If someone built a $175 Bluetooth to 2.4Ghz bridge that worked with this app, would people buy it?
I have to agree, even if the bridge only cost $75. What is an app going to do that the $50 LC universal remote won't do. If you do build app & bridge device, it would be limited to the capabilities of the LC Universal remote.
The whole idea behind LionCheif remotes was to keep things simple. Apps & Bluetooth pairing procedures starts to complicate things.
If the engines have Bluetooth built in already, Skip the LC universal remote and pair the engine with a smart phone and use an app to control it. Wait a minute, didn't blue-rail already build this?
Beings that Bluetooth operates in the same 2.4 GHz ISM band it would only seem natural to include Bluetooth for future expansion as it is pretty cheap to add if you are already installing a 2.4 GHz radio.
It is possible Lionel doesn't know exactly how they will use Bluetooth yet but knows that it opens the door to great possibilities.
H1000
