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Gizmodo-B-Gone

Posted January 18, 2008 11:15 AM

From The Globe and Mail - Technology News:

Gadget blog caused a ruckus at CES and now the fallout has split the blogosphere The trouble started when the inventors of the TV-B-Gone sent free samples to some kids on their way to the biggest television-related convention on the continent. The TV-B-Gone is a miraculous little thing. Shaped like a small keychain fob, it's a universal remote control that will turn off any TV it's pointed at. When you press the button, it cycles through hundreds of different "Off" commands, until, by sheer perseverance, it hits on the one that matches the television it's being pointed at. Its inventor, Silicon Valley entrepreneur Mitch Altman, was philosophically opposed to televisions and liked to use his device to slyly turn them off in places such as laundromats and restaurants, as if he was cleaning up a kind of psychic pollution. This may or may not have been what was going through his mind when he sent a batch of the gadgets to the young staff of Gizmodo, one of the top gadget websites on the Internet, just as they were heading for the Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas this month. Now, if a television is a psychic pollutant, then CES is a psychic Exxon Valdez. The show takes over Vegas every January. It's so big, even journalists at the event read the gadget blogs to find out what's going on.

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#1

Re: Gizmodo-B-Gone

01/18/2008 10:45 PM

I particularly identified with the statement: <"............."When did journalists become the protectors of corporations?" editor Brian Lam asked, arguing that too many technology journalists spend their time in the pocket of corporations..........">

Now what we need next, is one of these tiny remote controllers, to switch off or jam cellphones.

The rudeness of Cellphone shouters, and texting operators, is really far past the bad manners stage, and into the stage of being entirely selfish, rude, horrible and dangerous.

Kind Regards....

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#2
In reply to #1

Re: Gizmodo-B-Gone

01/18/2008 11:21 PM

Hi Sparks: If you can't find a ready made cell phone frequency jammer build you own.

Shouldn't be too much trouble to put one in an old CP and shut up all the loudmouths and key tappers within ear shot!

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#3
In reply to #1

Re: Gizmodo-B-Gone

01/19/2008 6:33 AM

Phone signal jammers do exist but they are illegal (I thought).

I remember reading about it in countries where they were not so strict with them and you could walk into a restaurant or hotel, and suddenly your signal was gone. I would love one of those for cinemas, restaurants or just in the car driving past assholes that think they can be on the phone and drive at the same time.

I fully agree with the rubbish journalists. I have commented on that before and absolutely hate the current trend of fast buck highlight journalism without as much as showing a glimmer of knowledge on the subject.

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#5
In reply to #3

Re: Gizmodo-B-Gone

01/19/2008 9:15 AM

"Phone signal jammers do exist but they are illegal (I thought)."

Had occassion to work with the Criminal Courts for a few years. The judges had a rule:
Turn off all cell phones. If yours rings the bailiff will confiscate it and you will NOT get it back.

"I fully agree with the [comment re:] rubbish journalists. I have commented on that before and absolutely hate the current trend of fast buck highlight journalism without as much as showing a glimmer of knowledge on the subject."

Deliberately misinformed? and they can't distinguish between ACcept and EXcept and other homonyms!

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#6
In reply to #5

Re: Gizmodo-B-Gone

01/19/2008 9:40 AM

I am sure they know the difference between accept and except when they go to the bank to cash their pay cheque as I am also sure they do get big ones for producing this kind of shit.

Deliberately misinformed is somewhat out of context I think. Ignorance is not a good excuse for anything. If you want to know you can find out, all you need is the will.


I hate homonyms as well, they are just not natural

Only kidding.

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#7
In reply to #6

Re: Gizmodo-B-Gone

01/19/2008 9:52 PM

Beep beep beebeeep beep News Flash! Beep beep beeep beeepbeeep (old ticker news sound beeping)

Flash - dateline January 2008. Cyberspace.

Recently reported that 2 contributors to engineering forum openly berating parts of speech that sound similar but act very, very different. One member claims that journalists are insensitive to these 'homos'. After brief discourse, the second contributor; an Englishman named only Case, openly proclaims that, and I quote, "I hate homos as well,they just aren't natural." There it is Cyberworld. In black and white for all to see. 100% of the 2 engineers engaged in this discussion dislike homos. And 50% hate them.

More news at nine. Our lead story, "Government does not care about global warming! Recently 3 trillion tons of arctic ice falls into ocean and no one uses to cool off the warming world!"

cr3

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#9
In reply to #7

Re: Gizmodo-B-Gone

01/20/2008 8:08 AM

I also hate misquotations, in any space.

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#10
In reply to #9

Re: Gizmodo-B-Gone

01/20/2008 8:53 AM

My point exactly. These jerk offs down here (Texas Media) are killing me with misquotes and sound bites right now particularly. Elections you know.

oh, and it was a joke so if you've gotten a bit bent, get over it.

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#11
In reply to #10

Re: Gizmodo-B-Gone

01/20/2008 10:31 AM

Are you plagued by Misquoto bites? Find the little buggers & slap 'em hard with a rolled-up newspaper. Be sure to RE3 your weapon. Just use one of the freebies that would otherwise be landfill (reduce?). You've put it to good use (reuse). Make some paper-maché with the spent weapon, & be creative (recycle).

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#4

Re: Gizmodo-B-Gone

01/19/2008 8:57 AM

I want one!!!!

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#8

Re: Gizmodo-B-Gone

01/19/2008 11:44 PM

Made a jammer once in high school. Buzzer relay, parallel cap banks, 2nd alternator to a CB antenna. In testing worked to well. Jammed to many different Hz (trying to make a radar jammer). Decided the FCC would go nuts so decommissioned it.

Don't have a clue what happened to the plans but filters were not a part of them.

Brad

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