Surf the small screen

Europe’s first mass-market Internet TV will be launched next week by Alba,
the British company behind the Bush consumer electronics brand. It looks like an
ordinary 36-centimetre (14-inch) TV set, but has a built-in modem. Press a
button on the remote control and the TV goes online by dialling the free
Internet service provider chosen by Alba. Opening a flap on the remote reveals a
small QWERTY keyboard for writing e-mail and entering information, while a
built-in browser lets you explore the Web. As with most Web-TVs, you can’t
download and run plug-ins like RealPlayer. The set, which will sell…