Now, we all know that Infrared (IR) light is invisible to the human eye. So how do we know if that remote control is not working or merely out of battery power? In comes your trusty old digital camera again. But hey, I have my Xiaomi Mi3 with me all the time, so what better tool to use and verify if that darn remote is still working?

OK, so what you do next? First, you activate your camera and place the remote control you want to verify in front of the camera lens. Like this.

Easy enough?

Now, when you press any button on the remote control, you will see it light up (that’s if the remote control is working). For greater clarity, check out my youtube video to see it in action!

Wonderful! So here’s another justification for why you need to have your phone with you all the time. Have fun!