This December, a new all-in-one home device controller called the Branto Orb is being released — and since the average American household has 2.24 television screens, it could be the greatest thing to ever happen to remote control technology. It could also frustrate you beyond belief.
According to Gizmag, the Branto Orb is a “personal smart assistant” that can be left anywhere in your home and can control everything from lights and security systems, to televisions and DVD players, from an app that is connected to the device. While the technology is incredible, it could compound the frustration of remote control functionality that everybody has experienced at one point or another.
Sys-Con Media reports that an Indiegogo campaign has been launched to fund development of the product. While the Branto Orb’s end-goal of controlling everything in your home from one device is promising, the process of programming every single one of your appliances can be daunting for many who yearn for a time when everything was controlled by its own remote.
For those who are just seeking a replacement for their lost or broken remote controls, the Branto Orb is probably not the answer. Original equipment remotes never need to be programmed, and having to link all of your devices to one central control system could lead to even more remote control confusion.
Still, if executed properly, Branto’s newest product could be the answer for people who want to keep an eye on their home 24 hours a day. The product features a “full-HD motorized video camera that rotates 360 degrees and can also look up and down.”
While the technology is exciting, let’s just hope that it doesn’t follow suit with every other universal remote control that turns on the ceiling fan when you just want to change the channel.
