Give your home a brain
One remote to rule them all, one remote to find them. One remote to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them
Intelligent lighting. Wireless audio. Climate control. Apple TV. Our homes are more connected than ever before, but what’s frustrating about them is that each device requires a separate remote, smartphone or tablet app to control it.
Enter Neeo. Developed in Switzerland, it comprises two units. Firstly, there’s the puck-like Brain that controls all of the smart devices in your home. It’s currently compatible with about 30,000 pieces of tech – everything from TVs and TiVOs to mood lighting and home security.
Then there’s the Neeo Remote, which seems even smarter than the Brain. It’s got a high-resolution touch display with an interface that gives you access to everything linked to the Brain. With built-in hand-recognition technology, it can tell who’s holding it and so give that individual access to their own tech, implementing their favourite settings.
“Instead of having to swap through lots of different remotes until you find the right one, then trying to remember the right channel without flicking through them all, Neeo takes over the thinking,” says founder Raphael Oberholzer. “You just need one remote to control all your devices, and you can access whatever channel you want in just one click.”
your adventure today
Head to neeo.com and go to the Pre-order section, where you can buy the Neeo Combo – which includes the Brain and the Remote – for $339/£234.
When it arrives, unpack it and start connecting it to your home’s Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices. It also works with AV equipment going back roughly ten years.
Next, pick up the remote and start to create user settings for each member of the household. Now that you’re in control of your connected home, set the room temperature with Nest, dim your Philips Hue lighting, and blast Roxy Music’s In Every Dream Home A Heartache via your wireless speakers. Pure bliss.