Skip to main content

Wave hello to the gesture-controlled smart home with OneCue

onecue gesture control smart home
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Just about every smart home gizmo in the biz can be controlled with an app of some sort. You name it, and there’s probably somebody who’s developed a way for you to operate it from afar with nothing more than your mobile device.

That’s all well and good, but it’s also a bit problematic. Smartphone switches are great for turning multiple things on or off all at once, but when you only need to flip one light on, it’s often far more cumbersome and labor-intensive to fire up your phone, launch the appropriate app, and hit the switch than it is to just get up off the couch and turn the lights on the old-fashioned way.

Israeli startup eyeSight aims to fix all of that. Rather than having you whip out your phone every time you need to switch something on or off, the company’s new OneCue device is designed to recognize gestures — allowing you to control all your connected devices like Tom Cruise in Minority Report.

OneCue supports infrared-controlled devices like TVs, Blu-Ray players, AV receivers, and even certain gaming consoles. Similar to a universal remote, it can “learn” to control just about any IR-controlled device in existence.

However, IR isn’t without its shortcomings (namely, it requires line-of-sight to work), so OneCue also supports Wi-Fi. This makes it possible to connect the device to dozens of different smart home devices. Currently it only works with Nest thermostats, Philips Hue bulbs, Apple TV, and Xbox, but eyeSight has plans to expand connectivity options in the future.

OneCue isn’t quite available for purchase just yet but can currently be pre-ordered for $130 on the company’s website — about $70 cheaper than what it will eventually retail for. EyeSight is nearing the end of the manufacturing process and expects to ship OneCue to customers sometime in early 2015.

Editors' Recommendations

Drew Prindle
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Drew Prindle is an award-winning writer, editor, and storyteller who currently serves as Senior Features Editor for Digital…
The 4 best smart thermostats in 2024
A person operating the Google Nest thermostat.

A lot of folks may feel that a smart thermostat device is just a gimmick for the lazy that lets you control it remotely, but there are actually quite a lot of good things when it comes to smart thermostats. Depending on which model you buy and how much money you spend, there can be some significant savings, especially if you spring for the kind that learns your patterns and adjusts the temperature to eat up less electricity. Some thermostats even know what time of day electricity is expensive and adjust to use less of it to help bring your costs down.

As such, if you rely heavily on your HVAC, then having a smart thermostat can save you money and add a ton of convenience, even if you don't go for one of the smarter ones. Just knowing your energy usage over time can help you adjust and spend less money while also being a bit more eco-friendly. While there are a ton of options, we've collected four of our favorites below across various budgets and features, so be sure to check things out thoroughly and be sure a smart thermostat supports your HVAC system before taking the plunge.
The Best Smart Thermostats in 2024

Read more
The 6 best smart displays for Alexa and Google Home in 2024
Nest Hub Max Hands-On Review

If you're looking for a way to control all your smart home devices, adding a smart display to your lineup is a great option. Not only do these gadgets make it easy to activate smart lights, smart thermostats, or smart cameras, but you can access a wide range of apps with them -- including Netflix, Spotify, YouTube, and other popular software.

Shopping for a smart display for Alexa or Google Home is a bit more challenging than you'd expect, as so many of the products share overlapping specs. And if you're entirely new to the world of smart homes, you'll have to choose between Google Home and Amazon Alexa as your central smart home platform. Once you've done that, things are a bit easier to manage.

Read more
Amazon Alexa vs. Home Depot Hubspace: everything to know about these two smart home platforms
The Echo Show 8 on a counter.

Amazon Alexa has long been one of the most popular smart home platforms, as it offers a robust suite of hub devices (like the Echo Show 8) and supports hundreds of third-party products. Hubspace, by comparison, is much more niche. The platform was only compatible with a handful of devices when it first rolled out, but now its library is closing in on 100 supported products.

But what exactly is Hubspace, and how does it compare to Amazon Alexa? More importantly, which one is best for your smart home? There are a lot of similarities between the two -- and Hubspace even offers support for Alexa, making it more appealing than you may first think.

Read more