Developing an alternate interaction device for domestic multimedia environment

The continuing advances in digital storage, transmission and processing technology makes interactive multimedia within the reach of a network environment. This opens a wide range of services for accessing from the living room in a residential environment. These technological advances, however, create the need for a suitable user interface. The interface may be built into the users' television set or a stand-alone multimedia console that allows the viewer to selectively combine and switch between entertainment and information. The current VCR remote control for cable TV technology, which restricts the viewers to only 'surf' a limited number of channels, is becoming insufficient for the interactive multimedia TV.