Creating a smart home seems to have become a must for any digital native user nowadays. Only 10 euros , approximately, are enough to transform outdated appliances into real smart appliances. Gocomma R9 is a very small Hub that receives commands via smartphone, and switches them into IR signals , for TVs, fans, DVD players and more.
How it looks
Upon opening the package, Gocomma R9 looks like a small shiny stone, all black, with negligible weight and very small dimensions. It hides on any desk, table or bedside table in the house, and does not disturb the view at all.
It must be powered via a MicroUSB cable, but this too is easily hidden thanks to the recess on the lower part, which allows the cable to be housed in the appropriate inlet. Apparently it looks like a very small speaker, but it is instead a smart remote control.
How does it work
How it works is easy to say. Gocomma R9 is a small peripheral that transforms wireless inputs, received from the smartphone or through voice assistants, into IR commands. This will allow you to take advantage of your smartphone to turn on your home TV, as well as launch the command “Ok, Google turn on the TV”. These commands will be received by Gocomma R9, which will transform them into IR signals to turn on the TV, thus replacing the traditional home remote control.
How to configure
Configuration is absolutely simple and intuitive. First of all, you will have to connect the peripheral to the power supply, placing it near the devices to be controlled. Since these are IR signals, it will not be possible to switch on, for example, a TV located on the other side of the house in another room. It is advisable to position the sensor close to the device to be controlled, or in any case nearby.
At this point you will have to download the application Smart Life , available for free on the App Store and Google Play Store. At start-up, simply click on the “+” button and choose the Remote Control item to add Gocomma R9.
From this screen you can therefore access the main menu of the small device, which allows you to add devices including TVs, TV Boxes, air conditioners, fans, DV players, and devices that are generally controlled by IR remote controls. For each of the available equipment, you can choose the brand and, subsequently, a virtual remote control will appear on the screen.
During our tests we tried several TVs and also several old air conditioners. Everything has always worked perfectly, without any hitch. The virtual remote controls that appear on the screen offer all the options you would expect to find, and which practically replicate the functions of the old physical remote control at 100%.
Google Home / Alexa integration
Not only will it be possible to manage the appliances at home via smartphone and Smart Life app, but they can also be activated via virtual assistant, such as Alexa or Google Home .
We tested with the latter service, without encountering any problems. Just open the Google Home app, add a service and choose Smart Life. Once the Smart Life account is connected, all the previously configured devices will appear on Google Home.
Not only through voice commands it is possible to turn on or off the devices connected to Gocomma R9, but also to control some functions. For example, for the air conditioning we were able to raise and lower the temperature, again via voice command.
Conclusions
For 10 euros, this is the cost of the peripheral, the purchase is practically mandatory for those who want to transform traditional home appliances into real smart devices. It does its duty and the supported brands are truly endless.
During the tests we did not have any problems with old air conditioners, TVs and TV Boxes. His help is really valuable, especially for those who use Alexa or Google Home assistants in their homes. Of course, Gocomma R9 is unable to send IR signals to rooms other than the one it is in.
It costs just over 10 euros and can be purchased directly at this address .
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