Before I started using my Logitech Harmony One universal remote, I had five different remotes for my entertainment center. What was worse was that my kids and my wife were simply dumbfounded when it came to changing from the satellite box to the PS3 or any other component. You can only tell someone how to do a three-step process so many times before you get irritated.

Thankfully, after the Harmony One landed in my hands I was able to shed all those remotes and use only the One for the most part. I still needed my PS3 controller or the Blu-ray remote to control my PS3 for watching movies, which was a pain. Recently Logitech announced a new adapter called the Harmony Adapter for PS3 that answered my wishes for one remote to rule them all in my home theater. Today we are going to look at the Harmony Adapter for PS3, read on for all the details.

It’s been a while since Epson launched an HTIB. About two years. So it’s about time for this. Today, they intro’d their next-generation Ensemble HD Home Cinema. It’s updated to include the PowerLite Home Cinema 6100 or Home Cinema 6500 UB.

Both will include a motorized 100-inch screen, surround sound, an AV controller with built-in DVD player, universal remote and nearly all components needed to install. What’s interesting is that there is no Blu-ray player, which is a no brainer. What were they thinking?

I talked about the Logitech Harmony 1100 universal remote control back in February when we learned that the slick tablet style remote would sell for about $500. Today we are going to take a hands on look at the Harmony 1100 and see if the touchscreen beauty is worth all that cash. If you are in need of a universal remote for your complex home theater and those cheap, checkout line remotes can’t handle your gear, this may be just the product you need. Read on for all of the details on the Logitech Harmony 1100.

Solar-powered gadgets are nothing new. But a solar powered home theater system? It’s appropriately named the “Guiltless Green Home Theater” and was manufactured from scratch by Home Theater Specialists of America (HTSA). It’s the first of its kind and has some surprising specs.

For one thing it will give you up to 19 hours of video and audio playback even if the sun isn’t shining that day. They didn’t sacrifice quality either, with a Sharp projector, a 100″ Stewart Filmscreen, six SpeakerCraft in-wall speakers, an Integra AV receiver, Monster Cable wiring, Lutron lighting, and Universal Remote Control.

Here’s some awesome news for PS3 owners. It’s been a long long wait, and I mean long, but this device has now hit the FCC. The details are few, but you should be excited. Until now Playstation owners with IR-based universal remotes have had to use bulky IR-to-Bluetooth converters so that the pair can communicate.

That will all change when the E-R0001 hits the market. We’ll have to wait to get the answers to all of your questions, like when? and How much?

There’s a new universal remote sheriff in town. The Xsight Touch makes a bold claim with that name(It’s exciting to touch apparently) and features a huge database of more than 3,300 unique brands and 285,000 individual codes.

All you need to do is point and press the button to select the type and brand of the product. Once you’ve got it setup, you can customize the settings for your activities and favorite channels. A touchscreen display and a slider bar make navigation easier. You can buy the Xsight Touch for about £147.

We told you about Logitech’s flagship Harmony 1100 touchscreen universal remote a month ago and now it’s available at retailers. The main selling point is the customizable, 3.5-inch QVGA full-color touchscreen and the new black anodized aluminum body.

The unit boasts a rechargeable battery and RF capabilities, and the guided online setup makes programming simple. You can get an RF extender that’s sold separately for additional control options, up to 100 feet away.

The Harmony 1100 is showing itself off in Las Vegas, and the main selling point is the customizable, 3.5-inch QVGA full-color touchscreen. Buttons are so last century. You push them, sometimes they click, sometimes they don’t. Touching a panel is so much more sexy to up your volume and change channels.

It’s a good looking device. The unit features a rechargeable battery and RF capabilities, and a guided online setup makes programming simple. You want one don’t you? Sorry. It’s not shipping to the US and Europe until next month, when it will cost you $499.99.

If you want to eliminate the need for multiple remote control units, Philips has updated their Prestigo Universal remote line-up with the SRT 9320 that features a 2.8-inch touchscreen LCD screen mixed with hard buttons. It’s a looker. The SRT9320 can control up to 20 devices and is completely programmable to enable multi-devices macro and learning modes.

It comes with a USB port for software updates, but the device can be programmed directly without the need of software apps. The touchscreen LCD can display your favorite channels and customized commands. Sadly, the Prestigo doesn’t come with a cradle or charger docking station and it lacks advanced RF capabilities.

You’ll have a hard time losing this model of remote from Zeon, since it is huge. It’s capable of controlling your TV, DVD and satellite box. Rest assured that no matter how fat in the fingers you are, you can still hit the buttons. No matter how far along you are in your glaucoma, you’ll see the buttons easily. The elderly may still lose it by forgetting, but it’s so big they’ll find it a few minutes later when it trips them on the floor. Just buy it for said older person, use the remote control codes to synch it up with your TV and DVD player etc, and you’re good to go. Still requires only 2 AA batteries and will cost you $18.

If there is one common truth with home theaters — other than lots of wires — it’s the multiple remotes that come along with them. You need one remote to change the TV channel, one to control the volume on your amp and one to control your HTPC or DVD player. It’s enough to blow the minds of many home theater users.

One of the items most home theater owners buy quickly is a universal remote control to eliminate the hoard of remotes sitting on the table. Gyration has introduced a new universal remote called the Air Music Remote with MotionSense that goes one-step further than the typical universal remote.

The folks at iLuv announced today a rather cool looking new dual dock alarm clock which works with the iPhone 3G. It’s called the iMM173 and it prices around $130, with expected availability next month.

The new iMM173 offers dual integrated universal docks for iPods and iPhones. One can choose and play either of the two docked players. There’s also auxiliary line input for audio devices with a 3.5mm jack. Other features include a special user interface on the LCD display, sound enhancement technology, FM radio and an included remote control.

iLuv

Boston Acoustics is geared up for a crack at iPod accessories with a new all-in-one speaker system. It is called the Boston Acoustics Horizon i-DS2 and you’ll find this guy pricing around $180.

The Boston Acoustics Horizon i-DS2 is a one-piece design sporting dual 3-1/2″ speakers and 60 watts of power, according to its maker. It measures 5-1/2- x 12-3/4- x 5-13/16-inches and has, among its design touches,  a gloss cabinet and perforated metal grille. This grille can come in a variety of colors.

The RoboStool is a homemade robotic footstool that’s ready for any human’s lazy recline. What it does is cool, but it’s also a robot that blends into it’s surroundings, looking like an innocent piece of furniture. RoboStool has three modes: universal remote, beacon navigation, and thermal sensor following.

The video shows the beacon navigation. Just push a button on the remote and it will power up in a scary sort of way and come to you. Then just put your feet up and rest. How’d he make the thing? The creator used the Parallax Propeller Chip on a Proto Board. For the drive he used the new Parallax Motor Mount Kit and two HB-25 motor controllers. I’m guessing it has to revolt. I mean, you’re demeaning something that is already a slave, by treating it like a…A foot stool. And you know damn well that some of these bots eat you from the feet up.

Chances are if you pay any shred of attention to tech news (and by reading this blog you do) lately you know about that analog to digital television switch happening in Feb. 2009. A number of companies are selling converter boxes to help the most basic of television users, with a new set top box just debuting from Zenith.

The Zenith DTT901, priced at around $60 before that $40 government coupon for digital upgrading, includes analog pass-through for picking up low-power TV stations such as community access channels. Zenith says this box is no larger than a hardback book.