Logitech Harmony Touch

Who makes it: Logitech

What it costs: $250

Why we like it: The king of universal remotes faces loads of competition from devices such as Samsung's Galaxy S and Sony's Tablet S that use built-in software and infrared to change channels on your gear. Instead of rolling over to the competition, Logitech channels the late Steve Jobs by de-cluttering its Harmony remote, replacing many buttons with a larger touch screen that controls up to 15 devices and tunes into your favorite channels. For those who make Skype calls from their television, the remote also can connect to Logitech cameras to control the action onscreen.