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."

Comments

Brilliant!

[camperdave]

Great! Now there are technological aids to help people be annoying in public. Oh, and they're "open source", so anyone can build one. Beware Future Shop! Beware Best Buy! People can turn off your TVs by remote control. Ooooo! Scary!

Now here's the brilliant part. On one hand, this guy can market his TV-b-Gone, and on the other hand, he can market to big box stores a special security device. A discrete little box that you stick on the IR sensor and block malicious signals. The box contains a couple of IR LEDs, and a descrambler chip. The chip decodes signals from the special remote control (which he also will sell) so that the stores still have control over their TVs.

Re:Brilliant!

[Lumpy]

sorry but that little black box will not work.

my 1W IR led version will turn off a set with black tape over the IR receiver sensor. the plastic around the sensor area carries the ir signal in to the sensor for me. SO unless you encase the entire set in a black box it will not work.

and yes, it's good to be annoying when it comes to frivolities like TV. I wish more people were annoying in regards to frivolities.

Re:A Necessary Addition

[Meest]

I don't even know how many places this will work? Are there alot of places that do not have Professional grade TV's installed in their places??

I just recently left a commercial installer and all the professional TV's we were installing had no IR/RF it was all RS232 control. If they did the IR was on the back, and we would cover up the sensor with a backup IR control eye with a patch so nothing else could controll it.

Most places I've gone to have done it right and installed TV's that you can't mess with.

There are a few bars that have normal TV's. But if you're in a bar why would you be shutting of someone else's TV's in the first place?? what gives you the right?

I just don't get why you don't just move/leave/go to another establishment...

Re:purpose?

[hal2814]

"go to any bar and I will almost guarantee that the sound is way too loud and NO ONE is watching/listening."

I'm not a big bar patron but I do go to watch the occasional sporting event. I can guarantee you that the vast majority of the bar is watching and listening during that time.

"I like TV, but not all the time. Don't *I* have a right to some f*cking peace and quiet?"

In someone else's bar or airport? No, you don't.

Re:A Necessary Addition

[turtledawn]

Personally I find it to be the other way around- I don't like the slack-jawed, dazed fool I become when there's a TV in the room anywhere I can see it, which is why I try to avoid patronizing businesses that have them. Only hearing it is (usually) no worse than listening to any other inane conversation.