Remembering Eugene Polley and his Flash-Matic remote (photos)

The inventor of the first television remote control passed away earlier this week. Here's a look back at his groundbreaking device.Working for Zenith in the early 1950s, Eugene Polley's Flash-Matic early-era remote control was seen as an almost magical device. The futuristic ray-gun shot a beam of light at photo receptors located at the four corners of the television screen, giving TV viewers the ability to change channels and turn on and off the picture and sound for the first time without leaving their seat.



On Sunday, the wireless innovator passed away at the age of 96.



This advertisement is for the 1955 Zenith Flash-Matic Tuning, the first wireless remote. Touting the ability to turn off "annoying commercials" with the the futuristic beam of light, Zenith's ad says "You have to see it to believe it!" [Read more]



via CNET http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cnet/NnTv/~3/eTocYpALeUQ/2300-11386_3-10012385.html