The Remocon Saucer: Appliance control by videophone

Some days, a gadget comes by that just puzzles us. The Remocon Saucer is the latest. It's an infrared learning remote that can be accessed from your cellphone to control household appliances from wherever you are, which is all fine; it's the way it does it that has us scratching our heads. First, the communication is done by hooking up a second FOMA handset or data card to the Saucer, meaning you pay a second month's line rental (which we suspect is part of the point); and second, you're required to make a videophone call (expensive, which may also be the point) to operate the Saucer.

Sugiyama Electron, the makers, don't list the product on their site yet (though we were entertained by their flashing maracas and odd-looking theremin), so we're unable to establish whether the thing has anything in it that would explain the need to videophone in your remote control commands. Overall, though, our biggest question is why we would want one of these rather than something that combines the same functions with a webcam, hooks into our home network, and can be controlled via a cellphone web browser (if someone would be kind enough to make one)?

Out soon in Japan for Y12,000.

[Via K-Tai Watch (Japanese)]