This is the age of the universal remote control, the mother of all remote controls. Remote controls basically operate on the principle of unique codes that are transmitted from them to the receiving device, which recognizes the code and decodes it.

That is why your T.V., home theater system, DVD player and music system have their own separate remote controls. This leads to the problem of too many remotes, which causes confusion. Now this problem is solved with the universal remote control. You can feed the command codes of all your devices into one universal remote control and use it to control all their functions. Manuals accompanying universal remotes usually list the codes of different brands. Another wonderful invention is the learning remote, which automatically absorbs and stores the codes of other remotes (including universal remotes) and uses them to control their respective devices. All learning remotes are, therefore, universal remote controls as well.

Universal remote controls are super-intelligent, as they are driven by complex and sophisticated software. Imagine a scenario where the entire electrical wiring system of your house is wirelessly connected to your universal remote. Then, while you are sitting on your couch, you can set or reset the security alarm system, direct MP3 music to the speakers of your home theater and transfer your digital photos so that you can see them on your T.V. Whats more, since your entire house is controlled through the universal remote, when you switch on your DVD player to watch a movie, the T.V. will be switched on automatically and even the lights will be appropriately dimmed. Impressive, isnt it?

All this is already happening in a few homes. Soon the ease and convenience of universal remote controls will be seen in more homes, doing away with the clutter of many separate remote controls and bringing a digital synergy between all appliances to create a truly intelligent home.