these started flashing in 1955 and continues flashing today

Hello.

Wireless TV remote controls started flashing in 1955 and continue
flashing today. The Flashmatic, a photoelectric remote control, was
invented in 1955 by Eugene Polley of Zenith.

From the web site Ideafinder.com:
"Zenith engineer Eugene Polley invented the 'Flashmatic,' which
represented the industry's first wireless TV remote. Introduced in
1955, Flashmatic operated by means of four photo cells, one in each
corner of the TV cabinet around the screen."
http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/story061.htm

From a Zenith advertisement on Vintagetvsets.com:
"A flash of magic light from across the room (no wires, no cords)
turns set on, off, or changes channels..."
http://www.vintagetvsets.com/flash.htm

Today's remote controls flash pulses of infrared light to a
photodector.
See the article, "TV remote turns 50" by Michael Stroh of the
Baltimore Sun, on the web page of the Cincinnati Enquirer:
http://enquirer.com/editions/2000/12/04/tem_tv_remote_turns_50.html

search strategy: "invented in 1955", flashmatic, flash-matic

I hope this helps.

---

Clarification of Answer by juggler-ga on 11 Sep 2002 11:27 PDT

Sorry for the typo. It should have been:

"... to a photodetector."

Dear PWS,

It was around that time that road vehicles started using flashing
direction indicators in place of the earlier semaphore ones (or just
hand signals).  The flashing variety became legal in the United
Kingdom, for example, on 1 January 1954.

That's my guess.

Carnegie.

Carnegie:

Flashing directional signals for automobiles were invented in 1920.
They were first offered as an option by General Motors' Buick division
in 1938.
See the web page: "History of the Automobile - Accessories"
http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Lot/3248/hist11.htm