Once upon a time there was only one TV per household and that device had a "clicker" that you'd use to change channels. For years, this had been enough to satisfy a family but then the VCR was introduced and another remote was introduced to stem the thought of ever having to get up from the couch again. As more devices were introduced to the living room, a new remote control would often accompany it and universal remote controls were invented. These masters of their domain control everything from the TV to the sound system

As the universal remote control has evolved, so too has the $1 billion industry and they're poised to hit revenues of up to $2 billion in 2012 and that sounds like a lot of money to me. According to a report from Parks Associates, the trends that are driving this growth include more content options, more devices and an increased desire to simplify usage of multiple electronic products. It's the higher end universal remotes that are causing the excitement though and with remotes such as the Harmon Kardon TC30 and Logitech Harmony on the market, it's easy to see why. The report goes on to say that competition and innovation from companies such as Philips, Crestron and others will lead to a further evolution of universal remotes for categories beyond entertainment such as lighting and energy.

This all sounds good to me but at the end of the day I still have to get up to fetch a drink; or do I?