As the result of a society that is becoming increasing mobile, there are many cool projects underway to expand the capabilities of the iPhone to enhance the lifestyle for the mobile user. Some of the apps and devices are already out on the market while others are in the beta phase and still being tested by a select number of users.
If you have not been keeping up to speed with the ever expanding capabilities of the iPhone, here are a few of the top 5 remote control apps, some of which are currently available and others which are underway.
Lutron HomeWorks Light Control

Lutron has released a complete home lighting system that can be controlled by your iPhone. The system is capable of automatically changing to various light and shade settings at certain times of the day. The system can also adjust to seasonal changes and be configured to different schedules such as your daily schedule, vacation times, weekends, and more.
The Lutron app is currently available in the iPhone App Store under the name “Lutron Home Control +” and allows you to control the lighting in your home, temperatures to save energy, shades, drapes, and security keypad buttons in your home. Everything is controlled from the same screen and requires a mobile device, WiFi Ethernet router 802.11, Lutron RadioRA 2 Essentials transferred to your system, and VPN router if you are connected to 3G or 4G.
iRemoco Remote Control Helicopter for iPhone

Here is a fun project that is currently underway in the UK and allows you to control a toy helicopter using your iPhone, iPod, or iPad. The iRemoco project was launched last year and provides a toy helicopter which is operated through a remote control app for the iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch. The app provides you with three dimensional joysticks and motion control using your Apple device.
To fly the helicopter you simply download the app and then follow the main menu on the interface. There are two joysticks on the screen which you can change around for convenience according to whether you want to hold your mobile device in the right or left hand. You can easily master hover and motion control which uses the accelerometer installed in your Apple device.

LIFX
LIFX is another project that is underway which allows you to control a multicolor energy efficient LED light bulb with your iPhone. LIFX is a “smart bulb” which is WiFi enabled, designed to last up to 25 years, is capable of delivering a broad range of lighting experiences, and helps to reduce energy costs. LIFX is easy to use and simply installs in the same manner as a conventional light bulb. Then you add the app to your iPhone to control every light in your home including the bulb color to match your mood. You can also adjust to the bulb to gradually increase light as you wake in the morning or decrease it at night when you drift off to sleep. It can also be set to match the beat of your music and is compatible with the existing light switches in your home.
Memoto Lifelogging Camera and App

Did you ever wonder how much of your life may be lost to not being able to remember some of the events and experiences you have had? Memoto is a cool project that was just launched last month. The Memoto is a small automatic camera and app that serves as a replacement for a photographic memory. Instead of life passing you by too quickly with no memory of some of the events, you can relive the past events in your life and enjoy your present life as it unfolds.
The Memoto is a small camera that you can clip on to your clothing or wear around your neck. It does not contain any controls and automatically takes photos for you, records information on where the photos were taken and when. The Memoto app for your iPhone then organizes all of the photographs for you in the form of a timeline and allows you to share them with your friends and family. This allows the device to work as a photographic memory and display events in your life as you live them.
Moore’s Cloud Light

Light by Moore’s Cloud is an intelligent light project just launched in October of this year. Light is a next generation smart device that allows you to enjoy an endless array of lighting possibilities with 52 LEDs that are capable of displaying more than two million colors. Light has a high tech stylish exterior with a Linux computer embedded underneath the shell. The full Internet connectivity provides an endless array of options when it comes to apps and functions.
Light can be controlled from your iPhone or tablet PC and even respond to a PC that is located elsewhere on the globe. For example, the temperature in a location in Europe can alter the color of a Light located in New York City. Try capturing the color of a flower or sunset with the camera on your iPhone and then the Light will automatically reproduce the color.
Control the Light using applications on other PCs using Light’s Representational State Transfer (REST) interface which integrates with the web. This marks the beginning of Illumination as a Service capable of notifying you if servers are still running or devices are experiencing issues, and much more.
These are a few of the next generation apps and devices that you will be able to enjoy with your iPhone. As the app market and iPhone capabilities expand, you will likely see more cool things develop over the next few years.
The article above was a guest post written by Gabriela who is a tech enthusiast, passionate about the mobile industry and gadgets. She’s a technology entrepreneur and co-founder of UnlockUnit.com.