From the fringes comes this idea – a universal remote control with just one button. That one button transmits the ‘off’ command for most TV brands. Thus, the tiny TV-B-Gone becomes the way to turn off annoying TVs in any bar, club or office.

Now that infra-red remote controls are so common, it makes sense that one device should be able to control them all. For a while a my favourite student radio station had the slogan – Kill Your Television. Now you can.