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Maybe you didn’t think ThinkFlood’s original RedEye IR dock was the best solution for controlling your IR gear. That’s okay, because ThinkFlood listened and is preparing to release the RedEye mini; and like their original IR solution it’s just a bit different from the competition.

Instead of using the dock connector and a dongle like everyone else, the RedEye mini uses your iDevice’s headphone jack. Anyone else feeling a little deja vu? This was how Pocket PCs without built in IR added this functionality too many years ago for me to remember.  While this technology might seem a little antiquated, remember two things: IR isn’t exactly bleeding edge technology in the first place, and more importantly, your dock connection remains open. That means you can have your iDevice plugged in to a battery, a battery case or other accessory that hogs the dock connection.  This also means you don’t have to hold your iPhone upside down to use it as a remote. Yes!

The RedEye mini uses the same app as the original RedEye dock, so there are no surprises there.  Well, actually, it seems they’ve added an electronic program guide. Awesome. I’m really happy to see that one company finally gets that just because I can flip my iDevice to point a dongle at my TV doesn’t mean that I want to.  It’s also nice that this solution doesn’t require a case, which also means you can continue to use any case you might already be using.  Best of all, the RedEye mini is set to sell at just $49, making it among the cheapest solutions that will be available soon (spring). It will be fun to see how these all compare.

Via Engadget