Super-Size the TV Remote

We hit a traffic jam on the way to the movies today, so when my girls missed the start of their movie, we killed some time poking around the mall. One of the first things that caught our eye was this Brookstone over-sized universal remote (pictured). At first glance, it seems like a joke gift for people who can never find their remote between the couch cushions.

On closer look, however, the Super-Sized TV Remote is a useful, simple-to-program remote that can turn what can be a frustrating experience for many TV viewers into a simple one. I'm eying it for my parents when they make the move to a new HDTV. I know the new remote that comes with whatever TV they choose will have small buttons and even smaller markings that will be difficult for their octogenarian eyes to decipher. At 11 inches long, five inches wide, and one inch thick, this remote and its oversized buttons are hard to misread.

It's a 6-in-1 remote which controls a TV, VCR, DVD player, satellite, cable, and an auxiliary A/V device. It has 296 codes for most known brands of A/V devices, but the Brookstone sales rep said there's also the ability to search for a code if it's not on the accompanying list. The $25 remote glows in the dark and runs on two AA batteries.

It may look silly, but it makes sense for more than a few TV viewers.