Americans have been plagued by inadequate and complicated TV remote control devices for years. Dozens of consumer electronics companies have tried to address the problem, and none has been entirely successful. A new company claims it can do the trick and has raised over three-quarters of a million dollars on Kickstarter. That may not be nearly enough in a market awash in devices from huge consumer electronics companies, all of which want to build convenience into ever higher tech products.

Sevenhugs Smart Remote is the “First Remote for Everything.” It is the latest in a long line of products, the makers of which have made the same claim. The firm describes its product as follows:

Have you ever dreamed of controlling everything in your home with a single remote? Well now you can! Smart Remote is a revolutionary product that lets you instantly control any device—TVs, media players, speakers, lights, thermostats and more. Just point at what you want to control and Smart Remote’s screen automatically adapts—like magic.

The project has raised $758,086 on Kickstarter via 5,028 investors.

How does it work?

If you want to control a device that is located near other ones—like a media player below your TV or maybe a light next to your speaker—Smart Remote lets you easily select which one you want to control. Just use the device selection carousel that automatically appears at the top of the remote.

It already sounds very complicated.

Prominent media, which include The Verge and TechCrunch, have praised the product, which means it has gotten substantial exposure. Still, its funding is nowhere near $1 million. And this is a part of the consumer electronics world occupied by giants.

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