I love my Logitech Harmony remote, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t jump on the opportunity to ditch the thing forever and simplify my digital world even further. A new third-party accessory and software combo announced at CES, (read more about CES – “the world’s largest consumer technology trade show” below), will allow me to do that by turning my iPhone or iPod touch into a Universal remote capable of controlling all of my home theater equipment.

It sounds promising, but it also brings back memories of apps for the Palm pilot that were supposed to do the very same thing. The Palm devices had built-in IR communication, so all you needed was the software, which sounded great, but ended up being clumsy and not really that usable on a regular basis. I still have a Palm in a bedside drawer that I occasionally drag out to use for that purpose, in fact. It never stays out long.

Hopefully the iPhone’s accessory, which is called the L5 Remote and will cost around $49.95 when it hits retail stores this February, won’t suffer from the same failings. Once you have the dock-connecting IR blaster, you can get the application for free from the App Store. It promises to control televisions, DVDs, DVRs, cable boxes, audio equipment and more. I’ve got my fingers crossed for some unofficial support for the Logitech Harmony PS3 adapter. The blaster is said to have a functional range of up to 30 feet.

One place where the iPhone’s universal remote app should easily trump the dated Palm version is in user interface. No messing about with a stylus or hit-and-miss finger touch response with Apple’s smartphone. And you’ll be able to create your own custom button configuration by dragging and dropping the appropriate commands from various devices in whatever arrangement you choose. That should make it easier than my physical remote, too, since I won’t have to rely on the pre-arranged layout of the buttons, which is sometimes far from intuitive depending on what device you’re controlling.

The press release for the L5 describes a “short, guided training sequence” before you can begin using it with your home theater setup, which could be coded PR speak for a long and arduous process of holding your remote up to the IR blaster add-on for each command you want your iPhone to learn. I’m really hoping that the app comes with a built-in code database for common brands and makes of equipment, or that they at least open it up to user-generated databases.

As of right now, L5’s web site is just a placeholder, which isn’t a promising sign, but keep your eyes peeled for the official release of the attachment and software next month. Hopefully by then there will at least be a place on the web to go looking for more info.

CES: iHome innovation honored; iPhone becomes remote control!

CES is upon us, and in keeping with previous years, Apple’s influence on the consumer electronics sector seems set to continue, with a selection of related firms making waves at the giant technology show.iHome – manufacturer of a range of iPod and iPhone products – today announced it has received three CES Innovation Honoree Awards in the categories of Audio Components, Personal Electronics and Home Appliances.

Meanwhile, L5 Technology today introduced the L5 Remote, an accessory and free app that turn any iPhone or iPod touch into a universal remote control for your household gadgets.

Award-winners include the iP1 Speaker System for iPod/iPhone, iA5 App Enhanced iPod/iPhone Alarm Clock Speaker System and the iP39 Kitchen Timer and Alarm Clock Radio Speaker System for iPod/iPhone with USB Charging. (Amazon links for the curious).

Category: Audio Components.

Winner:

iP1 Speaker System for iPod/iPhone. Representing the cutting-edge in both digital audio reproduction and industrial design, the iP1 outputs 100 watts of premium sound through custom designed 4-inch woofers and 1-inch silk dome tweeters, all of which are powered by Bongiovi Acoustics’ proprietary Digital Power Station processor.

Category: Personal Electronics

Winner:

iA5 App Enhanced iPod/iPhone Alarm Clock Speaker System.
The industry’s first ‘App Enhanced’ iPhone speaker dock that integrates an interactive App with a dedicated bedside alarm clock. The iA5 takes every aspect of the bedside experience and makes it better by offering a wealth of customizable features including alarm settings, sleep pattern tracking, social media updates and much more.

Category: Home Appliances Winner:

Winner:

iP39 Kitchen Timer and FM Alarm Clock Radio Speaker System for iPod/iPhone.
Designed with the look and feel of a premium kitchen appliance with stainless steel accents, the iP39 is both an alarm clock radio and dual bake timer that gives users a place to dock, charge and play music from their iPhone or iPod.

iPhone as remote control

The notion of an iPhone or iPod touch as the uber-remote control for your household’s gadget collection also sees a boost at CES. The L5 Remote, an accessory and free app that turn any iPhone or iPod touch into a universal remote control. The solution transforms the iPhone and iPod touch into a personal universal remote that controls televisions, DVDs, DVRs, cable boxes, audio equipment, and most other products that come with an infrared remote.

The L5 Remote is comprised of a very small hardware device that plugs into an iPhone or iPod touch dock connector, plus a free app to be available from the iTunes App Store. The L5 Remote offers quick and easy set-up using a drag and drop feature, so consumers can create their own ideal, personally customized remote control interface. The L5 Remote is priced at MSRP $49.95 and will be available for purchase in February.

The L5 Remote hardware consists of an adaptor measuring 1.25 x .85 inches, which is plugged into the iPhone or iPod touch docking port. Users then download the free app from the iTunes App Store, which allows them to drag-and-drop any desired combination of buttons to create their own perfect remote control interface. A short, guided training sequence follows, resulting in a smart remote control that replaces their pile of old remotes with a single powerful and convenient one.

The L5 Remote can control any number of devices in any number of rooms and will work to a distance of approximately 30 feet.

However, we note that while this product sounds pretty useful, none of the website addresses provided by the company lead to functional websites – so we’re curious to see some more evidence to back-up the company’s product claims.