talkmagic.co.uk

I don't know if anybody owns this, knows much about it, but here it is


http://www.alakazam.co.uk/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage_new.tpl&product_id=10009&category_id=56&keyword=screen&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=14
For the lazily inclined, it basically gives you the "power" to turn off any Plasma TV,...with magic.

Realistically, we all know the basic premise of what it's going to be, and I don't think many people, well certainly not me would find much use of it.
Don't get me wrong, in the right hands it could be brillinat, But I digress...

I was at a very very very East London market yesterday and found a guy selling various gadgets, jokes and Kitchen appliances. One of the "gadget/jokes" was a small keyfob type thing, that did just what the above product said it would do.
It could turn off almost any plasma tv. Now, it wasn't exactly covert, but with a bit of thinking, it could've been.

I was just wondering, do you think Mr. Elsdon(who I am a big fan of btw) is doing a bit of a quick one with something that isn't new, expensive or in any way original?

The keyfob thing was £2.
I do hope not!

Sorry about this, but at £50 I call rip off! The damned plans for TV-be-gone devices are open source for crying out loud! They work on any TV, not just plasma or LCD.

I discussed doing a high power multi-function version at a Manchester meet in January (we were in Cornerhouse at the time if anyone remembers). Spooky person goes into a TV shop, stands back, does a Copperfieldesque sweep from one end of a line of tellys to the other, and they all change channel. Oh, and he's wearing a sleeveless t-shirt. Without any hands in pocket nonsense, he sweeps back and changes the channel back. That's the sort of thing I think can be achieved.

Tomo, I would buy that, purely for the comedy factor of watching the shop workers' expressions!

That does seem very pricey for something that I'm sure you can make yourself relatively easily with a trip to maplins. I'm sure the gadget shop had something that did this as well for about a fiver before it closed.

For a basic remote, Poundland do them for, er, a pound... They need to be set up specifically but that's just a few clicks and patter whilst it searches.

Mandrake wrote:For a basic remote, Poundland do them for, er, a pound... They need to be set up specifically but that's just a few clicks and patter whilst it searches.

Have you ever tried to set up one of those things, mandrake?

(Magician walks up)
(Magician peers at the brand of the TV)
(Magician fumbles around in his pocket, hoping not to be innuendo bingo'd or arrested)
(Magician coughs to get attention and does his copperfield bit)
(All but one TV turns off. bu**er, that one's a Sony)

kolm wrote:(All but one TV turns off. bu**er, that one's a Sony)

There are ways around that...

Yeah, didn't your idea involve no setting up?

This thread is turning into an Ellusionist style advert for Tomo's tv-be-sweep-off (I want credit if you use that name). "No sleeves! No fiddling in pockets! NO PRE-SETUP REQUIRED!"

kolm wrote:Yeah, didn't your idea involve no setting up?

This thread is turning into an Ellusionist style advert for Tomo's tv-be-sweep-off (I want credit if you use that name). "No sleeves! No fiddling in pockets! NO PRE-SETUP REQUIRED!"

I don't suppose I'll ever build one, though. No market for that sort of thing.

The Poundland one I bought cycles through the various versions automatically - if it didn't it would still be just a keyfob !