The Wand Remote Control - Reviewed by FrequencyCast
The Kymera Wand is a truly magical TV remote control. We reviewed the Kymera Wand in Show 46. On this page, you'll find a link to the show and a full transcript.
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Listen to FrequencyCast Show 46 - The Wand Reviewed |
What is the Wand?
Simple - The perfect present for any gadget-lover!
Abracadabra - Wave The Wand like a conductor's baton to change TV channels, alter the volume, and take control of your tech...
The Wand can learn thirteen infrared remote control commands, so can be used to control anything that uses a remote - including your TV, Sky set-top box, iPod dock, hi-fi or even an IR light switch.
UK Wand Availability:The Wand Remote Control became available in October 2009. Below is a list of UK suppliers: Know of another supplier? Contact us |
The magical gestures of the wand
Transcript of our Wand Review
Carl and Pete had wand-waving fun in Show 46. Here's what we had to say...
Carl:
There's a surprise, isn't there! Sorry, I can't help but notice you've got a big long thing in your hands ... er, could you tell me what that is?
Pete:
I can - this is not a toy, this is a finely-tuned instrument of control.
Carl:
Is that right?
Pete:
OK, so go on then - describe this for us.
Carl:
Hold on a minute, let me get it out the box. Oh dear, almost dropped everything there.
Pete:
So this is a box about, what's that - 60 cm long?
Carl:
Yeah, I'd give it a 50 - yeah, it's just over a foot, isn't it? I'd go with that.
Pete:
Inside we've got a sort of a red lining on the inside of this box.
The Wand, in its little presentation case
Carl:
Yeah, actually it reminds me of ... you know the, you get these Chinese balls, don't you? - it's the same lining as that, it's all very, like embroidered, posh packaging really actually, and it's got what looks like - is this something from Harry Potter, by any chance?
Pete:
This is a Magic Wand
Carl:
Well, aren't they all magic? - I mean, doesn't that come with the territory?
Pete:
OK, so here we have a black wand, I'd say that's about 40, 50 ...
Carl:
Yeah, it's about 40 cm long.
Pete:
OK, and you may notice it's doing something odd when you put it in your hand - it's making a bit of a noise. Let's put it right up close to the mike, and see if we can pick this up.
Magic Wand noiseCarl:
Yeah, it seems to be like pulsating, actually I can feel this in my hand, do you know that?
Pete:
OK, so what I want you to do is take the wand very carefully in your hand, and flick it upwards, so flick it from completely horizontal to vertical - a quick flick.
Magic Wand noiseNow, how many times did that pulse?
Carl:
Three?
Pete:
Now try flicking it down.
Magic Wand noiseCarl:
That pulsed four times - right, now what? Well, hold on a minute - did you see that? The telly just changed channel! I just hope people realise, we actually have a television set in the studio, but obviously, for obvious reasons, we don't have the volume up, but it's so we can monitor the news, the technology news, none of it ever comes in, I don't know why we've got the telly, can't we get rid of it, or is it just so we can play with this?
Pete:
I think it's for Ceefax, so you can get weather forecasts and things on it, but anyway, that's another story. So what this is doing is, this is actually a TV remote control, so here you go - I'll flick up again ...
Carl:
Good grief - you've done it again, haven't you? What happens if you go left?
Pete:
Ah, that's volume, so if I flick to the left, you can see the little sign saying that the volume's going down, so left, left, left, left, left.
Carl:
Oooh - look at you!!
Pete:
Flick up - there's Channel 5, ITV2, ITV3 - isn't that clever?
Carl:
I always thought you were a geek - what with the glasses and the bow tie, you all right, Harry? Have you ever seen that picture of Pete on the website - he does look like Harry Potter! You're such a geek! But this is great, I like the toy.
Pete:
So this thing has 13 different motions that it can recognise, so it's got a sort of a rotate anti-clockwise and clockwise, which you can use for volume, flick up/flick down, tap it on the side once, double tap on the side, double tap on the top, and you can sort of do this big swish, and also you can stab it forward, like you're doing sword fighting, and pull it back, and that can do other things, like change channels, or switch AV to something else, control a video, maybe push it forward to eject a DVD, that sort of thing.
Carl:
Can you get this to control your wife? - when you thrust it forward, and you get her to go "ouch!" I don't know, I'm sure someone out there has got a wife that needs controlling.
Pete:
You could take someone's eye out with this thing!
Carl:
Ouch!!
Pete:
So there you go, and if you look at the very tip of this magic wand ...
Carl:
Oh I see - it has an infrared thing, doesn't it?
Pete:
So this is actually a learner, so what you do is, you tap it on the side a couple of times, put it into learning mode, do the action you want, like a left swipe, then press the corresponding button on your remote control into this, and it will remember what you've done and associate it with a particular swipe. So you've got 13 motions, you can control your telly, control your hi-fi, you can even control your lights if you've got an infrared light switch - anything that takes remote control, this thing'll do it.
Carl:
There's me thinking you'd turned on a strobe, but really you're waving that wand around and the lights keep flicking on - it's your fault, isn't it?
Pete:
So for the show off that's got a really good home hi-fi system, possibly the best Christmas present for them?
Carl:
I think this is phenomenal, but I actually see another application with this, because you know like some people, it's like I remember my gran getting old, and she used to have trouble with her remote, pointing it in the right direction, but this would be brilliant - she was good at waving sticks at people, hitting you over the head with a walking stick, and all that stuff.
Pete:
It's a fair point actually, it's a very easy-to-use remote control, if you just programme it up to do certain things, like turn the TV on, off, change the channel and turn the volume, this is actually quite an easy thing to use.
Carl:
It'd be great to take to a fancy dress party, wouldn't it? You could start turning on and off the telly during the night.
Pete:
So there you go - that's the amazing Magic Wand for changing your channel.
Carl:
Can you stop turning the telly over?
The Wand Remote is available from: |
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Listen to FrequencyCast Show 46 - The Wand Reviewed |
More Show 46 Transcripts:
More information
- Control your TV - More ways to control your telly
Handy Links:
- More FrequencyCast Transcripts
- Kymera Wand Library - Top site for Wand Wavers
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