Eugene Polley, inventor of the TV remote, dies aged 96
TelevisionsEugene Polley, the man who invented the television remote control, has died at the age of 96.
Polley pioneered the clicker in 1955. While working for Zenith Electronics, he came up with a handheld zapper that shone a beam of light at four photo cells in each corner of the TV, giving you the four options of either turning the set off or on, or nudging the channel tuner up or down the channels. If only they were still that simple... Continue reading...
David Attenborough interview on 3D, flowers and Bono's iPod
TelevisionsSir David Attenborough has turned to plants for his new 3D documentary series, Kingdom of Plants 3D, and as part of his promotional tour he and executive producer Anthony Geffen spoke with CNET UK and a couple of other journalists at the place it was filmed -- Kew Gardens.
They spoke about how it would be "absolute lunacy" to shoot animals like lions and tigers in 3D, how it's no good producing a 3D film that's boring when watched in 2D and about Bono giving Sir David an iPod nano. Continue reading...
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Kingdom of Plants 3D review and behind the scenes pictures 
TelevisionsSir David Attenborough is back on TV this Saturday with a new 3D documentary series about plants, and I've been treated to a sneaky peek at the first episode. Kingdom of Plants 3D with David Attenborough was filmed at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, which I'm told has 90 per cent of all plant life represented there.
If you're anything like me, you won't initially be all that enthused about the idea of watching a programme about plants, but the first episode is fascinating stuff. There's copious amounts of stunning time-lapse photography that will make you look at nature with new eyes -- as Sir David's mesmeric narration points out early on, plants are just as competitive as animals. Continue reading...
Apple rumoured to be buying Loewe, hints at iTV design?
TelevisionsApple might be buying Loewe, the German maker of luxury tellies, AppleInsider reports.
If it does prove true, this could be the biggest clue yet as to what to expect from the Cupertino company's upcoming TV set. Namely, a clean aesthetic, big screens and plenty of customisation options. There might not be long to wait as a source claims Loewe, "has been advised by its financial advisor to accept the offer and a final decision is scheduled to be announced internally before 18 May 2012". That's just five days away. Continue reading...
Foxconn is "making preparations" for Apple iTV
TelevisionsFoxconn, the company that manufactures Apple's iPad and iPhone, is making preparations for the Apple iTV. That's according to Terry Gou, Foxconn's CEO, China Daily reports.
There's no direct quote from Gou, so it's possible that he just hinted at the fact. Maybe he doesn't want to reveal one of Apple's biggest launches and risk losing business with the Cupertino company. Or maybe he means Foxconn is making preparations just in case Apple announces its TV set. Continue reading...
4G could knock out millions of TVs, say campaigners
Mobile Phones4G could knock out as many as one in ten TVs, campaigners have warned. Broadcasting pressure group The Voice of the Listener and Viewer reckons millions of Britons could find themselves suddenly without TV when the next generation 4G phone network fires up for the first time -- but don't worry, you could be fitted with FreeSat instead.
VLV warns that the number of homes affected by 4G will be more than previously thought -- a couple of million households instead of the 900,000 estimated by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. That will mainly affect the 60 per cent of homes that have more than one TV. Continue reading...
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Samsung ES9500 55-inch OLED TV makes first appearance
TelevisionsGet a load of this: hot off the assembly line, the 55-inch Samsung ES9500 OLED TV looks set to be the first OLED television to grace living rooms -- for a princely sum, of course.
OLED screens offer substantially better picture quality than on current TVs -- and can be put together in some crazy ways -- but are so expensive to produce that they've previously been limited to the size of a phone or picture frame. This is the first model that's the size of a proper TV to trundle off the production line -- and the price will reflect that. Continue reading...
B&O BeoPlay V1 TV hangs from the ceiling
TelevisionsTired of sticking your telly on the wall? Why not hang it from the ceiling, instead? I've been taking a look at Bang & Olufsen's BeoPlay V1 TV, which can be mounted on wires and dangled from the rafters. Click through the photos above for some hands-on snaps of the telly, and read on for all the specs.
The V1 comes in white or black, in 32 or 40-inch sizes. The design is likely to be divisive -- I'm not a massive fan of the folded metal look (apparently inspired by origami), but I can see why some would appreciate the minimalist styling. Continue reading...
Apple in talks to bring Epix films to Apple TV set
TelevisionsAccording to more murmurings about the much-rumoured forthcoming Apple TV set, the Cupertino company is in talks to stream films owned by Epix on its Apple TV as well as numerous devices including a standalone TV set, Reuters reports.
Epix is a US TV channel that's a joint venture between Viacom (Paramount Pictures), MGM and Lionsgate, offering movies from all three. So if the deal comes off, expect plenty of films to choose from on your brand spanking new Apple TV set. The only downside? It still looks likes it could be a way off. Continue reading...
Ikea concocts TV-cum-TV-bench, calls it Uppleva
Not content with building and renting an entire neighbourhood in London, Ikea has knocked up a range of TVs that come with the TV equivalent of the Billy bookcase stuck to them. Continue reading...
Analogue TV signal to be switched off tonight in London
TelevisionsThe old, worn-out analogue TV signal is finally being turned off in London tonight, the BBC reports, halting transmissions of BBC One, ITV1, Channel Four and Channel Five to those of you who haven't upgraded to digital yet.
The switching of the TV broadcast from analogue to digital has been in progress for a few years now, but today's the day for our beloved capital to switch off that dusty old signal once and for all. Continue reading...
Sky showing all 22 Bond movies ad-free in HD from October
TelevisionsGood news, Bond enthusiasts, Sky has acquired the rights to show all 22 movies in HD and without ruinous ad breaks later this year -- a feat which the broadcaster reckons is a first for UK telly.
As well as showing on Sky Movies Showcase HD, the films will be popping up on Sky's on-demand service, and will also be viewable on the move via Sky Go. Continue reading...
Olympics: BBC's 24 live HD streams headed to Sky, Freesat
TelevisionsThe BBC will be broadcasting live Olympic action this summer through 24 new high-definition channels, available through the Beeb's red button service or to those watching on Sky or Freesat.
That means you'll be able to watch any sport from any venue, and you'll be able to follow any particular sport through the day. So if you're a huge dressage fan, no longer must your horses-and-fancy-hats kicks be spoiled by society's boring bias towards running and jumping. Continue reading...
Harry Potter Wizard's Collection out in September for £195
TelevisionsThe Harry Potter Wizard's Collection box-set is due out in the UK on September 10, with Amazon.co.uk listing the mammoth collection at a Gringotts-busting £195.
Potter fans looking for a wizard wheeze should pay attention to the noises their lungs make as they lug this epic box-set from their doorstep to the living room. The Wizard's Collection comprises a whopping whomping 31 discs, and comes in a cube-shaped fold-out chest that looks like something you'd find in a back room of Flourish & Blotts. Continue reading...
BBC iPlayer on Xbox 360 from today, for free
Games and GearThe iPlayer has arrived on the Xbox 360, bringing video streaming from the BBC direct to your console, for free.
Word of iPlayer's imminent arrival on Microsoft's machine was doing the rounds last week, and those rumours have now been proved true. The app will be rolling out to Xbox consoles in the UK from today, though I've been informed it may take a few days for the app to appear on your dashboard. If you don't see it yet, it should be there soon. Continue reading...
New iPad, Apple TV and more in Apple news round-up video 
Apple has just lifted the lid on its new iPad, as well as a new version of Apple TV. Hit play on the video above to learn everything you need to know on the company's new kit, in not very much time at all.
The new iPad is the big news of the night. Dubbed simply 'iPad', this third iteration of Apple's popular slate offers the same basic design, though it's a little bit heavier and thicker, so it might be a tad more bulky to hold. Continue reading...
Apple TV new interface shown off in hands-on photos
TelevisionsApple has a new version of Apple TV, its set-top box that's used to stream movies and TV shows to your telly. CNET UK has gone hands-on with the new system, which boasts an identical design but a revamped interface, so click through the photos above to ogle it for yourself.
The headline feature of this new version of Apple TV is that it supports 1080p video, up from 720p in the previous version. It's good to see Apple catching up in the image quality stakes. Continue reading...
Apple TV with A5X chip set to be unveiled alongside iPad HD
TelevisionsA new version of Apple TV is rumoured to be announced this evening, alongside the hotly anticipated iPad 3/HD, and touting the same rumoured dual-core A5X processor we're expecting to see in the third iPad.
The next version of Apple's not-so-popular set-top box will include support for 1080p playback, the Verge reports -- something that's been sorely lacking from the system to date. Continue reading...
Toshiba ZL2 glasses-free 3D TV on sale Monday, costs £7,000
TelevisionsToshiba's ZL2 glasses-free 3D is going on sale on Monday -- yours for the wallet-combusting cost of £7,000.
That's right folks, from 12 March you'll be able to walk into the John Lewis on London's Oxford Street and throw down seven grand to acquire this hoity-toity telly. It'll be available from Harrods from the 16th. Continue reading...
Nearly 1 million UK homes to need 4G TV filters
TelevisionsAlmost a million UK homes will need to have their TVs fitted with special filters in order to prevent interference from 4G signals, the BBC reports.
The filters will be fitted to digital TV boxes, and will block noise from 4G signals, many of which will be flying about once the 4G spectrum is auctioned off to networks like Vodafone, Orange and O2. Continue reading...
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