Finally, an actual use for TXT

Cool news from the UK (where they are just thrilled about the Emmy nominations). Users of the Sky+ satellite service can set their DVRs from the road by texting a message on their cell phones. Gee, too bad Sky+ owner Rupert Murdoch doesn't control any satellites over here...

This reminds me of a conversation I had earlier this week with one of those callers who couldn't find C-SPAN in the TV listings. This particular reader knew what C-SPAN was. What she wanted to know was the VCRPlus number for "The Capitol" so that she could program her VCR.

Remember VCRPlus? The electronics industry came up with it in the mid-1990s to solve the perennial problem of people not being able to program their VCRs. Instead, they could simply press three buttons on their remote, key in a 14-digit number like 918267499219 and voila! The correct channel would be recorded for the correct program length. Of course, you had to set up the VCR so the 14-digit number would correspond to your cable grid ...

Amazingly, this convoluted setup actually got adopted by a few hundred thousand viewers, not enough to justify the continued existence of VCR+ numbers in our TV grids (if you ask me) but enough to ensure people like me would be fielding phone calls from readers about missing or incorrect VCR+ numbers until the mid-21st century.

Anyway, the British concept is like that.  Only a lot, lot smarter.