Things To Win, Look At, Photograph, Or Buy

Over on TiP-run parenting site Z Recommends we're having a little contest to give away some amazing box rivets invented to make cardboard fort-building easier. Three people who submit the best idea for a fort plan not already designed by the inventor will win a box of rivets and a rivet remover, shipped free to their home. My best non-parent pitch for the contest is on Geekdad. The contest ends today.

We also started a Flickr pool, Couch Fort Confidential. You're probably a Flickr member and you probably want to go build a couch or blanket fort right now. You should take a picture of it and submit it to the pool.

I also found out recently that Mitch Altman is willing to accept the THINKPICS coupon code for 20% off any TV-B-GONE, where previously it had been limited to the latest model. That means if you're interested in the discounted second-generation edition instead of the third-generation release (the earlier one doesn't have some of the latest big-screen codes) you can get one for around $8 after our 20% discount, which is really a steal. Today is the last day of the promotion - as of tomorrow, the coupon won't work and we'll take down all our advertising for it. You can buy one here.

Free Comic Book Day Tomorrow

Your local comic book store is probably giving away free comics tomorrow. You can see all the available titles here, or check for participating comics shops in your zip code here. [Via|Link]

TV-B-Gone Winners and Their Nefarious Plans

I picked five winners at random (thanks to random.org) for our TV-B-Gone Giveaway, and emailed them this morning. What they'd like to do with their new devices, as stated in their comment entries:

Brian Sawyer of Hackszine said: "I met Mitch last year and had a great talk about the many uses I'd have for his invention. But turning it off in the pediatrician's waiting room alone would justify the entire purchase price. In fact, that power would truly be priceless."

AJ of Thingamababy also wanted to power one off for the kids. "I'd like to turn off the TV in the play area of our health club," he wrote. "Here you have a spot filled with toys and other kids ready to play and interact with each other and staff paid to engage the kids in activities. But there is a TV mounted on the wall blaring cartoons, encouraging the kids to sit quietly and stare into oblivion. This makes as much sense as mounting TVs on playground equipment."

Zoe said: "Yes, I love TV-B-Gone! In my former welfare office the TV was often blasting Jerry Springer. I will go back and help others with my TV-B-Gone!"

Sandi wrote: "I would turn off the TV at private parties where the TV is on for no reason to begin with. Everyone is talking and enjoying themselves, but someone in the room felt compelled to turn on the TV as background noise instead of playing music. Annoying!"

Brian didn't exactly follow directions, but hey, the random number generator does not lie. He wrote: "This has to be one of the best inventions of the past 25 years or so. I enjoy TV, I do, but it has a place, and that place is not public places. Thanks for passing on this great invention!"

Judging from the highly scientific sample represented in these comments, the following truths can be discerned:

• Televisions in hospitals and other clinical care settings should be banned by government decree.
• Shutting off televisions in crowded sports bars is likely to be hazardous to your health.
• TVs are often on when there is no one but you around, which is pretty much the purest case of non-harmful use of the TV-B-Gone that can be found.

Jim (of Linux Activist and Baby Toolkit) wins the reinvention award (sorry Jim, no prize for non-random acts) with this completely unexpected use: "The appliance store. If I want to focus on one set, it is nearly impossible. Being able to turn them all off and then hit the power on the one that I am interested in would be great."

TV-B-Gone Giveaway and 20% Off Sale

Photo shared on Flickr by jasoneppink

Yesterday I defended television's right to exist and our right to watch it. It was a lot of words. Too many, probably. But this I can say in pictures.

This is when TV sucks. Worse - it violates our moral, if not specifically our political rights. And we have a right to combat it.

Photo shared on Flickr by bradlauster

Photo shared on Flickr by Bill Ruhsam

There are an increasing number of interesting ways to turn television in public space on its head; I write about them whenever I see them.

When all else fails - when you need public space to be truly public, and not dominated by the presence of CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, or whatever channel some unnamed and absent social planners decided to inflict on a bunch of people who have better things to do, there's TV-B-Gone.

Thanks to Cornfield Electronics and inventor Mitch Altman, I have five TV-B-Gone devices to give away. These are third-generation TV-B-Gone devices, programmed with the latest power codes for new-model big-screen televisions.

Post a comment telling others where you'd most like to turn off a TV not your own. I'll select five commenters at random tonight at 10 p.m. CST and announce them Wednesday morning. I'll ship out the five donated TV-B-Gones to the winners on Monday or Tuesday.

I've also negotiated an exclusive 20% discount on the third-generation TV-B-Gones through the end of May. This is a deal you won't find anywhere else, and can get a new TV-B-Gone into your hands for less than you'll find anywhere else online. Less than a buck from every purchase will go to support Think In Pictures. To buy one, go to the TV-B-Gone website, buy a new 3G TV-B-Gone, and use the coupon code THINKPICS. Thanks, Mitch!