Spin remote is a very simple remote control

Spin remote claims to be the simplest remote ever, and harks back to the days when you could control a device with a dial, and this was all fields.

It wants to be an antidote to today’s over-complicated devices. Many of us have three or four remote controls on our sofa at any one time, all of which are loaded with buttons we’ll never use. Do we really need all these? And can one dial really replace them, as well as the controls for your lights, radio, thermostat and more?

It’s packed with sensors that detect movement, rotation, orientation and even proximity. In other words, it knows how you’re holding it and how fast you’re rotating it. Use the app to assign a function (TV volume, say), and when you turn the dial it will change the volume. Simple.

You use the app to add more presets. Which doesn’t really solve the problem of too many controls, you’re just putting them all on your phone instead. And having to open the app every time you want to change function seems a bit fiddly. The video shows a man point it at his lights to control them, but we doubt it’s that simple.

There’s also a configurable touchpad on the bottom, which could add more controls.

You can choose from four different looks, and it connects to your phone over Bluetooth. It’s raised over €15,000 of a €100,000 target on Kickstarter, and still has 41 days to go.

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