Late last year, the Internet-connected Peel that transforms an iOS device into a universal remote control debuted. Here’s the hands-on review.
SET-UP
The best place to start is to download the free Peel app from iTunes, which is compatible with not only the iPhone but also the iPod touch and iPad (as long as any one of these devices is running iOS 3.0 or higher). From here, you’ll be asked to customize some settings, such as picking favorite genres, specifying your age and gender, and then determining your cable/dish programming provider.
Next, it’s time to hook up the Peel dongle itself. There aren’t many contents in the box. Just what you see in the photo to the side: the Peel IR controller, a C-size battery and the cable Wi-Fi hub that connects to a router via Ethernet on one end and then to a wall socket on the other.
Peel reps advised me that it’s best to have the pear-shaped device set up on a coffee table in front of the entertainment center, at least the first time during set up. Thereafter, it should work nearly anywhere in the same room. It’s also best to have the stem of the pear where “Peel” is inscribed at top to actually face away from the TV.
