TV Remote Control Programmed to Mute Unwanted News

October 27, 2011

Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article. 

1. tweak (v.) – to adjust or change
Example: The programmer tweaked the design of the company’s website to make it more appealing.

2. encrypt (v.) – to put or convert ordinary language into a coded version
Example: The teacher encrypted the answers into riddles.
3. closed captioning (n.) – putting a caption according to the TVs audio
Example: Closed captioning is used by people who have poor hearing.

4. recurrent (adj.) – happening repeatedly
Example: Storms and floods are recurrent these past months in Asia.

5. real-time (adj.) – pertains to programs that update or process information at the same time they receive it
Example: Programmers devised real-time computing programs on the internet.

Read the text below.

A TV remote control that can mute unwanted news or information was featured in an inventor’s fair in New York last September 17 and 18.

Matt Richardson, a video producer for Make Magazine, created the invention by tweaking the design of his remote control. He worked on it for a week, spending $70 on the materials he needed.

The remote control is basically made up of Arduino, a computer hardware that can be coded into any program. Richardson fused several Arduino boards and added the infrared LED light found in remote controls. He then encrypted instructions that will interact with the TV’s closed captioning system.

The do-it-yourself device can be modified to auto-mute the TV according to a person’s preference of words. Upon encountering such words, the TV will be silenced for 30 seconds. If the word is recurrent, it will keep on muting the TV.

Fed up with news about celebrities and politicians, Richardson uses the remote to listen or watch only the information he is interested in. Readers of Richardson’s blog suggested coding words that become popular on Twitter or Google. Another reader suggested using the remote control to mute all commercials.

The gadget needs a little polishing, though. Some words are missed because the closed captions on TVs are not always in real-time.

Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

·         Do you think the auto-muting remote control is essential? Why or why not?
·         If you were to invent something, what would it be?

Discussion B

·         What are the advantages and disadvantages of watching the TV?
·         Would you prefer watching the TV on your free time? If not, what would you do instead?

October 27, 2011