CSR, Unify4Life make a remote control out of BlackBerry phones

Control all the household electronic applicances from a single device

CSR, a developer of single chip wireless devices, and Unify4Life, a manufacturer of smart home applications, have partnered to develop a lifestyle application for BlackBerry smartphones from Research In Motion.

According to CSR, Unify4Life AV/Shadow uses its BlueCore5-Multimedia silicon to transform a BlackBerry smartphone into a universal remote control to manage various electronic devices around the home from DVD players, sound systems and TVs to even garage doors, iPods and lights.

The system consists of an AV/Shadow that communicates with a BlackBerry smartphone using CSR's Bluetooth, and talks to other electrical equipment via infrared (IR) or by using IR Extenders. The system also features interactive TV listings (UnifyGuide) and channel changing functionality to allow users to browse program guides, set reminders on phone calendars and create a TV favorites list.

Mike Nykoluk, chairman-founder of Unify4Life, said: With the help of CSR's BlueCore5-Multimedia, BlackBerry users can now control all of their home entertainment products through a single device. A key requirement for this solution was a reliable and constant connection to the devices, but without compromising the battery life of the BlackBerry itself. CSR's BlueCore5-Multimedia provided us with an outstandingly high quality Bluetooth connection along with minimal power consumption.

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