TV-B-Gone

The 404 264: Where we have too much fun with Richard Blakeley

If there's such a thing as too much fun, we don't want to hear about it. Richard Blakeley grabs the guest mic and washes his hands of the CES 2008 prank once and for all. He also gets meta on the state of Internet video, helps us make fun of Twitter just a little more, and dishes tips on how to pick the perfect couture halter-top ensemble.

Unless you've been inhaling chloroform for the past year, chances are you've heard the name Richard Blakeley. Yeah, he's the senior video editor for Gawker Media, but that'… Read more

TV-B-Gone: Turning off TVs, opening up minds

It has been argued that open source is only good at commoditizing big markets, but the news that TV-B-Gone has been open sourced perhaps provides a compelling counterpoint. (OStatic has a great write-up.)

I've never used the TV-B-Gone remote, which lets the user turn off just about any TV, anywhere. But I've long wanted to get one. The power to instantly stop the noise box is...tempting..

Even so, I may now wait a bit longer to see what the budding TV-B-Gone community will make of this already useful product. As Phil Torrone from MAKE Magazine suggests, this … Read more

'Make' editor tempts fate with handgun-embossed carry-on bag

One of my favorite people in the world of tech culture has always been Make magazine senior editor Phil Torrone.

Over the years, I've done a number of stories about his various exploits, including Roomba Frogger at South by Southwest 2006, his laser-etching business, his jamming of TVs at a hotel in Austin, Texas, and his work in helping organize Maker Faires. Beyond that, I've always enjoyed talking with him, as he's a world traveler, a top-notch intellect, and a world-class culture jammer. He's just my kind of guy.

And there's certainly one thing about … Read more

Bloggers behaving badly: Gizmodo messes with CES flat screens

The Gizmodo kids pulled a good stunt at CES: they fired TV-B-Gone remotes at walls of shiny new monitors on display and during press conferences, much to the displeasure of booth staffers.

The video is funny. The ramifications of prank will not be. The CES organizers only grudgingly gave bloggers press credentials to the conference, and even then kept them segregated into a working lounge that was a step down in amenity and luxury from the "press" lounge and work area. This prank will not endear the blogging class to either the CEA, which produces CES, or the … Read more

Jamming TVs in Austin

AUSTIN, TEXAS--I'm sitting in the lobby of the Radisson hotel downtown with a bunch of the folks putting on Maker Faire.

One of them is Make magazine editor Phil Torrone, who, among other crazy ventures, was the co-genius behind Roomba Frogger, when he and fellow hacker Limor Fried modified a Roomba vacuum cleaner and wirelessly directed it to run back and forth across an Austin street like the iconic classic video game during South by Southwest 2006.

This morning, however, Torrone is tired, as it's only 8 a.m. But he's got a goal, and it's … Read more