I can’t get used to it: on the Canalsatellite remote, the on/off switch is at the exact opposite from its standard location. Every night when I turn of the TV, stereo and sat decoder in sequence, I have to use my brain in order to find the button on each remote, because the Canalsatellite one throws me off. I sure enjoy using my brain, but not when I’m sleepy enough to let go of all my beautiful, shiny CRTs. And the whole basis of ergonomics, if you don’t already know, is that an object that makes you use your brain is inherently poorly designed.

Trouble is, it makes perfect sense to put the on/off button where they did: you don’t use it much (twice a day on average), and as soon as you hold a remote in your hand you understand that the buttons you use most should be placed on the top — particularly now that remotes get miniaturized and there isn’t a large, heavy blank space at the bottom to account for battery placement. But then, why is Canalsatellite the only one doing this? And why did they also put the “mute” button there, making it hard to access even though that’s the one emergency button?