If you picked up one of Google’s fancy new Chromecast with Google TV devices and already managed to lose the remove, well, you’re in luck. Google now offers replacement ‘Voice Remotes’ on its Store page for $25.99.
The Chromecast with Google TV is an excellent take on home entertainment and much of it revolves around the fancy new remote, so it’s good to have it available as a standalone option on the Google Store. Some may find $25.99 a bit steep for a remote, but it’s better than buying a whole new Chromecast with Google TV for $69.99.
Unfortunately, the Voice Remote only works with the new Chromecast, so don’t buy one to use with your old Chromecast.
However, the more interesting detail revealed by the Store page for the remote is some of its listed tech specs. Android Police spotted mention of an ‘accelerometer’ in the specs. Those of you that pay attention to smartphone details will be well aware of the accelerometer, a little bit of tech that’s commonly used to orient phone displays based on how users hold the device.
In other words, the Voice Remote can detect when it’s picked up and the orientation it’s held in. It isn’t clear why the remote can do that, but there are a few possibilities. Android Police notes it could detect when the remote hasn’t moved in a bit and put it into a battery saving mode.
Alternatively, Google may have accidentally revealed the hardware ahead of plans to announce a new feature. Google has accidentally revealed stuff on the Google Store before, so it wouldn’t be surprising to learn that Google’s working on a Chromecast with Google TV feature that makes use of the accelerometer.
Source: Google Store Via: Android Police
