Well, reading all the answers makes me realize that there might have been a kind of evolution when it comes to TV remotes. I just didn’t come across back lit remotes when I saw them with people in my social circle. Maybe my people just don’t have the latest TV set.

Neat.

The thing that bothers me whenever I see a TV remote is that there doesn’t seem to be a remote control with illuminated keys, like on a computer keyboard. That way you can see the buttons even under dim lit conditions. Also, why aren’t there any remotes with a built-in battery that could be charged like a smartphone?

I don’t own a TV, but I know that back in the days of bulky CRT TV’s there were some remotes that could be iluminated. White LEDs weren’t a thing back then, so they used incandescent lamps which drained the 9V battery fast.

Why aren’t back llit and rechargeable TV remotes a thing today, especially because white LED’s and batteries are quite efficient today?

I think it is important to have cash as a backup.

A couple of years ago there were some issues with card reading terminals in Germany. Due to a faulty security certificate these card reading terminals were not operational for about a whole month. Many stores were affected, because they almost all use ones from the same manufacturer. The only reason why it wasn’t such a big deal was that people were carrying cash around anyway and were able to switch the method of payment easily. Having cash worked as a backup.

When you are out of porn credits before the end of the month, you can go to the good ol’ simulator: