The Flash-Matic was followed by several other light-based TV remotes, including Zenith's Space Command and RCA's Theoplane Remote Control. These remotes improved on the design of the Flash-Matic by adding buttons for additional functions like turning on/off and muting the sound. However, they still used light beams to change the channel, which meant that you had to aim them directly at the TV receiver.

Finally, in 1955, Zenith introduced its Logitech Harmony universal remote control—the first remote that didn't use light beams to change channels. Instead, it used ultrasonic sound waves that were outside of human hearing range. This allowed users to aim the remote anywhere in the room and still change channels. The Logitech Harmony was an instant hit, and it quickly became THE standard for TV remotes.

We've all been there. You're settled in for a cozy night of Netflix bingeing, but you can't find the remote. So you get up, search around for a bit, and finally give up. You resign yourself to watching whatever's on the TV, even though it's not really what you wanted. But it wasn't always like this. There was a time when finding the TV remote meant getting up off the couch and changing the channel manually. That all changed with the first TV remote. Let's take a look at how this simple invention changed the world as we know it.

Invented in 1950 by Eugene Polley, the first TV remote was called the Flash-Matic. It used beams of light to change the channel and adjust the volume. It was a mirror Image technology, which meant that you had to point the remote directly at the TV. But it was a vast improvement over having to get up every time you wanted to change the channel.