All in one

We metro-sapiens spend most of our time either at our workplace-trying to earn a living, or at home. Our definition of spending 'quality time' with the family is a visit to a mall or some such place. Rest of the time, at home, we are mostly couch-potatoes either watching TV or a DVD on that home theatre with surround sound speakers, playing games on the console or on computer using the internet.

If you are ambitious and try to multi-task, juggling between all the gizmos, then keeping track of all their remotes can become quite an exasperating experience. To encourage and to facilitate a more comfortable and effort-free couch-potato experience, Logitech has introduced a dream device a universal remote control with a touch screen called Harmony One.

Harmony One, from the stable of the Logitech, is an ultimate universal remote control. It is an ergonomically crafted device with a 2.2inch touch screen, which will render useless all your existing remote controls, provided you can afford it. Priced at a steep Rs 18,495, it sure provides comfort, but at a cost. One can buy a whole new music system or a computer for that amount. But for gizmo freaks this would definitely be the stuff worth boasting of. And anyway why bother with the price tag when you can afford a large HD LCD TV, a home theatre with surround sound speakers, an HD DVD player and receiver or a Blue-Ray DVD player, a set-top box or a DTH system, a gaming console or an air conditioner. Then this might not hurt your pocket as much, but would rather look cool and sexy.

This universal remote control is capable of replacing all the individual remotes (up to 15) that comes with these devices and one can operate and control all of them with just this remote effortlessly, sitting on the couch.

Ergonomically designed, Harmony One remote features a dual underside-finger-grip design that ensures any hand big or small, left or right comfortably reach the controls. The piano-black finish and the bright touch screen make it look trendy.

The lightweight remote comes with a Lithium-ion rechargeable battery and recharging dock that too has a sleek profile and an adjustable light that makes it standout, even in the darkness. But the remote has to be permanently docked with a power socket.

The Harmony One requires to be configured before it can be used. To configure it you need a computer. After installing the software, which comes bundled with the remote, one would need a list of all the devices with manufacturer's name and model numbers, an active internet connection and some time to spare as configuration takes a while to complete.

The remote's touch-screen design is very responsive and seamlessly integrated into the hardware. Once you choose the task you want to perform on the touch screen, the remote's hard buttons get automatically enabled with all the relevant functionality.

For ease of use, the buttons have been placed in a logical and intuitive manner with 40 most essential ones divided into four segments numerical pad, traditional DVD controls, D-pad with volume and channel up and down, and on-screen menu buttons. It may take a while getting used to, but once you get the knack of it, this remote will not let anything come even remotely near it.