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Inventor Open Sources "TV-B-Gone," and Why
ptorrone writes "Inventor Mitch Altman explains why he open-sourced his TV-B-Gone kit, the original stealth keychain fob for defeating TVs in public places. The title of the article is 'Patent-B-Gone' and perhaps the most interesting fact is that Mitch's brother is a patent attorney, but he still decided to release an open source hardware version of the TV-B-Gone, with pretty impressive results."
Me, I carry my Customer-B-Gone, a pair of legs that allow me to absent myself from bars and other public places for a variety of reasons, without imposing my will upon others. Oh sure, it's not nearly as obnoxious as deciding for everybody, but we can't all be petty dictators.
This next song is very sad. Please clap along. -- Robin Zander
Let's see. A device with no purpose other than to be malicious. Just because someone has the technical skills to create and sell a device, doesn't mean they should. If you don't like TVs in public places, don't be an ass. Just say something politely and maybe if they get enough feedback, they'll start shutting them off...or better yet, stop going.
There are reasons why there are TVs in public places. Some people value them. Just because you don't, doesn't give you the right to start powering them down.
So, other than creating a public nuisance almost certain to result in getting your face punched, what EXACTLY is the point of this device?
It's for sanctimonious, condescending assholes who think TV is beneath them, and who need to force their choice upon others.
In other words, it's for getting your face punched. ;)
it's an electronics kit, i've seens thousands of kids make these and later their parents tell me that their kids want to be engineers. it's hard to know what will "spark" a kid's mind to get excited about doing things like engineering, but this is one of them.
(phil from MAKE magazine)
Okay, yes, I know, I used to own the t-shirt too. ("If it's too loud, then you're too old.")
But goddamn it, when I'm in a bar chatting with friends, everywhere around is also buzzing with laughs and good times, why does the barman decide to pump his crappy music up to 110 decibels?
Because people don't drink as much if they're talking. It's to increase his bottom dollar, not to make your night out better.
I would love to be able to remotely reduce the volume or kill the music all together. Somehow, I doubt there'd be a massive outcry from people who were talking to their friends and can now hear them without shouting.
And we sell iPods in vending machines. We drive pickup trucks that get 12 MPG. We eat big macs like there is no tomorrow. We have shitty beer that you buy in 30 packs. Go on and criticize, but as long as people will spend their money on it, there is someone out there making money by selling them what they want. When it gets too expensive, this over-consumption will stop. In the meantime, there must be people who like to go to bars with lots of TVs. Personally, I prefer to eat somewhere with a TV when I am by myself instead of hearing people criticize what I consider normal.
-- the computer doesn't want any beer, no matter how much you think it does. NEVER, EVER feed your computer beer.
what I find is that they are mesmerizing. When I walk into a room with a tv on I feel the pull to look at it, as well as notice that everyone is looking at the tv like it had hyptonized them. It is much like a drug. Turning the tv off is more about breaking it's inevitable grasp on everyone's attention for at least a short time, so people look up and look around once in a while. It's not like you break the tv, it can be turned back on, and probably will be in short order.
But then take it into someplace like walmart with 200 security cameras all over the place.
I see an emerging market for security-camera-begone.
The louder he talked of his honour, the faster we counted our spoons. -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
So, you basically went to a sports bar.
There are also bars that have NO televisions in them.
It's called freedom of choice and expression. Two of the things the American settlers left the old world for.
We like having freedom of choice here. And our freedom of expression.
The cool thing was, you could have gone to another bar, one you liked, instead of being in the "sports bar" style place.
That's one of the things that makes our country a great place to live. We can actually make choices, and people with the drive to prosper can keep making (and I agree with you, I HATE the sports bar mentality, the TVs, etc) places the people want to go to.
Just because you didn't like it doesn't mean it doesn't have it's place.
--Toll_Free
I like TV, but not all the time. Don't *I* have a right to some f*cking peace and quiet?
Yes. Plant your sanctimonious, entitled ass in your own living room with the TV turned off, you self-righteous prick.
.. because it's just a goofy novelty, with a minuscule market, and isn't worth the $10-$20k it costs to patent the stupid thing?
He needs to get over himself.
So when I don't want to be distrubed by blaring noise 24/7, I am an prick. When you want to impose your noise on others, that's OK.
If it's MY house, MY bar, MY store, then yes. Anyone who comes to my place and complains about my TV, music, decor, whatever is going to reminded of the location of the door.
Let's see, since it's election day, let me take a stab in the dark and predict that you are going to vote conservative with McCain/Palin because like you, they want to impose their will on others.
Actually, you fail. (see here)
And how is forcing the TVs off because YOU don't like it not "imposing your will on others", hypocrite?
Ever notice most liberal want to let others do what they want and most conservatives want others to do as they do?
Then you must be conservative, by your own definition. I hope the cognitive dissonance gives you a stroke, you waste of oxygen.