ORLANDO, Fla. – Attention couch potatoes: Imagine getting rewarded for watching TV. Well, that's just what one app is promising.
Viggle is one of the latest in the category of "reward apps." Programs that reward you for completing a task. In this case, the task is watching TV.
Lauren Dias of Lake Mary just started using Viggle and she's already hooked.
"It can get very addicting," Dias says as she flips through the channels. "You find yourself maybe watching more TV than you normally would so you can rack up the points."
The free application works by using your phone's built in microphone to sample an audio fingerprint of what your watching.
The more TV you watch the more points you accumulate. Points can be redeemed for everything from movie tickets to gift cards. There is also an option to convert points to charitable donations.
John Nelson of Orlando traded in his points worth more than $200 for iTunes gift cards. He says Viggle has actually introduced him to a few shows that he wouldn't have sampled otherwise.
"I can't wait till 8 o'clock," he says "That's when I know the shows with the bonuses are on."