Neuros, makers of the coolest video-recording toys in the world, have just released their OSD, a fully open set-top box. Neuros already made history with its Neuros Recorder 2, a device the size of a deck of cards that turned any TV show or DVD into something you could watch on your PC, PSP or iPod. Now with the OSD, they've gone one better, with a device that has a fully open firmware that anyone can hack and improve. What's more, they're offering cash bounties to hackers who add various features to the device, including $1000 for a YouTube or Google video Browser, $600 for a Flickr Photo Browser, $500 for a WiFi PSP or PDA remote, $700 for a TiVo-like recording function for radio/satellite radio, and $500 for getting VoIP running on the device.
The product's sell-sheet is a wiki and the first batch are only available to Linux hackers who will test, tweak and extend them.
Standard Power Adapter
Imagine you'd like a cigarette adapter for the OSD, or a second wall adapter. Instead of using an expensive proprietary part, the OSD uses a standard power adapter that you can buy at your local electronics store. It's the same Power Adapter the Sony PSP and the Dell Axim X5 use.
Remote Control
The OSD remote control uses a set of standard codes that emulates a Sony VCR. This means that it's easy to replace with a Universal remote of your choosing. If you lose the remote or want to consolidate your remotes, it's easy.
Programmability of the Included Remote
The included remote can control the TV volume and power which means that you can use it to replace the remote that came with your TV. You can flush your TV remote down the toilet (but we recommend you first make sure your toilet is capable of processing such it – consult the user's manual).
(Thanks, Mr.Cris!)
