Brief: Device to swtich off TV sells

In case you missed the story about the device that turns off the TV...

A new gadget, TV-B-Gone, that lets people turn off most TVs - anywhere from airports to restaurants - is selling rather well.

'The keychain fob works like a universal remote control but one that only turns TVs on or off. With a zap of a button, the gizmo goes through a string of about 200 infrared codes that controls the power of about 1,000 television models. Altman said the majority of TVs should react within 17 seconds, though it takes a little more than a minute for the gizmo to emit all the trigger codes.'

A personal quest for the inventor, who has a low opinion of watching TV for the sake of it, the gadget seems to have resonated with plenty of other people too.

Associated Link: Ananova: New gadget turns off TVs (with pic of gadget and developer)

Rest your Wrists when you're Writing on the go
Source: UN, 25 July 2008
 
Computer Intelligence, Inc. has launched Intelligels(R), a line of wrist rests for laptop computers.

Brits more hooked on mobile tech than Yanks are
Source: RegisterHardware, 24 July 2008
 
According to the latest edition of Carphone Warehouse’s Mobile Life Report, 94 per cent of British youngsters own mobile phones, compared to just 80 per cent of those in the US.

Five ways to Improve online cross- and up-selling
Source: Webcredible, 23 July 2008
 
Increasing cross-selling and up-selling on your website will help sell more items and keep customers coming back.

Say goodbye to the Computer Mouse
Source: BBC, 22 July 2008
 
It's nearly 40 years old but one leading research company says the days of the computer mouse are numbered.

LowBrowse: a web browser for the Visually Impaired
Source: UN, 21 July 2008
 
An innovative new add-on software tool will enable millions of people worldwide with low vision to access previously inaccessible web pages.

Now you can See your Voicemail
Source: UN, 19 July 2008
 
Speech Design's new Visual Voice Mail 'pushes' voice messages directly to mobile handsets, eliminating push-button retrieval.

User-centred research into mobile law enforcement recognised
Source: UN, 18 July 2008
 
C-innovate, a user-centred consultancy based at the Sussex Innovation Centre at the University of Sussex, has won an award for its research into mobile technology and innovation in the public sector.

The Web speaks up
Source: UN, 17 July 2008
 
Textic Limited has just announced the commercial launch of Talklets, a Web 2.0 service that ‘voice enables’ text-based Web content.

All-in-One Devices ride again
Source: Wall St Journal: Market Watch, 16 July 2008
 
Evolutions of all-in-one devices and internet-TV functionality will fuel the nascent home theatre PC market, according to ABI Research.

How to Succeed as a First-Time UX Manager
Source: UXMatters, 15 July 2008
 
Being a manager of UX is no better — and no worse — than being a great designer or user researcher, but the roles are very different.