Twenty-five years of unhealthily heavy computer use have seen to my being exceptionally short-sighted, so much so that without glasses or lenses, I would struggle to make out the digits on a nearby clock. My solution to this has been to keep my cellphone within reach, but the idea of this sheet/clock has me hoping that one day I may no longer need to. Think about it, a clock incorporated into a mattress that would let you feel the time.
How does it work? The sheet has a special pocket that holds the clock, which is largely constructed of silicone. The heavy lifting comes via slats of EPS “(electroactive polymer, used for artificial muscles).” When zapped with electricity the relevant slats expand to show the time.
With a stunning Russian-made vacuum tube as its centerpiece, the Ice Cube Clock Kit from the Maker Shed looks like a fun project for the holiday season. There are only 25 in stock, but the folks at the shed do aim on getting some more in, so if you miss out it is not the end of the world.
Cool glowing blue tube with 8 digits, PM dot and alarm on/off indicator
Adjustable brightness
Alarm with volume adjust
Precision watch crystal keeps time with under 20ppm (0.0002%) error (less than 2 seconds a day)
Clear acrylic enclosure protects clock from you and you from clock
Battery backup will let the clock keep the time for up to 2 weeks without power
Selectable 12h or 24h display
Displays day and date on button press
10 minute snooze
Integrated boost converter so it can run off of standard DC wall adapters, works in any country regardless of mains power
Great for desk or night table use, the clock measures 4.9″ x 2.9″ x 1.3″ (12.5cm x 7.4cm x 3.3cm)
Completely open source hardware and software, ready to be hacked and modded!
Whether or not these sterling silver watch movement cufflinks are “steampunk” or not is up for debate, but they look pretty cool.
They would be infinitely cooler if the cannibalized Swiss watch movements actually moved, but then they would probably cost significantly more than the $60 that Etsy seller qacreate is charging.
If you have trouble waking up in the morning and getting up is more important than your hearing, then I definitely recommend following this guy’s lead. [Oh Gizmo!]
The idea of the IXP3 Messaging clock is interesting enough. It is a clock that you plug into a router and which you can use to display messages from friends or family from afar.
The messages can be sent via either email or the product website, and are instantly projected from the clock. It can store and scroll through multiple messages. Everything that it does is pretty cool, but it falls well short of being enough to make its usefulness and novelty outweigh the inconvenience of flipping open my laptop; but maybe that’s just me.
Price: About $120 [Red Ferret]
