X

Turn your hand into a universal remote with the Singlecue

Control your TV, entertainment system and smart home setup -- all with the flick of a wrist.

davidpriest.jpg
davidpriest.jpg
David Priest
singlecuephotos-2.jpg
1 of 8 Chris Monroe/CNET

The Gen 2 Singlecue turns your hand into a universal remote, by controlling your smart home devices with gestures.

singlecuephotos-3.jpg
2 of 8 Chris Monroe/CNET

The device tracks your gestures with a camera, and communicates with you by displaying its menu system on the 1.5-inch-by-2.5-inch screen.

singlecuephotos-7.jpg
3 of 8 Chris Monroe/CNET

People can cycle through their devices, select one, then access a set of controls for that particular device. All of this is controlled via swiping and clicking motions.

flsinglecue10.jpg
4 of 8

One issue with Singlecue is the fact that the camera only tracks your gestures if you're sitting directly in front of it. That means multiple users will have a hard time controlling the TV -- or even the same user if they sit in different spots on the couch.

singlecuephotos-6.jpg
5 of 8 Chris Monroe/CNET

The only two direct-control gestures are these: you can hold up an open hand, then make a fist, to pause or play video. And you can put your finger to your lips to mute the TV.

singlecuephotos-4.jpg
6 of 8 Chris Monroe/CNET

The menus are easy enough to navigate, but the more devices you add, the more convoluted they become. Disappointingly, you can't customize command sets in the menus or gestures to issue those commands.

singlecuephotos-5.jpg
7 of 8 Chris Monroe/CNET

Despite the impracticality of the Singlecue, it feels pretty cool to control your TV and smart home devices with simple gestures.

singlecuephotos-1.jpg
8 of 8 Chris Monroe/CNET

For $150, the Gen 2 Singlecue can be yours. Whether the coolness outweighs the inefficiency is up to you.

More Galleries

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features and Settings on Your iPhone
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features and Settings on Your iPhone

18 Photos
Take a Look at Apple's iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro: New Colors, Prices and More
iphone 15 in different color from an angled view

Take a Look at Apple's iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro: New Colors, Prices and More

19 Photos
I Got an Early Look at Intel's Glass Packaging Tech for Faster Chips
Rahul Manepalli, right, Intel's module engineering leader, shows a glass substrate panel before it's sliced into the small rectangles that will be bonded to the undersides of hundreds of test processors. The technology, shown here at Intel's CH8 facility in Chandler, Arizona, stands to improve performance and power consumption of advanced processors arriving later this decade. Glass substrates should permit physically larger processors comprised of several small "chiplets" for AI and data center work, but Intel expects they'll trickle down to PCs, too.

I Got an Early Look at Intel's Glass Packaging Tech for Faster Chips

20 Photos
Astronomy Photographer of the Year Winners Reveal Our Stunning Universe
andromeda

Astronomy Photographer of the Year Winners Reveal Our Stunning Universe

16 Photos
Check Out the iPhone 15's New Camera in Action
A photo of a silhouette of buildings on the water taken on the iPhone 15

Check Out the iPhone 15's New Camera in Action

12 Photos
Take a Closer Look at the iOS Settings You Should Change Right Now
A smart man holding an iPhone 14 Pro Max

Take a Closer Look at the iOS Settings You Should Change Right Now

10 Photos
Disney Treasure Cruise Ship: Bookings Now Open for $9K+ Maiden Voyage
disney-treasure-tomorrow-tower-suite-3

Disney Treasure Cruise Ship: Bookings Now Open for $9K+ Maiden Voyage

16 Photos