Does a device like this exist?

[Josh]

I'm looking for a device that can, in essesence, make lights brighten
or dim by remote control. Also, the device would be able to shut
electronic objects on and off, all by remote control. The key point
being there would be nothing in the targeted electronic machinery that
would be designed to work by remote control. For instance, and I'm just
throwing this one out, if you projected microwaves at, say, a lamp,
would it brighten or dim? Would microwaves even work at all? I was told
EMF pulses might work. For instance, if I pointed the device I am
lookng for at a smoke alarm, the light in the smoke alarm would
brighten. Or if I pointed it at a refridgerator, the refridgerator
would still stay on, but the cooling system would turn on if it was
off, and off it was on. Again the key point being the machinery, say
the refridgerator, was not specifically designed to work by remote, and
no devices would be implanted in it to allow it to work by remote. Hope
that's a coherently put question. Thanks for any replies.

 

[CWatters]

I'm looking for a device that can, in essesence, make lights brighten
or dim by remote control. Also, the device would be able to shut
electronic objects on and off, all by remote control. The key point
being there would be nothing in the targeted electronic machinery that
would be designed to work by remote control.

You couldn't make ONE device do all this but you might be able to make
different devices that can do some of these things.

Do NOT try any of what follows at home because it is very dangerous.
Microwaves cause cancer and can damage your eyes (send you blind)......

This page has photos of a light bulb in a microwave oven....

http://stefanbinder.privat.t-online.de/uWplasma.htm

Smoke alarms use LEDs. These would be harder to light up because there is no
filament coil to act as an aerial and pick up the microwaves. However by
adding wires....

http://apache.airnet.com.au/~fastinfo/microwave/oven/leds.html

A Fluorescent tube...

http://apache.airnet.com.au/~fastinfo/microwave/fluoro/

What else did you want?...

http://apache.airnet.com.au/~fastinfo/microwave/

 

[CWatters]

Or if I pointed it at a refridgerator, the refridgerator
would still stay on, but the cooling system would turn on if it was
off, and off it was on. Again the key point being the machinery, say
the refridgerator, was not specifically designed to work by remote, and
no devices would be implanted in it to allow it to work by remote. Hope
that's a coherently put question. Thanks for any replies.

Those last things would be next to impossible. You might be able to confuse
the the control circuit in a fridge but the results would be unpredictable.
Most likely it would just turn on and off at random. Not exactly useful.

 

[CWatters]

Hey I got an idea!

You can buy a ghost on ebay! That would allow you to remote control many
things!

Comes with free key...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=19270&item=5555565775&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

 

[Michael]

I'm looking for a device that can, in essesence, make lights brighten
or dim by remote control. Also, the device would be able to shut
electronic objects on and off, all by remote control. The key point
being there would be nothing in the targeted electronic machinery that
would be designed to work by remote control. For instance, and I'm just
throwing this one out, if you projected microwaves at, say, a lamp,
would it brighten or dim? Would microwaves even work at all? I was told
EMF pulses might work. For instance, if I pointed the device I am
lookng for at a smoke alarm, the light in the smoke alarm would
brighten. Or if I pointed it at a refridgerator, the refridgerator
would still stay on, but the cooling system would turn on if it was
off, and off it was on. Again the key point being the machinery, say
the refridgerator, was not specifically designed to work by remote, and
no devices would be implanted in it to allow it to work by remote. Hope
that's a coherently put question. Thanks for any replies.

"..nothing implanted ... not specifically designed to work by
remote..." OK. So plug your light into an X-10 lamp module and ...

 

[Ruediger]

The stuff you are looking for is a generic X-10 House-control system.
Usually infra-red or 440MHz or 2.4GHz based remotes are used, but your items
need to be ready for X-10, or you need to equip them with X-10 stuff.
As long as you are not a bodily disabled person the costs for such a major
installation and rework are WAY behind the actual use, because a more
simple system consisting out of a universal remote and a set of RC'able
power on/off switches for items and RC'able dimmers for lights cost only a
percent of a full X-10 and has, from the logical point of view, the same
capabilities as what you describe ( Cause, honestly: How often do you
switch around your fridges temperature? )