J
Justin Herrick
Guest
It’s likely that you’re using separate remotes and controllers for all of the different devices and equipment in your home. Because IR blasters are no longer common in phones and tablets, the AnyMote Home exists. The AnyMote Home converts what you already have into a universal remote capable of controlling televisions, video game consoles, projectors, speakers, air conditions, and much more. By pairing with the official companion app, you get complete access to what everything in your home does.
Hit the break for our review of the AnyMote Home.
Key specifications:
- Dimensions: 4 x 4 x 1.8in
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.0 LE + WiFi
- Range: 200ft at 360 degrees
The AnyMote Home is currently available for $99, a discount from its usual $139 price; however, you can visit Amazon’s Launchpad section focused on startups and you’ll see the product on sale for $89. It originally launched on Kickstarter where nearly 1,700 backers raised $151,436.
A little cordless hub and an app is all you need
Upon ordering it, the AnyMote Home arrives in a little white box that highlights what’s going on. Open up the box and there sits the hub on top of a thick user manual. Really, Color Tiger didn’t include anything else because its Kickstarter-backed product uses batteries to get the job done. Pop in two AA batteries and you’re on your way to using your phone or tablet as a universal remote.
The hub’s appearance resembles a lampshade with its circular shape and narrowing flow to the top. Although it’s made of plastic throughout, the AnyMote Home doesn’t look cheap. The hub absolutely feels cheap, but materials really don’t matter because you’re just positioning it somewhere and leaving it there. The chrome trim at the top and matte black body towards the bottom give the AnyMote Home a boost despite being plastic. And the shiny black portion allows the AnyMote Home’s IR blaster to shoot signals in any direction.
Four rubber feet are what holds the AnyMote Home in place, and they fulfill their role keeping the hub from going anywhere outside of its set position.
It was mentioned before that Color Tiger isn’t requiring a wired power source to use the AnyMote Home; therefore, you’ll have to open the cover underneath and insert two AA batteries before toggling the power switch. Working on two batteries might worry potential buyers, but Color Tiger claims the AnyMote Home will work for up to twelve months.
Once activated, the AnyMote Home will display its logo on top.
On Google Play, Color Tiger’s companion app is available for free. This app becomes the universal remote that stores settings for the devices and equipment you control. First time users or seasoned veterans will see value in the app because of its walkthrough instructions and rich settings.
The AnyMote Smart Remote app walks you through the setup process and continuously shows little tips here and there.
What else does the AnyMote Home work with? Amazon’s Echo. The AnyMote Home can be paired with the Echo to accept voice commands. It’s a familiar experience for anyone who has ever used Microsoft’s Kinect with the Xbox One. Color Tiger leaves it up to the user to control with physical or verbal commands.
When it comes to actually using the AnyMote Home, I’m impressed by its speed and accuracy. The app communicates immediately with the hub to send commands to other devices and equipment. Convenience is the product’s biggest advantage because chances are you’re already holding a phone or tablet in your hand. If you’re not, you can just used your voice with Amazon’s digital assistant. The versatility of that little hub is incredible, allowing you to direct literally everything around you with something you already own. The AnyMote Home is letting you ditch the clutter of remotes and controllers and replaces them for at no extra cost.
The only things I’d change about the AnyMote Home is its price and the companion app. Color Tiger’s guidance within the app is very handy, but the tips aren’t always appearing nor should they. Users need to have an intuitive layout that just makes sense. The average user can poke around and do what they want, but the app needs to be refined for quicker access. At $139, a better app should be a given. Even at the current sale price (which should become permanent), Color Tiger can do better and give more value to the AnyMote Home. Design and performance are acceptable, but software still needs work; however, based on the reception received so far, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Color Tiger having things handled soon.
[AnyMote Home] [Amazon]
Come comment on this article: AnyMote Home review
Visit TalkAndroid
News via TalkAndroid