So I just got a Samsung Galaxy S5 the other day.  I know, not an iPhone and not even the latest Galaxy, but I am an Android guy, and it's company issued.  Anyway, the thing has an IR emitter, so I've been playing with the Smart Remote app that it came with, and I have to say it's pretty cool.

You just punch in your zip code and select your service provider from a list that pops up, and it downloads the entire program guide before you can say Michigan sucks.  Then you select your TV manufacturer from another list, press a couple of buttons to test compatibility, and you're good to go. It does everything that the FiOS and TV remotes do combined, and I haven't found any bugs in it. Pretty damn slick.

If there is any problem with this, it's that using the conventional remotes now seems sort of, well, primitive.  But I guess that's ok, 'cause I don't have to hunt for them any more.

It's not like I needed another reason to look forward to the start of the season, but there you have it.