iRBeacon Device Makes Your Stuff A Little Bit Smarter

You may not be ready to pack up your belongings and move into a futuristic smarthouse just yet, but a new device called the iRBeacon can make you feel like your house is responding to your every command. That’s because the comparatively affordable iRBeacon–originally crowdfunded through an IndieGogo campaign and now available through their InDemand program–attaches to any of your devices that function through infrared remote control and lets you power them through your single smartphone.

Imagine it…no more hunting for remote controls, no more setting up alerts to remind you of your favorite programs.

“The iRBeacon is the one, simple solution that will rid you of the cluster of remotes – and it is capable of much more. The iRBeacon is the first step towards an intelligent home. It is a smart, elegant and tiny device which combines the infrared technology with the latest Bluetooth Low Energy (very energy efficient, more than a year working time with a single CR2032 coin battery), so the iRBeacon accompanied with the app (iOS, Android) can smart up your devices and replace your remotes in just a few minutes.”

The iRBeacon not only allows you to control your devices from your iOS, Android, or Windows smartphone, it also allows you to preset various configurations, such as activating a certain device when you simply walk in the room. That feature would be especially handy for remote controlled appliances like heating and air conditioning units, ceiling fans, or lights. The beacon even works on DSLR cameras in order to function as a handy remote shutter that you control from your phone.

The iRBeacon was successfully funded last October and is getting ready to ship the matchbox-sized units to the first 900 backers, but the company has reopened the support offer and will ship the next batch of backed items in June 2015. The units are handily packaged with multi-unit pricing options, with the single beacon priced at only $19US, and go up to a 5-unit pack for $99US. There’s even a wholesaler option for those supporters who wish to resell the items, and all units come with free worldwide shipping.