Zenith Space Command: Unboxing a Mystery
Linked by Thom Holwerda on Tue 15th May 2007 17:37 UTC
Geek stuff, sci-fi... "Ever since the remote control's co-inventor Robert Adler passed away [in March], I've wanted to own one of the first remote controls. After trolling through eBay every now and then, I finally have in my hands a piece of the history of the button. But there's a mystery: which piece?" Entertainingly written piece on the world's first remote controls. I totally enjoy the simplicity of the ultrasonic remote: "All these early remotes are purely mechanical. No batteries at all. When you push the button, a small hammer strikes an aluminum rod, triggering a sound above our hearing range that's picked up by the TV. Each rod is a different length, thus a different frequency, thus distinguishable by the TV." Brilliant.
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RE[3]: Magic
by sbergman27 on Tue 15th May 2007 21:05 UTC in reply to "RE[2]: Magic"
sbergman27
Member since:
2005-07-24

"""
That's not a security exploit, it's a useful feature ;) It could prove useful if, for example, someone else of your family is holding the remote controller and you don't like the channel and program he's watching...
"""

During the 70's and 80's I would have agreed. But in this spyware and virus infested world, can you imagine the effect of such an exploit upon, say, the incidence of tinnitus? ;-P

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