CELEBRATE REMOTE CONTROL ANNIVERSARY
CELEBRATE REMOTE CONTROL ANNIVERSARY
SAN FRANCISCO (Wireless Flash) – Tomorrow (June 7) is an important day for couch potatoes: It’s the 45th anniversary of the marketing of the first TV remote control. On June 6, 1956, a remote control known as the “Zenith Space Commander” made its official debut in stores. Although TV remote controls have been standard since the early ’80s, not everyone is happy. In fact, one San Francisco-based environmentalist blames the device for the current energy crisis. Gar Smith claims for the last 20 years, remote control color TVs have used up the same amount of energy as the juice produced by 22 nuclear power plants. He says the best way folks can celebrate the remote anniversary is to throw the remote away and turn on their TV the old-fashioned way – by hand.