Remote Control Viewing

The reliable TV remote control, a crucial labor saving device for couch potatoes, was unveiled this month 60 years ago. Robert Adler of the Zenith Corporation received a patent for a mechanical unit that used a striker and four small aluminum chimes to generate ultrasound. The ultrasounds controlled on and off, and channel and sound up and down. There had been remotes before, but they were attached to the receiver by a long, unsightly cord. Adler’s remote eventually incorporated electronically generated ultrasound and was in use until the early 1980s. Today’s remote controls use infrared technology to operate the nation’s television sets, sold in 36,000 appliance, TV and electronics stores across the country.

You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online here.

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