Today’s remotes still carry its DNA

The Original Remote That Made You Feel Like a Space Commander

Before Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and “Hey Siri,” there was this: the Zenith Space Command. A handheld block of chrome authority that let you change the channel with the satisfying click! of ultrasonic power.

It didn’t need batteries. It didn’t need pairing. It just needed you — and maybe a little wrist strength. Push a button, a hidden metal rod would ding, and your TV would obey… or your dog would tilt its head in confusion.

BuzzFeed’s list of “Ten Inventions That Never Died” nailed it. The Space Command never really vanished — it just evolved. Today’s remotes still carry its DNA, though they’ve traded solid metal for plastic, sound waves for infrared, and dignity for “Are you still watching?”

Somewhere out there, a Zenith engineer from 1956 is looking at your smart remote, whispering, “You call that progress?”

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Zenith Space Command remote control, one of the earliest wireless TV remotes, introduced in the 1950s.

It didn’t use infrared or radio waves like modern remotes. Instead, it worked ultrasonically: each metal button struck a tuned aluminum rod inside, producing a unique high-frequency tone that the TV’s receiver interpreted as a command (power, channel up/down, volume, etc.).

They were solid and heavy, often made of metal, and didn’t need batteries — a remarkable bit of mid-century engineering.

WE&P by: EZorrillaMc&Co.