Have you ever been unable to find the TV remote?  My wife and I have
been tossing around the idea of designing and marketing one that makes
a sound when you clap, or make some other noise.  Has anyone tried
this before?  If so, have they been a success?  What do they sell for?
Can I go to Radio Shack to build a crude prototype? I am looking for a
brief, general discussion on the whole idea, perhaps 5 to 10
paragraphs.

Several years ago, my husband tried a device that was marketed as a
key finder. You'd clap or whistle, and it would beep so that you could
locate your keys. The problem we encountered was that when the keys
were misplaced, there were often things on top of them (magazines,
business folders, cats, and such). This kind of device works best if
the lost item is lying out in plain sight. But, of course, if the lost
thing is in plain sight, it is easy to find in the first place. Sigh.

This might interest you:

http://www.keyringer.com/remote-control-finder.html

Wives are notorious for hiding Remotes DELIBERATELY to prevent their
Lord and Master from having his way.

Rest assured that, whatever you invent, it is unlikely to be wife-proof.

(They are very clever devils.)

Thanks for the input, pinkfreud-ga.  Clearly, there's alot of thought
and planning that must go into any potential invention.