USB power supplies.

[Andy Burns]

I /think/ it's the delivering device that shorts the data pins, and the receiving devices detect this ...

[John Williamson]

It wouldn't surprise me if both methods were used. Standards are great, there are so *many* to choose from....

[Dave Plowman (News)]

And they'd do fine for years x2 with AAs. At the same price.

[Roland Perry]

In message , at 21:40:56 on Mon, 4 Aug

2014, Rod Speed remarked:

No they aren't. The size is the same and you can use batteries which last much longer.

[Adrian]

Every single AAA battery I've seen is both shorter and thinner than AA. If they were the same size, then they'd not bother with a different name for them...

I suspect you mean that AAA-powered and AA-powered remotes are the same size. Clearly, unless there's some monumentally fuckwitted packaging going on, that's not the case.

[John Williamson]

Or maybe the remotes are designed to fit the average hand, rather than be as small as possible, with the battery choice being made by the engineers taking into account the weight balance for comfortable use.

[Roland Perry]

In message , at 13:23:12 on Mon, 4 Aug

2014, Adrian remarked:

I don't know what adjectives to use, but the packaging thickness seems independent of the battery type.

[Roland Perry]

In message , at 00:10:51 on Tue, 5 Aug

2014, Rod Speed remarked:

AA are more convenient.

Remotes are the same size regardless of which battery type they use.

AAs last longer than AAAs

[Roland Perry]

In message , at 09:01:11 on Tue, 5 Aug 2014, Rod Speed remarked:

I've had a hunt around, and found one (that's about ten years old) with such a 'bulge'. All the rest have the same profile the entire length of the handset - and sit much better on the coffee table as a result.

[Roland Perry]

In message , at 09:03:52 on Tue, 5 Aug 2014, Rod Speed remarked:

But that's the problem. They don't!

I used to get through so many (on various items) that I bought a box of

100 from Maplin. It was getting down to the last half dozen the other day which made me chip into this thread.

[Roland Perry]

In message , at 19:55:24 on Tue, 5 Aug

2014, Rod Speed remarked:

Just following your example: "Not with any of my remotes, all the ones that take AA batterys have a bludge for the bigger batterys."

[Roland Perry]

In message , at 19:57:10 on Tue, 5 Aug

2014, Rod Speed remarked:

They come with the equipment. Go on... "buy better equipment then". I'll do your trolling for you.

[Windmill]

I hardly use the things myself, but there are 'learning' remotes which can pick up the codes used by the manufacturer's remote and copy it. I believe they can also combine the functionality of several remotes into themselves. Not sure how they achieve that; maybe they have an LCD screen or touchscreen which can show the various functions which have been larned. And they might be quite different in their battery usage from the manufacurers' units.

OTOH did you consider the possibility that someone else in your abode (teenagers?) might be 'borrowing' batteries for their own use?

[Roland Perry]

In message , at 20:07:26 on Tue, 5 Aug 2014, Windmill remarked:

We've had one of those for a couple of years, partly because of the battery issue with multiple remotes rather than the convenience. The way it works is by having a chart with several thousand makes/models of equipment on it, with a code, and you set up the codes. Failing that you pick the nearest and then it cycles through until you find one where the "on/off" button works, and then most of the rest do.

The problem with them is that they don't have enough buttons so several of the functions that used to be available on the dedicated-remote are simply missing. Or occasionally bizarrely substituted. For example to eject the tray on my Blu-ray player I press a button marked 16:9 on the multi-handset. There's several other buttons on the Blu-ray handset which there also isn't room for on the multi.

Not that I'd noticed. (And the Blu-ray and multi handsets are the exact same thickness even though one has AA batteries and the other AAA).

No, they just ask me for new ones (knowing I have a box of 100).

[Tim Watts]

I have an earlier version of the Logitech Harmony:

It's a bit of a bother to set up (needs a PC plus it's special software) but after it's programmed, it stays working reliable forever.

Anything which it doesn't have a physical key for can be put on a "soft key" on the display.

It can drive several devices including macros to say turn the DVD player on and switch the TV to that input.

[Roland Perry]

In message , at 07:00:43 on Wed, 6 Aug

2014, Rod Speed remarked:

They weren't. (Thanks for falling into the trap).

[Roland Perry]

In message , at 08:00:19 on Thu, 7 Aug

2014, Rod Speed remarked:

Which is sort-of where we came in. AAA = Bad design, AA = Good design (for example in my Sony remote control).