Hypermation Inc has announced net.TV, an Internet access device that will join the growing ranks of the television set-top box brigade. The Atlanta, Georgia-based company says the device is connected to a television set and a standard telephone line to provide cheap and easy access via the World Wide Web using HTTP and HyperText Mark-up Language. It measures 11 by 8.5 by 2.7, will use a 25MHz iAPX-86 processor from Intel Corp – the embedded 80386EX, presumably – and has 4Mb of memory, with an optional 120Mb hard disk drive. The device will provide additional services bundled alongside the Internet access, such as news, address book and diary facilities and electronic mail. It will be operated from an infra-red remote control mouse, or an optional remote control keyboard. Upgrade features include telephone answering machine and facsimile capabilities. A parental control module will enable information from both the Web and Hypermation’s news service, Usenet News, to be censored from within the home. Ravi Periasamy, vice-president of development, said the company is looking into other applications, including putting Sun Microsystems Inc’s Java language up on it. Hypermation will unveil the system later this month, and hopes to begin beta tests soon after. Expected retail price is $400.
