Device Makes World Quieter, More Irritating

I recently read an article about a new universal remote key-chain fob that enables you to turn off any television:

Altman’s key-chain fob was a TV-B-Gone, a new universal remote that turns off almost any television. The device, which looks like an automobile remote, has just one button. When activated, it spends over a minute flashing out 209 different codes to turn off televisions, the most popular brands first.

If you listen to Steve Wozniak’s keynote from Gnomedex, you’ll see that he had a similar prank going on in the mid-seventies.