Covered this at CES earlier this year, and now finally the Beacon is available for purchase ($79.99). It's essentially a Bluetooth-IR hotspot for all your entertainment remote control requirements (DVD, TV, STB, etc.). You can read on for the full press release, or go to the vendor website here.
Nashville, Tenn. - June 15, 2011 - Griffin Technology Inc., one of the world's foremost creators of innovations for everyday life, and Dijit Media, a San Francisco-based software company whose Personal Media Assistant App software integrates consumers' media viewing experience with their smart devices, have partnered to create Beacon™ Universal Remote Control System - a wireless AV controller that when paired with an iOS device enables complete control over the entire home entertainment system.
"Beacon puts control of the home theater right at your fingertips," said Matt Brown, Director of Product Development at Griffin. "Thanks to our hardware and Dijit's App integration, we've created a powerful, pocket-sized tool that truly simplifies and customizes the entertainment experience at home."
"Consumers have 21st-century home entertainment experiences but are stuck with remote controls that haven't been updated since the 1980s. Dijit is here to overhaul the control experience, and our partnership with Griffin Technology marks another milestone in making this happen," said Maksim Ioffe, Founder and CEO of Dijit Media. "Beacon is an amazing product that brings the power of fingertip search and discovery of all your entertainment content right from your smartphone to your HDTV."
- Transforms iPhones and other iOS devices into an easy-to-use, never-lost remote for home entertainment systems
- Converts Bluetooth signals from iOS device into infrared signals required to control AV components
- Beacon connects compatible iOS device via Bluetooth with Dijit's free Universal Remote App
- iOS device's MultiTouch screen display becomes the remote with Dijit's Intuitive Program Guide, allowing users to change channels, volume, input, program DVR and much more
- Dijit App uses a constantly updated device code library to make setting up controls for TV, set-top box, sound system, media player and more, simple and intuitive
- For components not yet included in Dijit's library, the App also includes an integrated learning featureBeacon's low-profile design blends unobtrusively with any coffee table décor
- Powered by 4 AA batteries, eliminating messy wires and power cables
The Beacon is $79.99 is now shipping and available at The Apple Store and here. Dijit's Universal Remote App, a free download, can be found on The iTunes App Store.
