In this 21st century we all have become media. Uploading pictures, movies and stories of ourselves to the web media space is daily routine. But we are more than actors in a reality soap. We are also the producers of the new TV programs. Tap into the mass market: craft a TV widget for Yahoo and see your work on Samsung, LG and Sony TV’s.

Look up your TV manual: chances are big it runs on Linux. Today’s TVs depend heaviliy on software made by open-source communities. The new web TV depends even more on the help of you and me, because our ‘program’ capabilities shift from the invisible operating system to widgets that you can watch. Like on the iPhone.

Philips’ Net TV, Microsoft’s WebTV, Yahoo’s connected TV, Sony’s Applicast and Samsungs Internet@TV all announce the widget TV revolution.

If you want to become famous on TV, just build a widget: the TV guide of the future. New television programs are called widgets and they will run on every TV. Every TV will be connected to the Internet and show the widgets on the screen. The old ones can use a setup box like Microsoft’s WebTV. 

It is a TV, but not as we know it

You don’t like convergence? Then go get yourself a Chumby, the completely open source, personal widget wonderland. It will show David Letterman’s top ten, New York Times headlines, Twitter Search, Traffic Cams, Facebook or… whatever. Don’t want to work for Yahoo? Become a member of the Chumby Community. They just announced to move their widget store to traditional TV sets, so your Chumby widget work can reach the masses. 

Tomorrow’s TV runs my content, my operating system and my widgets. What’s next?

- Menno van Doorn -

Tags: chumby, net tv, tv, tv widget, webtv, widget
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