Nexus TV has a set-top product that connects its owners to a variety of facilities, including limited internet, through their TVs. It is owned by Ocean Blue, a specialist digital TV software house based in Bristol UK and in Hong Kong. It “uses the familiarity of a TV set to establish an easy-to-use hub in people’s homes that connects them seamlessly to their community and health-care agencies, provides support for their day-to-day activities and adds a level of security to their homes – all of which increases user’s independence and levels of self-esteem.” The potential is great and the company says “We are always looking to form business partnerships with like minded organisations that have a desire to develop solutions, which will assist and monitor people in the community, whilst providing cost savings for local and central Government, the NHS and other health and social care providers.”

The Nexus TV website is worth browsing to explore the features of the system, and they are currently offering a free whitepaper that “explores the challenges facing health and social care providers, and looks at how assistive TV technology can benefit care communities, whilst reducing costs.” However, you have to register to download it and they do not say what they are going to use your details for.

Mentioning the website nearly triggered a rant, but I [Ed. Steve] don’t want to put you off visiting it. Suffice to say that it is a pity that a company which is focused on accessibility, and mentions the RNIB, commissions a website that ignores the RNIB’s usability guidelines; that suffers a rash of techno-jargon, and whose fancy hover-overs on the Features page is broken for the many of their target audience readers in councils and the NHS who are sadly – shamefully – still stuck with using the outdated and unsafe Internet Explorer 6 browser. [IE6 rant]