Holiday Gift Ideas 2011: Griffin Beacon for Android

By Cheryl Lindo Jones
9 Nov, 2011 6:05 am

3 Comments

Griffin’s Beacon for Android product enables Android smartphone and tablet users to use their devices to control their TV and other AV equipment.

The Beacon device converts Bluetooth signals from your Android devices into IR signals that your AV equipment responds to. You install the free Android app called Dijit (Android Market link), pair it with the Griffin Beacon, then set up all of your AV equipment — receivers, DVRs, TVs, Blu-Ray players, etc. Dijit’s equipment database has 200,000 entries, so your components are likely a few taps away during setup.

Once all your components are all set up, you can search Dijit’s TV and channel guide for shows, and easily tune to the channel of your choice. Now you’ll never have to search for your remote, because if you’re a good geek, you always have your smartphone or tablet nearby.

Griffin’s Beacon for Android is $69.99, and can be found online at Griffin’s store.

Incidentally, if you want to buy the Beacon for iOS devices, it is available as well (unfortunately the two systems aren’t interoperable). You can get Griffin’s Beacon for iOS at Amazon for less than $50 here.