Turn Torch: A Four Button Smart Home Control

Today, as the number of smart devices in our homes are increasing, trying to find a universal method having a control on all these devices is slowly becoming more important. Devices like Amazon’s Alexa does this by using commands, while other devices like Sevenhugs Smart remote have a touchscreen that can automatically adapt to any device you point at. Now a Kickstarter project called Turn Torch wants to give bring to the marker a remote control that is both functional and well-crafted. In the past few months, Turn Torch has been funded well past its initial goal of $25,000.

Four Buttons, Multiple Functions.

The Turn Touch comes four programmable buttons that can be customized with a MacOS or iOS app, instead of using voice or touchscreen interactions like other remotes. The main idea behind the Turn Touch is that each button would be programmed for multiple settings, to use for multiple things. For instance, a nighttime button would turn off music, dim the lights. The night time button will also lock your smart lock, and adjust your thermostat. All this will be done just by using one button. Additionally, holding down each button brings up a virtual “app” of four more buttons.

The Battery Lasts 365 Days.

Even with all the limitations, the Turn Touch is just really a pretty device. It comes in three options: mahogany with maple buttons, padauk with satinwood buttons, and rosewood with sycamore buttons. All these variants look pretty great. A mother-of-pearl logo is embossed on the back. The two halves of the remote are held together with neodymium magnets. This is done in order to allow easy entry to the CR2032 coin cell battery. The company claims that the battery lasts for 365 days on a charge.

Controlling Your Mac & Your Phone.

1. Alarm Clock: Using Turn Torch, you can control your alarm clock to help you wake up on time.
2. Home App: The Home App will be a single button for every connected device in your home.
3. Powerpoint & Keynote: With Turn Torch, you can power through your presentations and present in style with a remote as easy on the eyes as your slide deck.
4. Music: Turn Torch also acts as a remote for iTune, Spotify, Pandora, and Apple Music.
5. Video: When you want to watch movies and TV on your Mac using Quicktime and VLC, you can use Turn Torch.
6. MacOS: You can also control system-level Mac settings like volume, sleeping the display, and screen brightness.
7. NewsBlur: Using NewsBlur, you can focus on the news you want to read.
8. Web: Using this app, you can read the text from any website on the big screen.
9. Fitness: You can make Turn Torch your trainer and follow your fitness routine.

How Does It Work?

Turn Torch is a small remote that has four buttons, four apps, and 16 actions. The controls are as follows:

1. Tap: With just a tap, you can perform an action like changing the music or turning on the lights.
2. Double Tap: Some actions can be double-tapped. This will allow you to switch albums or run alternate lighting scenes.
3. Hold: You can hold a button for half a second to switch between one of the four apps.
4. Tap all four: If you don’t know what a button does, you can press all four buttons to show a heads-up display.

Available By The End Of 2017.

The Turn Touch remote is available to back on Kickstarter, with $79 getting a mahogany model, while the rosewood and padauk versions costing $99. Samuel Clay, the inventor of Turn Torch, hopes to ship the final products in November later this year.

Dhruvil Pandya

Dhruvil is a Writer & Marketeer for Nimblechapps, joined in December 2014, based out of Sydney, Australia. He has worked briefly as a Branding and Digital Marketing Manager before moving to Australia. At Nimblechapps, he worked on Social Media Marketing, Branding, Email Marketing and Blogging. Dhruvil studies Business at University of Western Sydney, and also handles Operations for the company in Australia.