fake tv scares off intruders, saves power on [technabob]

fake tv scares off intruders, saves power

filed under: gadgets | strange and wonderful

posted: May 20th, 2008 stumble it!5 comments author: technabob

Ever felt the need to leave a television on to make it look like somebody is home while you’re out of town? This quirky little invention does just one thing - simulate the effect of having left your TV turned on.

FakeTV LED Television Simulator

The $49 FakeTV uses an array of colored, flashing LEDs to create the illusion of the stroboscopic effect of a television. The compact box uses only a fraction of the electricity of a real TV, and doesn’t put unnecessary wear and tear on your precious plasma or flat panel.

click to view this video clip

According to its creator “FakeTV uses a built-in computer to control super-bright LEDs to produce light of varying intensity and color that light up a room just like a real television does. The light effects of real television programming — scene changes, camera pans, fades, flicks, swells, on-screen motion, and more, are all faithfully simulated by FakeTV… fills a room with color changes, both subtle and dramatic, in thousands of possible shades. FakeTV is completely unpredictable, and it never repeats.”

The FakeTV can be programmed to automatically activate at dusk, then stay on for up to seven hours. You can also connect it to an external outlet timer to turn it on and off. For more information, check out the FakeTV website.

[via TV Snob via CE Pro]

5 comments comment

1. Rein Teder | May 20th, 2008 at 1:05 pm

You still need good locks, and a light on a timer remains a good idea. Stop the paper and mail when you are out of town, and get to know your neighbors - that gives you the extra benefit of a more-connected life.

That said, an operating television really conveys the impression of life, and FakeTV is a convincing occupancy simulation.
2. Lalo | May 21st, 2008 at 6:45 am

http://tech-exposed.com/

I never understood how that would fool people. If someone is watching your house then they actually see you leave. Dont worry, they take the TV so you dont have to worry about running up the light bill
3. Edralin Canape | May 22nd, 2008 at 6:45 am

i think fake tv is not still enough to provide your home protection. and another thing it will never stop an intruder or a burglar from going inside the house..and another thing it most of burglars or intruders today are not easy to fool..they thinks first before they strike…
4. ck1 | May 22nd, 2008 at 8:56 am

what if someone bought one of these, and then sat there watching it. that would really be something!

http://www.phatbenetar.com
5. Misterdoo | May 22nd, 2008 at 10:10 am

We got one of these right before our annual snowbird vacation and we LOVE it!!! Of course, we used it in addition to having lights on timers and relying on nosey neighbors to keep an eye on the house. While we were out of town, several vandals hit our neighborhood and our house remained untouched. Finally some useful elecronics gadget that I can just take out the box , plug in, and start using without having to read pages of set-up instructions in an unreadable type-font. I plan to use this when my husband is out of town and I am here alone with the kids by myself. As someone who has actually used this product, I would highly recommend it as a part of a system to try and deter unwanted visitors, whether you are home or not.