CES prankster gets barred

Las Vegas (NV) - A blogger who interfered with flat-screen displays at last week’s CES garnered a lot of reader interest, but the Consumer Electronics Association got the last laugh.

During the enormous trade show last week, Gizmodo employee Richard Blakeley walked around the show floor to disable dozens of flat-panel TVs, creating headaches for numerous companies.

This was possible with a device called "TV-B-Gone", an infared clicker that can disable displays with the push of a button. Blakeley is also blamed for interrupting at least one company’s press conference.

"The Gizmodo staffer interfered with the exhibitor booth operations of numerous companies, including disrupting at least one press event. The Gizmodo staffer violated the terms of CES media credentials and caused harm to CES exhibitors. This Gizmodo staffer has been identified and will be barred from attending any future CES events. Additional sanctions against Gizmodo and Gawker Media are under discussion," said the Consumer Electronics Association in a prepared statement.

Gizmodo’s remorse came in a post that reads, "It was too much fun, but ... we realize it probably made some people’s jobs harder, and I don’t agree with that (Especially Motorola). We’re sorry."