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When the Alarm Clock Runs and Hides
bbbbryan writes to tell us about the commercialization of the elusive alarm clock prototyped at the MIT Media Lab a couple of years back. This alarm clock actually runs, hides from you, and beeps to ensure that you'll be awake enough not to go back to sleep by the time you find it and get it shut up. Detroit News has a writeup on the device, which you can buy from the inventor's site for $50.
1. Buy a set of speakers (nothing fancy needed here, standard shitty stereo speakers are fine). If you already have one, skip to step 2. /., you have one if it responds to ping) and set desired alarm.
2. Note that the on/off/volume knob is on precisely one of the two speakers, not both. Put this speaker FAR away from your bed. Put the one without the knob near you as you sleep.
3. Connect speakers to computer (this is
4. Sleep.
In the morning, once you figure out that pummeling the speaker next to you won't do you any good, you will have to get up and fix the problem at the other end of the room. Added bonus: the damned thing doesn't have to be loud since it is near you.
Maybe I should put this on my site for $60...
Yep, best alarm clock there is; children. But only on Saturday and Sunday mornings.
Adventure, Romance, MAD SCIENCE!
You noticed that too, eh? The thing does spend an inordinate amount of time repeatedly bumping into walls. That thing wouldn't get far in my house either. It'd just get caught on all the clothes on the floor and I'd end up stepping on it. I'll stick with my usual MO. Hit the snooze for 40 minutes and get up 10 minutes before I'm supposed to leave for work, take 10 minutes to get ready and somehow show up 15 minutes late. The boss once called me on it. I replied "Well, OK I can show up on time, but I'll leave at 5 sharp like everyone else around here.". Never heard about it again.
IT has its perks. I doubt I could be such a slovenly bastard in any other position.
-R
In our room it would fall straight into a pile of clothing and stay there. This will be great for the sorts of people who have a hard time getting up but somehow manage to keep their bedrooms 100% tidy, but I suspect that the intersection of those two sets is small.
Xenu loves you!
Don't put your alarm clock next to your bed, but at the other end of the room. But of course, useless gadgets are cool.
It is news because now you can buy one.
But it would have required you to actually read the thing instead of immediately switching to the "you suck this is old news I've seen this 50 years ago" mode.
Actually cats make pretty good alarm clocks. My one wakes up early, about 5:45am, and very consistently. There is nothing harsh about the wakeup, either. I just gradually become aware that it's moving around and licking itself. And I have to get up, to let it go outside. Pleasant way to wake up.
With a name like yours I can see why!
Bha, talk about over-engineered. All you have to do is make a blinking cartoon character giving you the finger and you'll be accused of being a terrorist.