"TV gadget man dies," says the headline in the Times, although it doesn't quite do Eugene Polley justice. Polley, the paper explains, invented the television remote control. "The Flash-Matic, made by Zenith Electronics, was introduced in 1955," says the paper. Polley, who has died aged 96, and another Zenith engineer were rewarded with an Emmy for their efforts. Remotely, as it turned out – they didn't get them until 1997.
