UX as a Remote Control
 

Now I know that the UX doesn't have a superb IR port like the NZ90 does, but I was wondering if anyone has tried using the UX as a remote control. What was the maximum range? Which software did you use?

I've tried moving the Sony Remote Control off my old TG50, without any success. I figured if any sw would work, it would have been the sony version. Like I said, no luck.

The later model CLIEs (UX/TH/VZ) unfortunately do not have the more enhanced IR of the earlier NR/NX/NZ devices. This is both a hardware and software limitation
http://www.geocities.com/sonyirclib/perfect.htm

---
Another alternative is using the WiFi capabilities of the UX50 to connect to a PC or other WiFi controllable devices. It doesn't rely on IR, so you aren't limited to short range or worrying about pointing in the right direction

FWIW: I wrote my own home automation controller for this very reason (HomieGate)

There are other alternatives that use the same approach, but the weak link is the lack of PalmOS software
(eg: Girder does this with a PocketPC remote, but I don't know if there is a good Palm OS verion)

I wish that there was a way to make the UX into a controller. That would be sick. My friend has one of the new HP handhelds and was messing with the TV while in class. Was pretty funny. The teacher entered the room and wondered who turned the TV on then it shut off. She saw the remote in the corner and wondered what the hell was going on. LMAO!!!

JAmerican

Hahaha, yeah, that would be funny to play around with. Is there any way to implement an enhanced IR on the ux?

You might have to add a device via MS slot.

JAmerican

Hahahaa. I've used my TG50 in a similar way once before... we had just finished watching a video in class... the teacher turns off the TV and turns to address the class.. magically, the TV turned back on... "What?" she says and reaches back to turn it back off.. right before she hits the button.. the TV magically turns off again... Hmm.. I wonder why.. /me quickly pocketed his TG50...

While I do miss this somewhat on my UX40, it's not all that bad. I never found myself using the remote feature of the TG50. It was too clumsy to get out my stylus to do stuff (I prefer not to use my finger on the screen).

Also, Sony's remote software is all preset stuff... so I couldn't control my satallite box; not very useful.

I prefer to use something with tactile feedback, so I don't have to look at the remote when I use it. Just feel for the buttons and press. This is something that you can't fully do with a PDA IMO. You can, at the most, configure the hard buttons... but that's not enough. (IIRC, you could not use the thumb board).

Remember how the older Clies, like the SJ series, some company had produced some IR blaster for it? Though... the UX series does not use the T-series connector...

It isn't a necessity, but it's just something extra to use your device for. I have also seen some PDAs used as a garage opener, which is quite amazing. If only this thing had cellular phone capabilities, that would be pretty sweet.

The company that makes that IR Blaster is NoviRemote, but I believe that it is only a SD interface. And that garage door thing might have been a product of this IR engineering program that I saw about a year back that looked very interesting, but not worth it to me. I can't remember the name, but it was on Sony's software site (the url came on the Clie installation CD). I haven't been there in a while, but if it helps, it was the bright green site that always has one of the Clies on the homepage.

Anyway, this program is meant to recieve an infared signal and display its wave and its information, and I believe that you could then reproduce the signal and even save it for later use. Essentaily, you could send the signal from your garage door opener to your pda, record it, and play it back when you wanted to. Then again, this is all relying on an old memory of one program's webpage.
HTH
-modernmystic

Garage door openers use rf not ir

p

It's cool to have something like the TG50 remote control. Works wonders in sports bars and golf lounges to control the shows you want to watch :)

However, if you have a decent AV setup at home, the Sony RM-3000 is the way to go. Programable, but can control everything, including lights. Add a couple IR Lutron swithes, you hit DVD play, the lights dim, the AMP goes on, volume goes up. Hit pause, lights come up...

Just need a converyor belt to get me a cocktail now...

Much better than the TG50...

You could plug the Griffin Total Remote into the earphone port of your Clie. You would need to create audio files to represent your device's IR codes and/or write a simple program to play audio samples to send out the codes.

This guy has written a java program to generate wav or aiff files to send to the Total Remote
http://homepage.mac.com/jbella/

Here's a howto that uses a PocketPC to record the audio files
http://features.engadget.com/entry/6336778455600767/

Oops, my mistake. Well, now that palo1 has done the thinking required that I had forgotten to do, I have no idea how your friend (.PoNeH) opened his garage door with his pda. Now I'm interested to know, any ideas?

As for the audio jack IR transmitter, although the interface program is for PPC, as far as I know, shouldn't the audio files be the same since the transmitter and the recieving devices are the same? We should just need to make a new program to control them, right?-

Thanks,
-modernmystic

Yes, you can use the audio jack IR transmitter with any device that has an audio jack. The howto that I linked to tells how to record IR signals on a PPC and then copy them over to an ipod so that you can use the ipod as a remote control. In theory, you could do something similar where you copied the audio files to a palm device.

I think using the UX as a relay between the remote and the tv kinda defeats the purpose of just using a UX. But it is indeed a working method. Thanks for sharing that...I never would of thought of it.