Innovation of the week: A universal remote to control your smart home

One of the more annoying aspects of the Internet of Things is having to rely on a medley of apps to control your home’s smart gadgets, said Nick Statt in The Verge. To make the smart home more manageable, appliance maker Sevenhugs is developing a universal remote that can control any Wi-Fi- or Bluetooth-connected device, even "conforming its interface to match whatever it’s controlling."

Right now, the remote can switch on a Philips Hue smart lightbulb, increase the volume on a Sonos-connected speaker, or crank up the temperature on a Nest thermostat, with more devices to come as Sevenhugs inks more deals with manufacturers. Eventually, the plan is to program the remote to make "clever associations" with other objects in the home, such as displaying the thermostat controls when pointed at a fireplace. Preorders start next month, with shipping set for September.