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Source: Supplied
A magic wand that can change television channels at the flick of a wrist is now available in New Zealand.
The Kymera Wand blends advanced motion detection technology into a gadget that would look completely at home in a Harry Potter movie.
The wand understands 13 different movement "gestures", each of which can learn and replay the remote control function from any button on almost any existing infra-red (IR) remote control.
Not only can it change TV channels, the wand can also be configured to control hi-fis, DVD players, set-top boxes and even remote-controlled light switches and curtains.
The gadget was developed over the last two years by British entrepreneurs Chris Barnardo and Richard Blakesley. They took the wand onto the BBC programme Dragons Den and were stunned to walk away with a record investment. Businessman and "Dragon" Duncan Bannantyne offered them $424,000 (200,000 pounds) for a 20% stake in The Wand Company in a programme which aired in the UK late last month.
Chris Barnardo said "we set out to design a magic wand that uses modern remote control technology to give the user a magical experience. The result not only delivers a magical experience but is the first gesture based remote control that doesn't have any buttons."
The "magic" within the $129 device is a tiny accelerometer motion sensor, similar to the one found in the Nintendo Wii controller and some mobile phones. When waved by the user a microprocessor interprets the motion, compares it to the pre-programmed instructions and then sends out a remote control code via infra red.
The whole assembly is squeezed into the shape of a wand, and put together so that there are no visible seams or screws to give the game away.
The Kymera wand is being sold in New Zealand by Christchurch based web retailer GiftBob.co.nz.
Spokesperson for GiftBob, Jo Milligan explained that both the Wand and the packaging have been designed to be part of the fantasy experience. "The wand comes in a chic black box, cradled in silk brocade. Even the instruction manual looks like it came out of a wizard's tower" she said.
