Translations:Fernbedienungen/3/en

The first German remote control was launched on the market in 1956. The “Zauberschalter” (magic switch) from Tonfunk was used to switch the accompanying radio on and off remotely. Just how special this technical innovation was for users at the time is clear even from the name. Users in the U.S. adopted a somewhat different slant, however. “Space Commander” or also “Lazy Bones” were the names of the first remote controls for televisions produced there. The name was particularly telling in the case of the “Space Commander” remote control. To activate the TV, a light beam had to be directed at a sensor on the TV. The only problem was that any light beam would activate the sensor, including direct sunlight, for example.