So Sony’s put out a new kiddie remote, for junior couch-potatoes everywhere. It’s got big colorful buttons and includes controls to prevent them from setting the volume super high or erasing your recorded shows. But I’m going to be honest here: if I were going to make a TV remote for kids, this is the last way I’d go about doing it.
I mean, why a remote with the numbers 1 through 7? Obviously kids don’t know the numbers of channels. They don’t associate those shapes and colors with numbers or channels. Shows are often on demand and don’t even come on channels. Why not a remote with pictures representing three or four different shows or kinds of shows (you could even sell official buttons) that would queue up an episode of Dora from your DVR or streaming service?
I feel like this thing is just the worst of both worlds. If you want your kid to learn to operate your TV (it’s never too early!) then there should be options available that are actually robust and take advantage of new and interesting technologies for parenting.
Sure, that’s a lot of responsibility for a bargain kid’s remote (it’s only $18 at Target) like this one to bear. I just don’t like things like this, things that are obviously doing it wrong. There’s a cap that covers the number pad, by the way, I just cropped it out because I’m mean.
[via Ubergizmo]