BBC iPlayer launches for a new platform

The BBC iPlayer, already available on the iPhone, Wii, mobiles, PMPs and Virgin Media, is now available on a new gadget for your viewing pleasure.

The Beeb's marketing team apparently identified breakfast television as an emerging market segment for on-demand viewing and asked the iPlayer team for something relevant.

After months of top-secret development and testing, the iPlayer crew are finally ready to bring iPlayer Toaster Edition out of labs.

The iPlayer Toaster Edition looks at first glance like a regular toaster, but with the front panel sporting a 7-inch 1280 x 800 OLED display.

The touch-sensitive display is protected from the heat by special thermal insulation located behind the front panel, it also has heat-proof speakers and has built-in Wi-Fi for programme streaming.

There's also the "Digital Retraction Mechanism", or DRM, which automatically withdraws and shreds any uneaten toast after 7 days.

The Beeb says: "Initially the retraction mechanism was only compatible with some types of bread, but after criticism from organic bread consumers we managed to develop a full cross-comestible DRM".

With a built-in USB port for transferring content to portable players the toaster has one last trick - the option to burn the iPlayer logo into the bread.