If one have a Regular desktop PC with serial port, it should be pretty easy (almost bulletproof) to build IR receiver (or even receiver-sender combo) yourself, for a local currency equivalent of ~5 dollars or less, in cost of parts. Google for it, there are dozens of step-by-step tutorials for doing so.

When I was interested in it few years ago (thanks to N900, IIRC), the only reliable way to grab IR remotes with LIRC was, indeed, building serial port connected IR receiver. USB wasn't supported by FOSS, and build-in remote receivers in notebooks weren't even a plan.

It was a no-go for me, as I have a notebook without serial port (acting as desktop - it's Dell XPS m1530 on best parts set, quite a powerful beast, even for today's standards - for off-topic digression, see footnote). From Copernicus poost, it seems to have changed much - I should take another look at it. My notebook have have IR receiver port, designed to be used with Dell remote (to control windows media player, or similar nonsense, and some windows keys). Maybe I could abuse it to grab some keysets?
---

On different note: I'm surprised, that new mobile devices are coming with IR sender. I thought it's very geeky subject, not interesting "mass market" consumers? On one hand, it's nice, as we may have boost in keysets creation interest. OTOH, I'm almost saddened - now, I can disable all those pesky TVs in waiting longues, while innocently "writing something" on my N900, without drawing any suspicions Popularising this as "normal" feature of mobile phones spoils it

/Estel

Anegdote: Notebook-as-desktop It originate from times, where I haven't had N900 to act as travel mobile computer, so preffered notebook over normal desktop as main computer, as I travel extremely much. Now, thanks to N900, notebook hardly even leave my DIY docking station - N900 + mini USB keyboard + USB mouse is my travel set, with VNC access to home PC, if I *really* need it to do some high-computional power tasks, or access some obascure files. Which hardly happens, anyway.