That little green robot is getting very popular these days. It could be a big year for the little guy. Let’s take a step back from the phone arena for a moment though, as that’s not the only direction the Android Platform is heading in. Funai Electric Company has designed a universal remote called the I-Remote (you think Apple would take offense to the name?) that runs on the Android v1.5 platform. The remote, like most other universal remotes features a large display, in the case of the I-Remote; a 7-inch touchscreen display is what the Funai Electric Company has gone with. Set up is relatively easy and will require you to choose the TV manufacture for which appropriate settings will be provided. The device also comes equipped with Wi-Fi connectivity and DLNA for devices that support the same technology.

The reason for the large display is because the company has designed the device to double up as a digital photo frame. This way when you’re not using it you can view pictures of your family etc. and even movies. The device is equipped with an SD card slot for just this purpose. But of course DLNA is also another method as videos can be streamed to the device from a PC connected to your home network. I don’t get it? Why would you want to watch videos on a small 7-inch display which is actually a remote for your big screen TV? The reason is probably because the price needed to higher, I guess. The device is going to be released sometime in this year and will be priced at about $300 or less.

Hothardware