Hey,
I just found this little device while searching for some other electronic bits.

http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/electronic/755e/

Looks nice.

Could be good! Shame about the amount of time it takes.
Simon

Thought about that too.
But since most of thr TV sets will turn off after no more then 17 seconds, I look at it as a means to FORCE showmanship.
Since you are actually not certain about when will it happen and wether if will happen at all, it will be easy to think about it as if you are truly doing it with your mind.

True, but my concern over the time is whether you would need to hold down the button the whole time, or if you just press it once and it'll turn off in however long.
Simon

Pointing that thing towards the TV is bound to be suspicious, however strong the misdirection. Considering it's only $15, I'd more more inclined to take the thing to pieces, put the infra-red LED on flesh coloured flyleads ending under my watch strap, and add a single on/off toggle switch on flyleads to my other hand.

That way, you wouldn't have to hold down the button and pointing at the TV could be incorporated into the presentation.

I presume it's similar to TV control watches, etc, sending a single command (ie: off), on a range of different frequencies. The time it takes to turn off would depend on the specific frequency the set responds to, so assuming the TV is a fairly well known and modern brand, it would work perfectly well.

Whoa! Can you imagine this in a crowded pub on a Saturday afternoon, hoards of football fans glued to the set, and suddenly the TV is turned off! Or walking down the street clicking of sets one by one. Mischief for idle hands maybe.

When this device was first announced a while back, I remember much buzz in the U.S. media about it, so a lot of people know such a device exists. To repeat what dr chutney was saying about football fans: using this with the wrong crowd may well result in bodily harm to the mentalist.

Even if this device did not exist, and one (somehow) managed to shut off the TV using one's mind, in certain situations, I think a pummeling would still follow. Proceed with caution.

Yes but can you turn it back on with your mind?

Don't know about TV B Gone but you can find gizmos that work both ways

This would be a pranksters dream. I could see this usefull when doing a performance in a private home enviroment.

Timex used to sell a watch that had a programmable IR transmitter for various makes of TV – it even worked through glass. My wife could not understand why I was suddenly so keen to drive her to the shopping mall. The reason? While she was busy walking the aisles, I was off to the TV and Hifi shops where I would point this thing at the display TV’s in the window and turn the volume up to maximum – then watch the staff buzzing around like wasps trying to find (a) which TV was suddenly blaring and (b) where the controls were to switch the *** thing off!

Hee-hee. Naughty!

Drew

I have had that for months now, and I have never thought to use it as mentalism! I just thought it was useful to go into best buy and enrage the employees!

This one is available in UK and turns volume up and down and changes channels.

http://www.play.com/play247.asp?pa=stts8......e=598157

would give more options..

Howard