Patent ID: 7698727

Claim:
A method comprising: receiving from a control unit at a mobile hand-held device of a plurality of mobile hand-held devices programming information including an electronic programming guide (EPG) via a wireless connection, wherein interactions received at the mobile hand-held device are transmitted to at least one other mobile hand-held device of the plurality of mobile hand-held devices; receiving, at the mobile hand-held device, a selection of a program from the EPG, wherein the programming information is displayed on a display of the mobile hand-held device; transmitting the selection of the program to the control unit; receiving, subsequent to the selection of the program from the EPG, a signal from the control unit indicating a beginning of an interactive application during the selected program; and in response to the signal, providing a visual indication, through the mobile hand-held device, of an availability of the interactive application, wherein the mobile hand-held device selectively deactivates visual indications on a display separate from the mobile hand-held device independently of whether visual indications are displayed on the display of the mobile hand-held device.