Remember the Adam Sandler-starring Click? Well, the incredible NEEO almost treads the same ‘universal‘ path – with its capacity to connect to and control over a whopping 30,000 devices, including most of the major brand AV devices released in the last decade.
This wide spectrum of functionality is only possible with the aid of a specific processing unit that comes with the NEEO package. Touted aptly as the ‘Brain’, this circular gizmo integrates the aforementioned database, along with issuing commands to the other smart devices inside the house. The Brain can communicate with the NEEO Remote (through Infrared or Bluetooth) for the controlling ambit; while it can also connect to your smartphone via a dedicated app, thus transforming your phone into a ‘makeshift’ remote.
The rechargeable NEEO Remote on the other hand, boasts of 291 ppi display and an optimized set of buttons for a more ergonomic (and tactile) experience. However, the ‘piece de resistance’ of this remote device would arguably pertain to its ‘hand recognition’ sensor technology that can detect the pattern of the individual palms, and thus recognize the person who is controlling the remote. The gizmo can then match up the regulated multimedia files in accordance to your favorites.
As for the app in question, the software totally eschews the need for a specific remote device. Instead it accounts for a control interface on your smartphone that can be singularly used for regulating a host of electronic appliances, like TV, home theater and even lighting fixtures.
Lastly, coming to the commercial side of affairs, the fascinating NEEO is currently going through its Kickstarter campaign, with over $500,000 already pledged for a goal of $50,000 (and 22 days still to go). Prices start from $219 for the early-bird combo package (which includes both the Brain and the Remote); and from $148 for just the NEEO Brain.