Zeebox launches in Australia

The popular social "companion app" for TV, zeebox (yes, it's officially spelled with a lowercased z), is now available across iOS and Android for the Australian free-to-air and pay-TV channels.

Zeebox is a screen-companion app created by former EMI executive Ernesto Schmitt and BBC iPlayer CTO Anthony Rose, which has been highly active in the US and the UK.

The app is a mix of TV guide, social-media consolidator and viewing recommendations. To access the full range of features, zeebox requires you to log in via Facebook or Twitter. Once logged in, you can see what friends are watching, book a reminder for a show and even join groups to discuss shows.

Even if you're not logged in, you can get info about a show, see a live tweet stream of all hashtags related to a show and more. According to zeebox, the app will also feature e-commerce functionality, allowing you to "buy products seen on-screen, and access relevant digital content such as music, videos, apps and ebooks with just one click".

The app works across both free-to-air and pay TV, and it can be found via the iTunes Store, Google Play and zeebox.com.