The inventor of the television remote control has passed away at the age of 96. The Associated Press news agency reported that Eugene J. Polley died of natural causes on Sunday. His creation is one of today's most commonly used and ubiquitous devices. Mr Polley worked as an engineer for a company called Zenith, now part of Korea's LG Electronics. He introduced his gun-shaped remote control, called the Flash-Matic, in 1955. It was one of 18 patents he owned. The Flash-Matic used light to turn the TV on and off, adjust the volume and change channels. His invention was followed up five years later by fellow Zenith engineer Robert Adler, who used ultrasound instead of light. Today's remote controls use infrared light. Polley worked for Zenith for 47 years and held some top technology posts. In 1997, the USA's National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences honoured him by awarding him with an Emmy Award for 'Pioneering Development of Wireless Remote Controls for Consumer Television.' Polley's invention is something we all take for granted nowadays. Generations of people have grown up not knowing that before remote controls, people actually had to leave the sofa and push a button or turn a dial to change their TV settings. Today we use remotes for everything from adjusting the brightness of lights to changing songs on our iPods to opening the garage door from 30 metres. Life would be quite different without this handy gadget.

Iran has expressed its anger and dissatisfaction with Google after the name 'Persian Gulf' disappeared from Google Maps. Iran is threatening to sue Google and take other measures that will result in "serious damages" if the search engine giant does not reinstate the name on its maps. Google's action means the body of water between Iran and several Arab states is now nameless. Iran's Foreign Minister, Ramin Mehmanparast, said: "We have put it on our agenda to make an official complaint." He said it was "Google's shameless act to drop the name 'Persian Gulf'". He added that: "Omitting the name 'Persian Gulf' is akin to playing with the feelings and realities of the Iranian people."

The name of the waterway has caused friction between Iran and its Arab neighbours for decades. The Arab states of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait also have coastlines that border the gulf. Iran says the gulf has been known as the 'Persian Gulf' for centuries. A 2004 website aimed at Internet surfers searching for 'Arabian Gulf' says: "The gulf you are looking for is unavailable. No body of water by that name has ever existed. The correct name is Persian Gulf, which always has been, and will always remain, Persian." In 2010, Iran said it would ban airlines using the term 'Arabian Gulf' from its airspace. Google rejected Iran's claims, saying it had never named the waterway.