Neeo’s Thinking Remote Annihilates its Crowdfunding Goal, Will Ship in Spring
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| If you’ve got too many electronic devices in your house and your remotes are piling up, it might be time to check out the remote that actually does your thinking for you.That’s what the Neeo device, which is currently dominating on Kickstarter, aims to do. The device has already smashed its crowdfunding goal of $50,000 and will therefore go into production.
So what is the Neeo? Simply put, it’s a remote that can control practically any device in your house that’s connected to your wifi. That includes TVs, stereos, lamps and even window blinds. The creators of Neeo claim that the device will be able to support over 10,000 audio and visual devices right out of the box, no programming required. And it’s not just the versatility that lends to its appeal. Neeo will also be able to detect who’s using it. That data will be used to personalize films, playlists and other preferences, and can even be programmed with parental controls or guest modes. Neeo can be installed as a smartphone app which works in conjunction with Neeo’s electronic brain, but funders can also get a physical remote control loaded with Neeo, depending on what funding tier they choose. Right now, the brain and the app can be reserved for $148, and $199 will buy a brain and a controller. Higher tiers include family packs with multiple remotes to allow people in different rooms to control separate devices simultaneously. The team behind Neeo has clearly tapped into a major consumer need. At the time of publication, Neeo has raised a stunning $348,895 through Kickstarter, nearly six times more than it set out to make. One enthusiastic backer has contributed $10,000, which will buy them a trip to Switzerland to meet the Neeo team as well as their own Neeo remote and brain and another unique piece of hardware. “There has always been a large demand for one remote that can control your entire system,” says Robert Wallace, owner of Remotes.com. “I wish Neeo luck with their new venture. Until they have wide acceptance, OEM & Replacement remotes for all brands of TVs, Satellite Receivers, Blu-ray and other home theater equipment are readily available at Remotes.com. ” The first batch of Neeo devices in the Super Early Bird tiers are expected to ship out in March, and the second batch should go out in May. |
