Its palm-friendly shape means that it may be in danger of being involuntarily lobbed at the gogglebox when the opposition score an injury-time winner, but for calmer viewers, the GlideTV Navigator may be the perfect accompaniment for an evening’s viewing.
With an ergonomic, ball-like form factor, the Navigator is a trackpad remote designed to operate multimedia devices like a Home Theatre PC, AppleTV, Boxee, PS3, Windows Media Centre or Mac.
The shiny black bauble boasts a trackpad, backlit volume up/down and mute buttons, controls for play, fast forward and pause, dedicated Esc, Enter, Back, and Function keys, and connects to devices through a wireless USB dongle.
There’s also an integrated search menu with links to Google, Amazon Video on Demand, Hulu, Netflix, YouTube and more. (Windows only)
Being a wee little thing, there’s no space for any sort of physical keyboard, but GlideTV offers a downloadable onscreen keyboard to let you get typing away.
The Navigator package comes with a rechargeable base and USB wireless hub and will set you back a not unreasonable £120.
Here’s the full press release:
GLIDETV SIMPLIFIES THE PC EXPERIENCE IN THE LIVING ROOM
Introduces the perfect input device to navigate the Internet from your TV.
San Francisco, CA – October 13, 2009 – GlideTV, the company dedicated to simplifying the digital entertainment experience in the living room, announced today the release of its first product, the GlideTV® NavigatorTM.
This award-winning and stylish device, which fits in the palm of a hand, combines the functionality of a keyboard, mouse and AV remote and makes it a breeze to access digital content stored on a home theater PC (HTPC) that is connected to a TV. The product is available for purchase from select online retailers worldwide with an MSRP of $149.
The new GlideTV Navigator, a study in modern design, reinvents the computer input device for the living room. The contrast of the highly-polished material and elegant curves is a fitting reflection of the sophisticated technology held within. The product includes a remote, charging station, USB wireless receiver and is compatible with Windows PC, Apple Mac, Sony PlayStation 3 or any set-top box that supports standard mouse and keyboard HID devices.
“Up to now, consumers who wanted to connect a computer to the TV to take advantage of digital content had to bring office equipment to their living room, making the experience bulky and cumbersome,” said Chris Painter, President and founder. “With the Navigator, GlideTV brings simplicity to accessing internet-based entertainment and ushers in a new era for computing in the living room.”
Consumers plug the USB wireless receiver into their PC and they’re ready to take control of their computing experience or explore the Internet with a point and a click. GlideTV Navigator works with popular media applications including Windows Media Center, Apple iTunes, Boxee, Apple Front Row, SageTV, Firefox, and any web browser.This product features:
· Clickable touchpad mapped to your TV screen — precise cursor control, one-thumb scrolling, single and double-click selection.
· Backlit AV buttons to control volume and playback.
· Directional buttons for easy two-axis navigation.
· Dedicated Esc, Enter, Back, and Function keys to control applications.
· On-screen keyboard — requires download, Windows only.
· Integrated search menu with links to Google, Amazon Video on Demand, Hulu, Netflix, YouTube and more — requires download, Windows only.
· Rechargeable battery.
“GlideTV nailed the customer experience,” said Aaron Burt, a beta test user who lives in the Washington DC area. “It’s a great way to control Windows Media Center in the living room and even my kids enjoy using it. GlideTV Navigator is the perfect couch-mouse.”
The product has garnered significant industry attention by winning the prestigious 2009 Best of Innovations Award at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). The GlideTV team, led by Mike Machado and Christopher Painter, consists of consumer electronics and Silicon Valley technology veterans from Sony, SageTV, Slim Devices, and VUDU.
GlideTV Navigator is available worldwide from select retailers and directly from the manufacturer in the US and Europe. The Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price is:
· United States — $149
· Eurozone — €129 (VAT included)
· United Kingdom — £119 (VAT included)
For more information, visit www.glidetv.com.
