Harmony remote

Harmony remotes (not to be confused with eHarmony, which is a dating site) are a family of universal remote controls from Logitech with varying networked functions.

They are all programmable through a USB hookup you can connect to a PC or Mac, which talks to the Harmony software which in turn can store and retrieve your settings on Logitech's server so you can access them on a different computer. Newer high-end models also have a "Harmony Hub" with WiFi capability, which the remote communicates with wirelessly, and which can also be accessed through a smartphone app.

Harmony remotes are capable of executing long sequences of pre-programmed controls on multiple devices with a single keypress, so you can set up a function like "Watch a DVD" and have it automatically turn on the TV, DVD player, stereo receiver, and any other devices you use in conjunction with this function, and set them to the proper mode for what you want to do.

Links

 * Logitech page on remotes
 * MyHarmony site; harmony users create an account here to store their settings
 * CNet reviews of remotes