April 5, 2026
Press F to blast IR
Iguanaworks has closed down. USB Infrared hardware open source maker
Beloved DIY remote gadget shop shuts — is old‑school remote tech dead or due a comeback?
TLDR: Iguanaworks shut down its USB remote-control gadget shop, but left the how‑to docs and code online. Commenters split: some say infrared remotes are outdated, others hail them as privacy‑friendly and note Home Assistant’s new IR support, while last‑minute shoppers beg for alternatives.
Iguanaworks, the tiny shop that sold those nerdy‑cool USB dongles to control TVs and stereos with your computer, just closed its doors — but kept the manuals and open‑source software online. And the comments? Absolute chaos. One camp shrugs, saying “IR is over, everything’s radio now”, with buckle8017 declaring the age of line‑of‑sight remotes basically done. Another crowd fires back that old remotes still rule living rooms and, with the software free to use, the DIY dream isn’t dead — just moving to the garage.
Then the spice: Aurornis argued the gadgets were so simple “anyone with a little PCB experience could replicate it,” stirring debate over whether this was a beloved craft shop or a fancy case around commodity parts. Meanwhile, a hopeful twist: rlam2x51 points out that Home Assistant just added IR support, hinting a missed last‑minute comeback if smart‑home tinkerers piled in.
Privacy hawks arrived swinging, with teddyh blasting modern gear for being “controlled by privacy‑invading apps.” In their world, a humble IR blaster is a hero: no cloud logins, no corporate servers spying on your lamp. And, in classic forum fashion, aeonik pops up with the ultimate meme energy: “didn’t know about this until now… any alternative?” Cue a scramble for replacements, schematics, and someone promising to 3D‑print a case by the weekend. It’s a tiny hardware obituary turned full‑blown culture war over convenience, control, and who gets to own your remote.
Key Points
- •Iguanaworks has closed; products are no longer sold, but documentation and open-source software remain available.
- •The USB IR Transceiver enabled sending and receiving IR signals on Linux and Windows and worked with LIRC/WinLIRC.
- •Variants included Dual Socket (two 3.5 mm jacks for emitters, up to four transmit channels, on-board receiver) and Socket Receive (emitter jack plus wired receiver jack, no on-board receiver).
- •Specs: receive standard 38 kHz IR, transmit ~10 ft with 50° cone, USB 1.1/2.0 compatible, up to four channels, user-adjustable carrier frequency (25–100 kHz; elsewhere 25–125 kHz).
- •Software is offered as binaries and source under the GPL; decoding supported via LIRC/WinLIRC; macOS not supported (link to an unsupported project).