If there’s one Apple product that really impresses my Android friends when they come over for a visit, it’s my Apple TV. Using Siri to bypass the interface to find anything in my library or meticulously scrub video is an impressive feat. And the way that my iPhone or iPad becomes a seamless outgrowth of the Apple TV to play games or throw up my videos is way cool.
But there’s one fly in this ointment that ruins the experience for me on some days. I get home from work, plop down on my easy chair, and…my remote is missing. My kids love the Apple TV as much as I do and they have run of the place while I’m gone. So that means the remote ends up on the kitchen counter or in the bathroom, or who knows where.
I’ve tried to tell myself that searching for the remote is a fortuitous slice of exercise in my otherwise sedentary day but who am I kidding? Since the remote has no built-in locator alarm I’ve thought long and hard about sticking a Tile bluetooth locator on it. But gluing or taping one of those big white squares seems so crass on such a small delicate remote. And the Tile’s are disposable since they don’t have replaceable batteries. What would I do after the battery dies?
What I find myself wishing for on at least a weekly basis is an Apple TV remote case with a slot somewhere for a Tile. It would be great to be able to slide a Tile into the plastic remote cover instead of sticking it to the aluminum case of the remote itself. That way when the Tile battery died, you could just pop out the old Tile and put in your new one.
I’ve tried to tell myself that searching for the remote is a fortuitous slice of exercise in my otherwise sedentary day but who am I kidding? Since the remote has no built-in locator alarm I’ve thought long and hard about sticking a Tile bluetooth locator on it. But gluing or taping one of those big white squares seems so crass on such a small delicate remote. And the Tile’s are disposable since they don’t have replaceable batteries. What would I do after the battery dies?
What I find myself wishing for on at least a weekly basis is an Apple TV remote case with a slot somewhere for a Tile. It would be great to be able to slide a Tile into the plastic remote cover instead of sticking it to the aluminum case of the remote itself. That way when the Tile battery died, you could just pop out the old Tile and put in your new one.
With a Tile equipped remote, any time I couldn’t find it I could just trigger the Tile alarm. As long as it’s somewhere in the house it would always be easy to find. And the remote is so short, that adding a thicker inch and a half for the Tile slot at the bottom would mean that you’d never confuse the top from the bottom again. Plus, it might actually feel better being a bit longer.
If any accessory makers are reading this and thinking that they may be up to the task of tackling this first-world problem. You have to get this one detail right. The glass trackpad for your thumb has to be open on the left and right sides.
No side bezels please. I had a hard time finding a remote cover for my remote that didn’t have some kind of bezel surrounding the trackpad. Those bezels aren’t good because they hinder your thumb movement. You can’t do the long sweeps that instantly move you maximum distance on-screen.
Unfortunately, since the lightning port is on the bottom of the remote, a cover with my desired Tile slot would mean that you’d have to remove the remote from the cover to charge it. But the remote battery lasts for about six months so that shouldn’t be too big of a pain point. I lose my remote at least once a week so if I have to take it out a couple times a year to charge it I can live with that trade-off.
So come on! Somebody design this new product and bring it to market. I’m sure you’ll sell at least…a couple hundred.
If any accessory makers are reading this and thinking that they may be up to the task of tackling this first-world problem. You have to get this one detail right. The glass trackpad for your thumb has to be open on the left and right sides.
No side bezels please. I had a hard time finding a remote cover for my remote that didn’t have some kind of bezel surrounding the trackpad. Those bezels aren’t good because they hinder your thumb movement. You can’t do the long sweeps that instantly move you maximum distance on-screen.
Unfortunately, since the lightning port is on the bottom of the remote, a cover with my desired Tile slot would mean that you’d have to remove the remote from the cover to charge it. But the remote battery lasts for about six months so that shouldn’t be too big of a pain point. I lose my remote at least once a week so if I have to take it out a couple times a year to charge it I can live with that trade-off.
So come on! Somebody design this new product and bring it to market. I’m sure you’ll sell at least…a couple hundred.
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