According to some aspects, the invention provides methods and apparatuses for incorporating motion sensors into a full function remote control. In addition to using movement for cursor location on an associated display, the invention can use the motion sensor information in many new and useful ways. As one example, information about movement along the ±Z axis can be used to activate a “zoom in” function when remote pointed toward the screen and “zoom out” when it is pulled back. As another example, a remote control incorporating the invention can include controls on two opposite sides, and the motion sensors can be used to activate controls on one side of the device and deactivate controls on the other side based on its orientation.