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The Universal Off Button
jcr13 writes "Wired news is running a story about TV-B-Gone, a new weapon in the fight against the pervasiveness of television in our society. With this device, which takes the form of a keychain fob with a single button, you can turn off virtually any TV set. How does it work? By rolling through all known IR power-off codes, one by one, trying codes from the most popular brands first. Personally, I am terribly annoyed by TVs in restaurants and airports: they grab my attention over and over, no matter how hard I try to ignore them, and they distract me from the conversations that I should be having with my human companions. Unfortunately, the TV-B-Gone website seems to have already been swamped by the Wired coverage, so we cannot order these just yet. In the mean time, those of you with DIY proclivities may want to think about wiring one of these up yourself using a PIC chip or other micro-controller." An anonymous reader adds links to mentions at CNET, TV station KESQ and Ananova.
If you like being able to turn off any TV you'd like, you'll like TV Turn-off Week. It's going to be held from April 25-May 1, 2005. Personally, the Internet's replaced TV for me; even though there is a TV here I don't really watch it now.
US businesses that currently accept chip and PIN/signature
It sends a "power" signal. In essence, it is a universal on remote. I've never seen anything with a button that turns a tv off but not on (though I have [and own] a vcr that has an on-only button and a on-off button).
I hate grammar Nazi's.
This is kinda pedantic, but for what it's worth, the article said it takes around a minute for it to transmit all the codes in it's little database, so it's unlikely you'll be able to get the totally desired timing effect to -really- piss everybody off. Also it seems like it'd be pretty hard to use this thing discretely if you have to point it at a TV for half a minute on average.
I wouldn't worry about it too much. This thing's about as easy to defeat as a copy-protected CD.
Just put electrical tape over the IR sensor. Problem solved. Carry on.
Yes, the article indicates that it is a power toggle, not specifically an 'off' button. The device is to be appreciated for the 'off' function rather than the 'on' side of it. If it was intended to be used for turning TVs on, you'd obviously want more buttons to do channels and volume. So even though it toggles, having only the one button it makes more sense that you'd just be using it for switching them off.
Sorry, but the garage door has already been shut on this possibility.
Basically, a company called Chamberlain was suing another company called Skylink for building a "universal" door opener that operated with Chamberlain's products. Chamberlain cited the DMCA, but the case was thrown out on appeal.
Call me old fashioned, but I like a dump to be as memorable as it is devastating - Bender
Holy Moley! Do not make one of these! An 800W Magnetron into a splash-fed positive gain antenna? This may zap a stereo, but it'll harm people, too (especially the eyes). IF you do the math, 800W of 2450MHz RF into a 15 dBi antenna is 'safe' 47 feet from the antenna (in an uncontrolled environment). Even at 0 dBi (like in a sidelobe) the RF exposure exceeds the uncontrolled limit over 8 feet away.
I would think a strong RF field in the audio range (somewhere around 8-15 KHz) would cause the stereo to self-destruct without harming people. An equivalent safe distance at 10KHz and a 0 dBi antenna requires a power level of 1.2 MW (!!!) Good luck getting 0 dBi of gain at 10 KHz.
Tiller's Rule: Never use a word in written form that you've only heard and never read. You will end up looking foolish.
Actually, a good portion of A/V devices have what's called "discrete" on and off codes. Although not on the stock remote, when I got a Phillips Pronto and wanted to set up Macros for my home theatre, it became quickly apparent that I would need to be able to send an "on only" code, otherwise it would turn off a device that was already on. Same with "off"- If I'm watching the TV using the TV tuner, and the DSS receiver isn't on, I don't want it to turn the DSS on when I hit my "All Off" macro.
Thankfully, it turns out that all my components bar one have discrete codes. It makes programming the remote for ease of use by non-geeks much easier. I just tell the wife and kid that if they hit "All Off" and the stereo is still on, hit it again.
The article is vague in this respect, but in the closing paragraph it seems to indicate that the remote uses "Power" codes, not discrete "Off" codes.
666-607: 6th floor apartment of the beast
[Aside: I ma not a car kid, and don't advocate "thump thump thump" but...]
A rear spoiler on a front wheel drive car still makes sense, it possibley makse *more* sense. It *is* classically (mis)understood that the down-force provided by a spoiler is to improve traction of "the drive wheels" to improve power delivery and prevent high-speed power skids.
In point of fact, the typical modern car, is effectively a marginal lifting body (look it up, the air passing over the car goes further/faster and so the air passing under the car generates some lift). The name "spoiler" come from the fact that the airfoil "spoils" that lift.
In all front-engine cars the front doesn't need a spoiler because the engine weight is sufficent to the task of maintainting contact. The back end is left to kite around.
In a front wheel drive car, that lift is still present, and even if those rear wheels are not doing anything to make the car go faster, they *are* important to keeping the car under control. If you don't beleive you need the back end to control your movements, I recommend having a rear tire seize-up on you some time. It can be _very_ enlightening... 8-)
In fact, in a front wheel drive car, there is so _little_ weight in the back that the tendency to "lose the back end" while cornering at speed is rather increased. A rear spoiler combats that lack of weight and improves the manuverability of the speeding car.
So don't laugh. The rear spoiler is actually slightly *more* important on a front wheel drive car.
With a rear-wheel drive car it helps you accelerate when you are already going fast. With a front wheel drive car, it keeps you from experiencing a catstrophic loss of control at high speed.
Innocent people shouldn't be forced to pay for inferior software development.
--"Code Complete" Microsoft Press