San Francisco designer Yves Behar of Fuseproject has designed a product that allows users to control their TV from their iPhone.

Called Peel, the system features a free app for searching TV listings, and a small piece of hardware, called Peel Fruit, to relay the signal from phone to TV.

The Peel Fruit are shaped to resemble either a pear, orange or apple.

An Android version is on the way.

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Here are some more details from Fuseproject:

The way we search for content on TV has not changed since its inception – we channel surf. Not only do satellite and digital cable guides feel antiquated, but the problem is magnified by the hundreds of channels we now have to search for a program.

Peel came to fuseproject in late 2009 with an idea – to revolutionize the way we watch and discover content on TV. Peel is one of those rare implementations of technology that solves a problem in such a way that the user can instantly and entirely forget that the problem has ever existed. Using a free iPhone app (and soon Android) and the Peel Fruit hardware, users can click on a movie or show, search by name, or consult their viewing habits learned by the system.

The brand principle is to “peel back” the tedious layers of the channel guide and the monotony of channel surfing. This idea is used in the design of the brand, products and UI as an intuitive product ecosystem. Not only does Peel set itself apart in its revolutionary functionality, but the design aesthetics are different than standard TV equipment. In order to relay the phone signal to the TV and other AV equipment, the Peel Fruit is the centerpiece of the product system and is designed to be displayed and celebrated. Each friendly peripheral is a simplified fruit (Pear, Apple, Orange) set at a slight angle, with the lower portion functioning as a large IR window that relays the phone signal to the TV. Instead of being yet another remote, with scores or buttons and a 200 page manual; Peel is fun and friendly, and it keeps its cutting edge technology nearly invisible. Once Peel is hooked up and the App has been downloaded to an iPhone, iTouch or iPad – there is a true “ah ha!” moment when users find what they want painlessly.

Peel is a fuseproject design venture portfolio company. In this type of deep & collaborative partnership, fuseproject works on all facets of the company’s business, providing an effective design-driven strategy for success from very early days through launch. Free from the encumbrances of a typical consulting relationship, we balance roles of creative partner and investor, and build a solid brand foundation.

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Jambox by Yves Behar	Jawbone by Yves Behar	GE WattStation by Yves Behar