Stumbled across this in neowin's Digital Life conference coverage. http://neowin.net/index.php?act=view&id=35596

Wow, I'm glad that's a prototype, its uuuugly!  Actually, I don't see a huge amount of extra buttons, what on earth could be added to such a simple device as an iR remote except a fancy new look?  Surely a Vista MCE remote prototype should look all curvy and nice and desirable.  That thing looks poop!

heh-my assumption is that this is a functional prototype. I thought it was interesting and decided to post it. Then again, color it black and slap a HP logo on it and it doesn't look much different from your standard HP MCE remote...

What booth?  if its intel, I'm gonna call it the new sky/directv remote.  Directv has added "red button" functionality to some of its stbs.  (UK users know it as teletype)

 

definitely looks like a directv remote, happen to have my directv remote laying in front of my monitor and they share some similarities in layout.

Or the Logitech Harmony remote for the XBOX 360:

 

accident:

What booth?  if its intel, I'm gonna call it the new sky/directv remote.  Directv has added "red button" functionality to some of its stbs.  (UK users know it as teletype)

Microsoft's booth.

If thats not a directv remote then its a non-us remote.  The 4 colored buttons are common with outside us digital tv.

found this mention:

http://happybeggar.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=29&Itemid=2

Did the demo ever happen?  makes you think it was going to show the directv support.  Now I wish I had more time at digital life to talk to people.   Work has horrible timing with major site updates although I did find the napster booth :)

I actually like the design of this remote! It looks like some kind of retro style, and at least it's different to anything else currently available, as far as I know!? I hope the buttons would light up like the current remote...