This RF remote control from Belkin regrettably appeared in stores only after Apple had discontinued the iPods (3G, 4G, and mini) that were compatible with its top-mounting receiver. That’s a real shame, because the company did a great job with TuneCommand’s design, developing a comfortable remote control with seven buttons (play/pause, track forward/backward, volume up/down, shuffled playback and repeated playback), and including a number of other features other companies hadn’t thought of.
For instance, the remote and receiver connect together for convenient storage when not in use, and there’s a belt clip, lanyard, and adhesive car/wall mount in the package, allowing you to easily carry or mount TuneCommand wherever you prefer. It also claims a broadcasting distance of 150 feet, which like similar options (even ABT’s best-of-class iJet) it didn’t hit in our tests, but did work at distances and through walls better than the Infrared remotes we’ve tested. A docking version for 5G iPods and nanos was unveiled in January, 2006 and will be released in late March or early April.
Our Rating
Company and Price
Company: Belkin
Website: www.Belkin.com
Model: TuneCommand
Price: $50
Compatible: iPod 3G, 4G, mini