tv-b-gone
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This goofy fake iPhone can turn off any TV, and even put your Mac to sleep
I'll admit I have a mischievous streak. Because of that, I've had my eye on a TV-B-Gone for a while now. A company called Cornfield Electronics makes the gadgets, which come in a few different shapes and sizes, and all of them serve a single purpose; to shut down almost any screen that is controlled by a remote. After months of convincing myself I didn't need one, I decided to place an order for the TV-B-Gone Pro SHP. The "SHP" stands for "Super High Power," and the device has a claimed range of up to 100 meters. It also happens to look like an older model iPhone, so you can use it in public without anyone suspecting a thing. Pressing the mock "Home" button prompts the device to begin cycling through dozens of remote codes, giving it the ability to power down many, many displays. As the name would suggest, it's primarily targeted at TVs, but as the gadget runs through its long list of remote codes it also hits on the ones Apple uses for the Apple remote. This means it'll put Macs to sleep as well, and it worked splendidly with both my Mac mini and MacBook Pro. Essentially any newer Apple product with an IR port is vulnerable, meaning that you could turn off an entire coffee shop's worth of MacBook Pros with a single button press. If you work in an office full of Mac users, you could have some fun with this. I haven't personally tested it out on anyone poor soul's shiny Apple laptop in public, but the temptation is definitely strong.
The Ultra TV-B-Gone strikes fear in the hearts of couch potatoes
We promised ourselves the TV-B-Gone hat was going to be the last TV-B-Gone hack we presented our dear audience, but when the Ultra TV-B-Gone power blaster found its way in our tip jar, we knew something had to be done. No longer confined to a mere singular IR blaster, Instructables has the skinny on making the Ultra, a super cheap mod which utilizing a matrix of 20 LEDs (though a larger matrix and use of high-powered LEDs is also possible) to achieve a whopping 90-foot line of sight TV outage effect. But basically what sold us on this whole thing -- the B-Gone having failed us in the past in its sole purpose -- was the following quote: "Using this in a regular sized room you are pretty much guaranteed to kill the TV no matter where you point it." You just can't argue with that.
High powered TV-B Gone sniping hack
You know, we can't really imagine what kind of social setting you'd be in that would require the use of a TV-B-Gone and still be socially acceptable to carry binoculars, but if you're especially annoyed with your neighbor (whose TV happens to be relatively near and have line of sight), check out this simple TV-B Gone sniper hack. One TV-B-Gone plus one pair binoculars (monocular might also well work) equals some serious range -- about 40 feet according to the hack's creator. Anyone want to try this thing with a high powered home telescope? Forget WiFi-ing to other States, this week we're all about turning off TVs in the next time zone.[Via Make Blog]