I Stink, Therefore I Am: The Art and Science of the TiVoroma

Over the past 5 years, a lot of TiVos have passed through the weaKnees warehouse for upgrades, repairs and the like. The vast majority are all the same—boxes with a bunch of circuits, wires and a hard drive or two.

Some, however, are very special: They take on the characteristics of their owners. And we’re not talking about the owners’ viewing habits.

weaKnees’ very own Max Power is our resident scientist. Do you smoke in the house? Max can tell you what type of cigarettes. Do you like cigars? Max can tell. Max knows what perfume you wear, whether you burn incense, whether you have a dog or cat…all from your TiVo.

Here are some of the latest examples: Yesterday, Max walked around the office with a FedEx pak, insisting that we all smell it. “It’s Indian spices,” he said. “They’re good cooks.” I declined his invitation for a whiff, but had no doubt that it was all true. A few days ago, we got a TiVo that smelled “like Lord & Taylor.” And a week or so ago, referring to a TiVo in for an upgrade, Max asked whether he “could scrape the fan and smoke it.” (Fortunately, we have strict policies against breaking Federal laws while on the job.)

So stay tuned…we’ll update the blog from time to time with the latest TiVo scents. And if you want to send us your TiVo, have no fear: Your secret is safe with us! We do not sell our customers’ habits to any third parties…although we reserve the right to aggregate the statistics and do who-knows-what with them.