I'm working with a currently existing program to create a working palm based empeg remote. The results I feel will be somewhat mixed. (If your wondering what prompted this, check here.)

The Pros:

1. Palm Devices have backlight capabilities.
2. The Palm seems to send a stronger signal.
3. Entirely new signals could be designed for new features or personal favorites.
4. Eventually remotes are going to go from nearly impossible, to completely impossible to come by.
5. Instead of paying something like this for a remote that has less features, you can pay something like this for a remote that will keep your datebook, checkbook, little black book, etc. (For our friends across the pond check here and here.) Of course if you already joined the Pda revolution, your out nothing.
   

Cons:

1. Right now there is no allowance for "holding" a button for a different feature, dramatically increasing the number of buttons required possibly even to a second screen. (still working on that one.)
2. Most palms time out after 3 minutes, which would increase any remote punches further than that time apart from 1 to 2. (This can be hacked, however then you run the risk of the pda staying on for 12 hours in your pocket because you forgot to turn it off.)
3. Pda screens, of course, are not raised so buttons can be found only by sight.
   

This list is not meant to comprehensive, basically its just late and I'm ranting. But if you've lost your remote and I can find a way to save the settings as a macro it may help. Hopefully if its quality somebody will post it for download for me.

A few other possibilities:

1. If you have a car mount for your pda, most have an always on mode if the unit is being charged.
2. Personally, I think this will allow me to leave my remote in the car and use my palm anywhere else I may be. The less I carry my remote, the better.
   

If this is even slightly interesting to you let me know. If its just for me I won't refine it past a beta.

On a parellel thought to this how about we have an area in riocar where folk can list remotes that work within the write freqencys for Hijack to pickup and translate into the player. If you have a pioneer steering remote all you need is an occasional remote for searchs.

Another way round this a utilitiy written for the player that will site in the background then when given a signal pops up you then enter into it a set of letters via a scroll type interface and then on another signal it fires that into the player search engine.

I don't know if it is possible but if one well it could allow searching from the front panal.

As to the palm idea i think it would be not too hot for in a car due to problems of no feedback.

If you could type into the palm the start of the song it might be able to fire the write codes to the player.

Hey, Rev, just as a quick note, you might want to click on this FAQ entry and follow the link embedded therein to the already-existing PalmEmpeg product.

If you were already aware of it, my apologies for restating the obvious.

ROFL, I just noticed the example tune being put up on the screenshot at that site. Irony is so ironic sometimes.

Irony is so ironic

sounds like a Dan Quayle-ism....

I think a palm based remote is exactly the opposite of what is needed in the car, especially if you're going to try and emulate a remote type interface...

As you point out, there's no way to find a button without turning on the palm and then looking at the screen to find the button you're looking for. While I'm driving, I find it's hard enough for me to find my remote, feel around for the IR emitter to know i've got it pointing towards the empeg, then glace at it to try and find that button that i'm looking for... A palm just is too big to use comfortably and you're gonna have to use a stylus or get used to lots of fingerprints on your screen.

Touch screen remotes took off for a while in home theater, but when I read reviews of new ones a main feature is how many "hard buttons" it has because they're much more convenient...

All practicality aside, if you wanna do it, go for it. I won't use it, but there are thousands of others who might...

Matthew

Any Kenwood remote should work, given that the original remote was a Kenwood one. See this thread for what I did with an old Kenwood stereo remote. It works flawlessly and has all the buttons I need.