender and the Harmony Remote to your computer to download the configuration. Then, you must plug the RF Extender into the wall, and optionally attach the IR emitter wires. The Harmony remote must initially be "paired" with the RF Extender, which is done by pressing the "Connect" button on the extender, and following the prompts on your remote.
Operation was flawless. I could control all components from around my house! And, the performance of startup was much faster, I believe because I had assigned each component to a specific channel on the extender.
In my configuration, I was pleasantly surprised to find the RF extender is fast enough to send the repeated command sequences needed to accelerate up and down through the menus in my AppleTV. Great job, Logitech!
If there was one area where Logitech could make improvements it would be the supplied documentation, which attempts to be user friendly but in the process is so oversimplified it is of little use. Since Amazon doesn't allow half-star increments, I stand by my 5-star review, documentation withstanding.
Based on the large number of problems people had when this was first released a year ago, I was expecting issues, but it would appear that the latest firmware (RF Extender v2.4, Harmony 890 v4.7) and Harmony client software (v7.0.2) have resolved all issues for both Mac OS X and Windows users.
All in all, a highly recommended product - and a great value bundled with the matching Harmony 890 (see my review there). I have since upgraded to the Harmony 1000, but kept this extender to use with it. It's a shame that Logitech doesn't include the extender with the 1000, as it really is a requirement.
I would recommend this without hesitation.

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Maxell P-21 Portable iPod Remote Control Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I got this for $13 shipped. It is very plasticy (if thats a word) in its feel. The clip on covers give it a bit of color, but are really unnecessary. The remote itself also unclips from it handle, where the lanyard is stored. It comes with various straps that I haven't tried yet. The CR2032 battery is NOT included.
Most important, it actually works! The reciever plugs into the bottom of my nano 3rd gen, and I can plug in accessories through the resiever because it has a passthrough design. So I can charge it or just power it as well. The reciever has a headphone jack in the side. The dock connector is a little loose in the ipod slot. I plugged it into my sound system, and I can control the I-Pod from another room, or even outside in my florida room. Because of the way the volumn works, I can turn up the stereo and use the Ipod volumn to control the sound level. The farthest away I have gotten is approx 30FT, but my battery is also old as well.
My main reason for the purchase was to control my Ipod from outside my pop up camper. Stereo on the inside and speakers on the outside. It is perfect for this purpose, but also works good for my home with a similar situation.
My wife has a nano 1st gen, and my son has a nano 2nd gen. It controls both with no issues.
Over all, I am very very pleased with this unit and would recommend it as long as the price was low.

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Enjoy full control of all "dockable" iPods with this compact Maxell RF remotecontrol. The diminutive device offers a host of handy controls, including buttons for skipforward and backward, play/pause, and volume up/down. To connect the control, simplyattach the pass-through 30-pin connector to your iPod's dock and you're set. The pass- through design lets you connect other accessories--such as a charging dock or synccable--to the iPod without disconnecting the control, a handy feature for iPodmultitasking. And thanks to the receiver's pass-through headphone jack, users can alsoeasily connect headphones, portable speakers, or stereo systems. As a bonus, the remotecomes with several portable extras, including an armband/steering wheel strap forworking out, a lanyard with a safety release clasp, four interchangeable color plates, anda portable storage compartment. All together, the accessories not only deliver fullwireless freedom and control, but also much better iPod mobility. The remote requires asingle lithium coin-cell battery (not included) to operate and is compatible with the iPod3G, iPod 4G, iPod photo, iPod video, iPod nano, and iPod mini. It's also backed by a 90- day warranty.
What's in the Box Remote control, receiver, armband/steering wheel strap, lanyard with safety release clasp,four interchangeable color plates, portable storage compartment, user's manual.

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Logitech ClearChat Wireless USB Headset - Black Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This headset had me hooked and I preordered it months before I finally got it. I didn't want to review it until I put it through it's paces. Sadly it comes up short in more ways than I expected. But I'm a fair guy, so let's start with the Positive:
1) It's cordless, gets decent range ~10m in my testing.
2) The sound quality of the headset and the mic are both pretty good (i.e. no complaints in game chat).
3) Headset cushions are top notch.
4) Quality construction - they aren't breaking anytime soon.
5) I was impressed with the ease of setting them up. Plug in the USB dongle, turn them on, set games to use the new headset.
And on to the negative:
1) Granted, I have a fairly big melon, but these have a really tight fit and start to fatigue the ears after a few hours of wear.
2) The Battery life is not much over 3.5 hours in my testing. It doesn't matter what app. I found myself plugging in the power cable to continue (what's the point of cordless?!) and shutting them down even for quick breaks while idle in games.
3) No interchangeable batteries (well, I didn't take them apart to see, but then the case isn't made to be taken apart).
4) Proprietary power cable? Come on! Why this wasn't mini USB, I'll never understand.
5) The Mic only comes down on the left hand side, which I find to be an annoying engineering limitation for no particular purpose.
6) Mic is static - no way to flex it other than up or down. Though it seems to pic up my voice fairly well.
7) I didn't think this was a big deal at first, but now It might be the most annoying thing: The USB Dongle connected to the computer FLASHES green incessantly until the headset is turned on and they sync. Now, I'm a computer guy, I've a truckload of LEDs that keep the office well lit at night, but NONE of them blink and draw attention to themselves except for a few moments. This stupid thing won't stop. I have to put things in front of it to keep it from annoying me.
So, I'm disappointed in this thing. Logitech makes good gear, but engineering needs to review this one and make the following changes for version 2:
1) Use standard USB to power the headset. If you must have a charge indicator, just build it into the headset as another LED and forget the proprietary cable.
2) If you have to drop both earpieces to fit a larger head, there should be an adjustable top pad so it stays in place.
3) Make it so that the mic can flip either way, and the Left/Right speakers change accordingly.
4) Beef up the battery power and make it so it charges faster. 3 hours? Come on... even 6 hours isn't much for marathon MMORPGs or LAN Parties, and your headset came nowhere near that mark. It's not cordless if I have to keep the power cable plugged in. Suggestion: 12 Hours minimum, even if it adds to bulk a little bit. And that's actual 12 hours, not some mathematical estimate.
5. Use two different colored lights on the USB dongle instead of flashing the same one. How expensive can that be?
And for those of us that wear glasses, please make a model with convex earpieces, the concave ones put pressure at the top of the ear and they smash the earpiece of your glasses against the skull. Unpleasant. Okay, this one's more of a wish, but the others above are absolutely requisite.
There you have it. The decent sound quality, construction, and cordlessness don't come close to outweighing the technical issues. I'd give this a 2.5, but when it costs close to a hundo, the price factor says all of these things should never have been a problem. If the next version sucks the same, I'll be looking for another manufacturer (and I'm a Logitech fan).

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Enjoy rechargeable, high-performance, stereo audio for PC calling, music, and games from up to 33 feet away from your computer.

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URC MasterControl RF10 Universal Learning Remote w/ RF Capability Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Progamming up is very easy , buttons are laid out very well. This "is" the last remote you'll ever need. I have another previous model and could not be happier. The light is a good idea when your watching your favorite shows at night , but this model has a "red" light back ground illumination which is very hard to see. The other model had a normal "greenish white" back ground which worked well. I'm not sure why they chnaged it , they should go back to it.I would have rated it 5 stars otherwise due to hard to see lighting..

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MasterControl RF10 is IR & RF capable. No more pointing - changing the way a remote works. Includes DVD Guide for quick & easy setup. Preprogrammed and learning - guaranteed to work with all components. Fully backlit keypad. Controls up to 8 components. 24 macros. USE WITH OPTIONAL POWERBLASTER FOR RF CAPABILITY.

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Microsoft Comfort Mouse 6000 (S7J-00001) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Yuck, this mouse is just not good enough.
Pros:
-Five buttons
-Right handed
Cons:
-It's super-light. It must be as light as they could possibly make it. I imagine that it will hold together, but there is a real lack of inertia. It feels like a balloon when you pick it up.
-The click sounds are a little louder than my other mice... but the real problem is that the clicks ring hollow and at a lower pitch. It's a little annoying and seems cheap. My other mice have sounded like tapping on a piece of glass with a fingernail. This is somewhere between that and tapping on wood.
-The back button is nice and long so anyone can reach it... but the forward button is far forwards and I have to reposition my palm to reach it. Note I have big hands so it can only be worse if yours are smaller.
I think this will be an OK mouse when the price comes down to $15-20. Cosmetically it looks like an update of the excellent IntelliMouse Explorer series... but it feels like a basic Wheel Mouse Optical in the hand. Just not good enough.

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Microsoft Comfort Mouse 6000 Right-handed comfort.

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Logitech M305 Wireless Mouse (Silver) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I actually bought this elsewhere, got a nice price on it. I would never consider a long-receiver USB-type wireless mouse for a laptop. I can just see them getting hooked and broken over and over, so it was important to have a tiny receiver like this. I admit I've not tested the range. I have not tested the battery life (only a few days old). However, this thing's receiver is awesome; I know it will not break due to its small stature.
The mouse itself was found fine on Windows Start 7 and also XP Home edition on two computers. It's a bit more sensitive than my older USB plug in mouse so I pulled down the pointer speed in control panel.
I generally dislike mouses/mice (?) of this shape as it is stub-nosed and quite tall. That is my main complaint about it but I knew that going in so I cannot ding it a star and it is otherwise a large enough mouse not to frustrate my hands--it is not a tiny, pitiful "laptop"-sized mouse.
It has a button on the bottom to turn it off. If left on the red tracking light underneath is constantly shining, but I intend never to turn it off as I think that light pulls very little power (I hope) and it ensures quick wake ups. Wakeup time is about a second if the mouse has been left for a while--this won't bother you. Responsively it seems fine. I've not tried it with gaming. I hear that USB-based wireless mouses are a touch faster than bluetooth, for what it's worth.
It takes a single AA battery (comes with a duracell), which means replacements should be most readily available and an AA vs AAA or 2XAAA ensures decent battery life without spending any kind of real money on battery replacements. I imagine it would work with a rechargeable nimh but I have not tried it.
As I will use this mouse every day, if I do not come in to update this review in the future you can rest assured that I either got run over by a truck or the mouse continues to work as stated.
EDIT: Feb 9/10. The battery died on this a couple of days go, so with pretty regular use (3-4 hours/day) and never turning the thing off it got about 6 weeks, which I think is certainly acceptable.

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Logitech Wireless Mouse M305 offers exceptional comfort and cordless convenience with it's ergonomically designed soft rubber grip and the Plug-and-Forget Nano-receiver.

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