webfact Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 Inventor of TV remote control dies at age 96 CHICAGO: -- TV watchers may want to hit the mute button for a moment of silence. The man who invented the remote control has died at the age of 96, the Chicago Sun Times reported Tuesday. Eugene "Gene" Polley died Sunday in a Chicago hospital. Polley invented the first wireless TV remote control in 1955 while working as an engineer for Zenith Electronic in Chicago. He received a 2,000-dollar bonus for his historic innovation, but later earned an Emmy award in 1997 for his contributions to television. The company marketed the device as the Flash-Matic. "A flash of magic light from across the room turns set on, off or changes channels," a company advertisement said. "And you remain in your easy chair!" The device only worked with Zenith’s Flash-Matic TV, using a light beam that controlled photo cells in each corner of the TV. Historians credit the device with paving the way for TVs with hundreds of channels. They also note that the Flash-Matic had another innovative feature that just as many people might be grateful for: a mute button that allows users to turn off the sound during commercials. -- The Nation 2012-05-23 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post mca Posted May 23, 2012 Popular Post Share Posted May 23, 2012 RIP from lazy arse couch potato bastards everywhere including myself. But surely all they had to do to keep him alive would have been to open his back, remove the batteries, put the batteries back in after a few seconds and he'd be on his feet again. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
koheesti Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 (edited) When I was a kid I was the remote control. I'd have to stand next to the TV while my dad would give his commands, "Next. Next. Wait. Go Back....". Thankfully we only had three channels but in those days you had to click around the UHF & VHF dials to find them. Edited May 23, 2012 by koheesti Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Credo Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 It's amazing how we overlook these little things. I mean think of how big the dial wold need to be for 100+ channels! RIP to someone who made our lives a little easier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Payboy Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 I mean think of how big the dial wold need to be for 100+ channels! Two push buttons would have done the trick if they were ever invented. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckd Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 Mr. Polley has probably saved me from walking 10,000 miles in my lifetime. RIP and thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
softgeorge Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 Mr. Polley has probably saved me from walking 10,000 miles in my lifetime. RIP and thanks. A few beers, a pizza and the remote what more is there to life. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianCR Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 Mr. Polley has probably saved me from walking 10,000 miles in my lifetime. RIP and thanks. A few beers, a pizza and the remote what more is there to life. A TV to go with them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckd Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 Mr. Polley has probably saved me from walking 10,000 miles in my lifetime. RIP and thanks. A few beers, a pizza and the remote what more is there to life. A TV to go with them? ...and somebody to get the beers and pizza for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
koheesti Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 Advertisers are probably the only ones popping the champagne cork over this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chooka Posted May 24, 2012 Share Posted May 24, 2012 (edited) Mr. Polley has probably saved me from walking 10,000 miles in my lifetime. RIP and thanks. A few beers, a pizza and the remote what more is there to life. A TV to go with them? ...and somebody to get the beers and pizza for you. You get one of these which comes with a remote as well. Edited May 24, 2012 by chooka 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chopper Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 But surely all they had to do to keep him alive would have been to open his back, remove the batteries, put the batteries back in after a few seconds and he'd be on his feet again. ...Or bang him against the coffee table a few times. Apparently his coffin lid has gone missing. So they've had to sellotape him in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaddeus Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 Mr. Polley has probably saved me from walking 10,000 miles in my lifetime. RIP and thanks. A few beers, a pizza and the remote what more is there to life. Deep Vein Thrombosis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siftasam Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 Eugene Polley? Never heard of him. I always thought the remote control was the work of Frank Zapper. Wasn't that why he was called the 'Mother of Invention"? (or the Mothersomething of Invention?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
how241 Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 He was way ahead of his time. R.I.P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulyd2k Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 yes they found his body down the side of the settee,lol 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckd Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 At least the dog didn't carry it off and chew on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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