Inventor of the Zenith remote control Eugene Polley. Photo / AP
With the news that the inventor of the remote control, Eugene Polley, has died, couch potatoes around the globe have mourned his passing.
The 96-year-old's death was announced by the Zenith Electronics Corporation, for which Polley began his career in the stockroom before moving into engineering and eventually inventing the
device, called the Flash-Matic, in 1955, which worked by pointing light at photo cells in the corners of the screen, activating the picture and sound and changing channels. And though these days it's not uncommon to spy numerous remote controls on a coffee table (the average household has four), at the time, Polley's gun-like appliance was revolutionary.
"A flash of magic light from across the room (no wires, no cords) turns set on, off, or changes channels ... and you remain in your easychair!" proclaimed the original ad.
"You can also shut off long, annoying commercials while picture remains on screen! You have to see it to believe it."
Although it may be the cause of countless domestic disputes, the remote control has also transformed the lives of the elderly and those with disabilities. And the idea of Sky would be inconceivable without such a device.
