Gizmodo: Clock

Desk Clock Plays Life, Counts Yours One Second at a Time

jesusdiaz — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 08:00:00 EDT

I like this Life Clock. What makes it for me is not the fact that you can do it yourself using Arduino components—the open-source electronics prototyping platform—or that it can tell you the temperature and play Conway's life on its own. No, what makes it all come together is the simple wood design and the use of 60s sci-fi spaceship computer lights. [Make]

Digimech Clock Does Digital the Old-Fashioned Mechanical Way

Kit Eaton — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 06:54:00 EDT

The Di Grisogono Meccanica mechano-digital watch is indeed amazing, but I'm almost as impressed with Duncan Shotton's Digimech clock (maybe it's because it looks like I could afford it). The UK designer has crafted another take on mechanical-digital timepieces, with sliding black-patterned bars that comprise the individual seven-segment displays. And actually, that description does nothing for the gizmo—you should check out the video to see it in action.

Driven by servos controlled by a PIC16F628 microcontroller, the numeral bars drop back under gravity when the final digits have been displayed. The clock carefully aligns the patterns when it's time, so the display looks a little funky from time to time. I want one, badly: it'll go well with my attempt at an all-digital apartment. [Duncan Shotton via Notcot via Technabob]

Get Around the Time with Lexon Around Clock

Kit Eaton — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 09:00:00 EDT

Minimalist clocks pop up from time to time, and while sometimes they're just good enough for you to know it's "three-ish," the Around clock can actually let you know it's "three fifteenish." It's about as simple design as you can get: with a rotating dial and a red wire that tells you the time. From Lexon, it's available for $45. And you can't get that tune out of your head now can you? Round round get around.... [Acquire]

Son Gets Steampunk Clock As Wedding Present From Dad

Elaine Chow — Sat, 31 May 2008 10:00:00 EDT

In a story sure to melt the gears in our brass-and-copper hearts, one steampunk fan toiled for weeks in his workshop in order to present his son with an intricate walnut clock as a wedding present. The best thing is, the son had been the one to introduce him to steampunk in the first place. The dad-humor in the note that came with the present puts an "aw shucks" smile on my face.

Congratulations, you are now the owner of a one of a kind two-faced clock by Diversified Artistic Designs (D.A.D.). The clock's energy is supplied by a state of the art dilithium crystal power generator. If you wish to order the accessory hub and adaptor cable, the generator can be modified to power your home as well as all of the cities in your hemisphere. (Parts not included. Contact your service center for details.)

To activate the dilithium power generator and set the clock, remove the large brass knobs and lift off the top. Caution, the generator itself is not a serviceable part. Do not remove the small brass nuts on top of the clock. If for any reason the power containment unit should become damaged or compromised in any way we recommend that you evacuate immediately, preferably to an alternate universe.

Father's Day is just two weeks away, kids! Maybe you ought to share with him one of your fascinations and see where he runs with it. [Steampunk Workshop via UberReview]

Lightning Review: Aluratek Wi-Fi Internet Radio Alarm Clock

matt buchanan — Wed, 07 May 2008 20:00:00 EDT

The Gadget: A Wi-Fi internet radio alarm clock from Aluratek, with over 11,000 free stations worldwide.

The Price: $199.

The Verdict: I actually like this thing a lot despite its laundry list of flaws—it's a bread-and-butter gadget that mostly works as advertised. It's got more radio stations than you could possibly ever listen to, from a good portion of the United Nations and organized into a bunch of different genres. Whether or not you want it basically comes down to how much you love radio, and if having thousands of stations on your alarm clock makes you tingly.

Here's what I dug: You can use any radio station (internet or otherwise) as your alarm. Bookmarks for your favorites, a necessity. The stations are about as well organized as you can hope for in cataloging thousands of them, and you can sort them by genre or location. Setup is simple, even without instructions. The sound and size aren't bad, though the bass could be a bit punchier. And I just like the concept of the thing—the core internet radio functionality works really well, above all.

Not groovy: The screen and UI are ugly, straight out of the early '90s. A significant issue is that the Wi-Fi receiver is weak—my DD-WRT router blasts the signal at 85mW, and on the other side of my apartment (which is by no means cavernous) two rooms away, I only got two bars. In a larger pad, this will be a problem. It lost service occasionally, requiring a reboot. And I never could get it to sync up with Windows Media Player, even though it saw my computer, and my computer saw it. Given these issues, $199 is just way too much, as much as I like this thing's soul. [Aluratek]

DIY Clock is Ultimate Minimalist Analog Clock for Creative Types

Kit Eaton — Fri, 02 May 2008 05:17:47 EDT

Whatever it may look like, designer Bomi Kim has not invented a different kind of time-delay sex toy: his "Meaning of time" is actually a DIY clock. In fact, it's about as minimalist a clock concept as you'll ever see. The body contains the mechanism, and has holes for you to stick hands into. Stick in anything, stick in sticks if you like, then use the spike to stick it up somewhere. Complete freedom of creative expression, and rather clever we think. It's just a concept, for now. [Yanko design]

Matchstick Clock Spells Out The Hours But Can't Tell Time

Jack Loftus — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 15:00:00 EDT

Christiaan Postma's morphing, malleable matchstick clock is pretty amazing, though a tad flawed. A portion of the 150 white lines plastered about the clock's 160 cm by 160 cm face form a word corresponding to the hour of the day. If it's three o' clock, the area where the number three appears on a typical clock would read "three." As four o' clock approaches, "three" disassembles and "four" slowly takes shape. There is one omission that could be painful if you're trying to use it to, well, to tell time. See a time lapse photo of shifty clock in action and the reason for its failings after the jump.

Do you see the glaring issue with this shape-shifting timepiece yet? That's right, this "clock" doesn't have a minute hand. Another minor quibble: The immature among us can't rearrange the matchsticks into funny words, like "poop," "grundle," or "redrum," for example. [Christiaan Postma via Design Milk]

Icon Clock Merges Design With Telling Time

Jason Chen — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 21:10:00 EDT

We've got plenty of clocks around our home, but none of them are as minimal or as stylish as this Icon Clock. Each clock comes in all of one shade (but there are many colors to choose from) and feature two tongue depressor-ish hands. That's it. Pick the color that matches your motif and decorate away. Here's a secret to interior design from us. Let someone (not you) who doesn't think adding an iPod dock to a room will improve the ambiance. [GNR8 via Better Living Through Design via DVICE]

Racing Rim Camera Is Clock, Spy Cam, MP4 Player, Impossibly Fugly

AddyDugdale — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 09:30:00 EDT

I'm not quite sure I've got this right, but this here thingy is a remote-controlled clock-MP4 player-hidden camera. Apparently it's a product that can be used for "any purpose you can think of, without anyone ever being the wiser." ¿Qué? The built-in camera is PAL and NTSC-compatible, there is 128MB of flash memory, as well as an SD card slot and USB 2.0.

Even the girl in the pic is looking confused. The Tire-Clock-Camera-MP4-player combo is $217. Yeah, still baffled here. [ChinaVision Techpin]

New Puzzle Alarm Clock Tests Your Early AM IQ

Wilson Rothman — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 09:30:00 EDT

At the moment you wake up, how smart are you? If you're like me, your answer is "not very." Which is why I hate some jerk for teasing me with this IQ-test alarm clock. We've seen puzzle alarm clocks before, but none that try your cognitive skills in this manner when all you wanted to do was sleep in for another two hours. Then again, how smart can you possibly be if you take the time to insert yellow triangle, red star and green hexagon in their proper niches instead of simply hurling the base across the room until it goes "crack"? [Urban Trend] Thanks Gina!

Rubiks Cube Alarm Clock Puts a Twist Into Telling Time

Sean Fallon — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 21:30:00 EDT

If this were just a simple clock shaped like a Rubiks Cube it would be cool. Throw in the ability to twist the top row to switch between time, temperature, alarm and date modes and it becomes awesome. Plus, it is priced at an affordable $24.98 and you never have to endure the shame of being unable to solve it. [What on Earth via GeekAlerts]

6.5-foot Nendo Kazadokei Is Son of Clock and Wind Turbine

jesusdiaz — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 07:24:11 EDT

Standing 6.5 feet tall, the Nendo Kazadokei is a clock with a second hand that measures almost 5 feet on its own. It just stands there, quietly moving its arms, waiting patiently to sever any innocent passerby's head or scoop out an eye from their skull. See it standing up in all its majesty after the jump.

The Kazadokei is made by One Percent products, so only 100 units will be produced at probably some insane price. [Dezeen]

Bulbdial Clock Sundial Concept Makes a Lot of Sense

Jason Chen — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 12:00:00 EDT

David from Ironic Sans came up with this Bulbdial clock, a marriage of lamps and sundials that makes an incredible amount of sense to us. It's not real in the sense that your mortgage is real, but it is a nice design that takes the best of electricity and the best of shadows and makes something we'd definitely buy. The only problem is that it doesn't work in direct sunlight, which kinda makes this the complete opposite of a sundial. [Ironic Sans via MAKE]

Cuckinetic Clock Tells Time Rube Goldberg-Style

Kit Eaton — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 10:45:02 EDT

I'm always fascinated by kinetic sculptures, which is why I like this clock by painter and sculptor George Rhodes. You tell the hours from the numbered cylinders that're picked up on that wheel, and the minutes from the pointer arm. It strikes the hours when the cylinder rolls down the track and hits a bell. I'd love to see it in action, but since it's a limited edition of 50, costing $4,000, there's not much chance of that. If you do bag one of these 17-pound creations, it's signed by the artist himself. [George Rhodes via BBGadgets]

Tear a Page One Day At a Time

Christopher Mascari — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 20:18:27 EDT

Here's a nifty idea. Take a Page-A-Day Calendar, bore a hole in the middle and place a clock in it. That's basically what designer Henk Stallinga did when constructing this Clock Calendar. With 365 pages we would suggest that if anyone were to start using this thing, start sometime around January to avoid a massive page rip off. [apartment therapy]

Beautiful Times Clock: Because Ugly Times are Uncivilized

Sean Fallon — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 20:30:13 EDT

I think most will agree that Yassir Ballemans "Beautiful Times" clock is, in fact, beautiful. To be quite honest, that would have been enough. However, Ballmans took it a ridiculous step further by programing the clock to only display the times that he finds attractive.

According to the project page, "the categories are mirroring (22:55), repeating (7:07), up- or countdown (12:34 or 5:43) and turning around (6:09)"—whatever that means. Basically, this functionality renders it useless as an actual clock, but makes it a somewhat interesting piece of art. Too bad...there would probably have been some money in producing a working version. [VVork via DVICE]

Bonsai Gear Clock: Decorate Your Desk With Naked Cogs

Kit Eaton — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 12:15:51 EDT

The cutest design feature of the Bonsai Gear Clock is its naked gear wheels, rather than its kinda, maybe similarity in shape to a bonsai tree. With plastic gears and a wooden base, it's surely lower maintenance than a real bonsai tree, and watching those gears go slowly round is possibly more interesting than watching tiny leaves sprout. At least in the short term, because a tree really grows and all this is going to do is spin. Still, if you're into strange clocks as desk decoration it's available for $100. [VisionCoax via Gearfuse]

Lifetime Clock Measures in Years

Jason Chen — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 16:00:54 EDT

There's nothing more depressing than seeing your entire lifespan condensed down into something as small and contained as a clock. Can we really measure a lifetime's worth of accomplishments (dick jokes) in a clock that ticks years instead of hours? Perhaps. Perhaps not. All we know is that this clock makes it easy to tell your family that your birthday's coming up soon (slyly gesture towards the clock). That, and our flu medication is really kicking in, so we'd better take care of ourselves if we ever expect to make it past 9 o'clock. [Life Clock via Szymon Blaszczyk via Technabob via Geekkologie]

Digital/Analog Clock Does Digital Time with Physical Display

Kit Eaton — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 06:19:30 EDT

Design student Alvin Aronson has rethought our interaction with digital timepieces by making a robotic LED/LCD display, with parts that slide in and out to form numerals. So, really its more a "physical digital" clock, rather than properly analog, but you get the point. Once you see the video of it gently transitioning its display between two time states, you'll be just as filled with gadget lust as we are.

Alvin apparently built his one-off mashup device from Corian and wood, using custom electronics to drive those digital segments with servos. Awesome, isn't it? The only issue we foresee is that you'd get so captivated by the slow zen-like time changes that you'd watch the clock, rather than get on with whatever it was you should be doing. [Vvork via Technabob]

USB Card Reader Squeezes in a Thermometer and Digital Clock Too

Kit Eaton — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 10:00:30 EST

This gadget from Polar is a multifunction card reader that distinguishes itself from all the others with a dust-proof sliding lid and a built-in clock (wow!) and thermometer. It is an analog thermometer, but what the heck: everything else is digital nowadays, so its nice to see some cheapo mashup analogness. The reader supports SD, MMC, T-Flash and MemorySticks of all varieties, is USB 2.0 for speed, and if its triangular goodness appeals to you, you can find it in black, white and orange for $15. [USBGeek]

Hasbro Room Tech Clock Wirelessly Wakes the Lamps in Your Room

Haroon Malik — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 04:55:00 EST

Hasbro's Room Tech Clock, which looks like a mix between an iPod and a Goomba, is an alarm clock with a wireless link to the shroom-shaped Room Tech Lamp. When the alarm goes off, two things happen; the alarm clock will either stomp its fists on the table making an awful racket, play back the radio or pump out tunes from a connected MP3 player. Secondly, the Room Tech Lamp, which is styled like a shroom-Martian hybrid, will be activated, bringing illumination to your dank, dingy room.

The Room Tech Lamp has a touch sensitive domed head, which allows the user to turn the light on, as well as select from a variety of colors simply by touching it. Additionally, the lamp has a speaker built in that can be hooked up to your MP3 player. The Room Tech duo are due out in September and will retail for £39.99 ($79) each.

Given Gizmodo writers mostly work from their beds, the biggest chore in the morning is turning on the light; we're just too lazy to pull the blinds up. Frankly, how we got by without the Room Tech series is quite beyond us. We're already in line. [Pocket-lint]

About Time Clock Rolls Around Your Desk and Tells You the Hour

AddyDugdale — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 07:18:11 EST

For those of you who can't get their secretary to roll around their desk while telling you what time it is, SanderMulder's About Time clock might fit the bill. Despite the fact that it doesn't do other things that your PA might be able to do, such as make the tea, filter unwelcome calls, ~~and %4*& your #@*/~~ and type up your letters, the anodised aluminum unit has got a fabulously quirky way of revealing the time of day.

Written around the edge of the face are vague approximations of the time: So, if it's four-ish, you might want to put the kettle on; and if it's around nine then it's definitely time you went home. Dutch designers SanderMulder haven't put a price on the About Time, but it's available now. [SanderMuldervia 7Gadgets

CES 2008: Comprehensive Robot Roundup

Haroon Malik — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 02:00:00 EST

We had a wail of a time at CES 2008, but we were not the only ones. The various robots on display were also going nuts at the convention. We have rounded them all up in this excellent video, showing you the neat robotics that we thought were worthy of a video shout out. Hit the clip to see them in action, and then read on for a full breakdown of all the droids featured.

From first viewed to last viewed:

• Mr. Clock Radio by Geewiz Entertainment ($99.99), is primarily an alarm clock radio. However, it does have a line-in jack, making it usable as a personal speaker set. It also has some three-hundred different wake-up message (half are aggressive, half are charming), and a fun/pointless "fortune telling" mode. The price is a little steep for the basic tech it implements, (flashing lights, portable speakers and pre-recorded messages), but we can't help loving the guy for his fantastic witticisms. [Geewiz Entertainment]

• Comprehensive Robot Kit by Bioloid ($869.00), one of the most complete and versatile robotics kits we saw on display at CES '08. The Comprehensive Robot Kit is really a a super-glorified Lego kit. It comes with various robotic bits'n'bobs, including IrDA receivers for dual robot communication, microphones for sound detection, luminosity detectors, piezo-electric speakers, essential battery packs and a full software suite for programmable characteristics in your robot's behavior, all via your PC. At this price, the kit is strictly an educational tool or for serious enthusiasts. [Bioloid Comprehensive Kit]

• Wrex the Dawg by WowWee ($TBA), has three emotional modes (happy, sad and angry), 14-motors for movement and a remote control for general locomotion. Expected to ship this Spring; if Wrex's quirky styling does not have reaching for your wallet, perhaps his mechanized wagging tail will? [WowWee]

• Tribot by WowWee ($99.99), is the robot that will replace the much loved Robosapien. The Tribot comes pre-loaded with a series of games that rely on the user to position the bot in various different orientations, it has three wheels that allow it to have a wide range of movements, a motion sensing controller that allows for Wii-esque navigation and it will hit the shops this summer. [WowWee]

• iRobiQ by Yujin Robot has been doing the rounds since CES 2007. It is a home information service that is able to display the news, weather, cooking recipes, photos, videos and sing some karaoke if you get bored. All this information goodness is displayed on a 7-inch LCD screen, but the iRobiQ also accepts voice commands for various jobs, like sending images to a cellphone, ordering a room to be cleaned by pairing with a Roomba type device and even read books that are stored on its central server. The iRobiQ, at present, has no US distributor, so do not expect it to ship anytime soon. [Yujin Robot; Korean link, via Tech Digest]

• E1 by Roboware ($1,500), recognizes set voice commands via a Bluetooth headset, connects to your network to transmit pictures captured via the on board camera, which it can also display on its tiny LCD screen and boasts bi-pedal motion, generated by a ton of different joints. At present, it is not ready for shipping, as the engineers are working out the bugs in the system. The final model will come with a full software suite, as well as an online developers community that will be launched along side the bot. Roboware hopes to ship the E1 by March, and envisions a truly malleable robot that can be completely defined by its users. [Company website is not live at present]

• Zeno by David Hanson (concept stage); we have covered Zeno an awful lot here at Giz, but the creepy bot was displaying his moves at CES '08, still in prototype stages. Zeno did not look so horrific in the real "frubber," but he still made us a little unsettled. Zeno will be able to talk, recognize faces and detect specific sounds, as well as be user upgradeable via an online community, with which Zeno can remain wirelessly connected thanks to the inbuilt support for Wi-Fi connectivity. [Hanson Robotics]

• FemiSapien by WowWee ($TBA), the FemiSapien is coined as Robosapien's girlfriend, and when the two interact, hilarious girlfriend/boyfriend rifts take place. The Femisapien is able to control Robosapien, but not visa versa. The female bot will be able to dance, move, sing and carry out a range of movement like her out-dated boyfriend. We are not sure the robot god approves of them living in sin, but we did not see them romp. However, if Robosapien carries on acting like this (VERY NSFW), we are sure robot god will be most displeased. Expect the FemiSapien to ship this summer. [Robots Rule]

That's the best of the robots we uncovered at CES '08. It looks like it is going to be a great year for fans of this genere of toys, but Sony, if you are reading, we wouldn't mind Aibo joining in the festivities at some point. Until then folks, there should be more than enough here to tide you over.

PHOSPHOR Ana-Digi Watch Features E-Ink Display

Sean Fallon — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 18:15:10 EST

I suppose it was only a matter of time before a company decided to use the same E-Ink technology found in the Amazon Kindle and Sony Reader on a watch. Now that someone has, the result is interesting but slightly underwhelming. At the push of a button, users can change the watch face design —unfortunately, these changes are confined to a black and white face and various digital and analog configurations. It is a decent first try, but the technology probably won't be truly useful in this capacity until color E-ink displays become available. Available for $250. [Product Page via Wrist Dreams via OhGizmo]

Intelligent Lantern for People Who Like Son with Their Lumiere

AddyDugdale — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 12:34:27 EST

The intelligent lantern could be termed the Swiss Army Knife of flashlights—although the purists among you will probably complain that you can't file your nails, peel an orange or get a stone out of a horse's hoof with it. As well as a super-bright beam that can be seen a mile away, the nine-inch outdoor gizmo rocks stereo speakers, an AM/FM tuner, access to NOAA Weatherband and an MP3-compatible connection. There's a digital clock, and as well as running on 6 C batteries (alkaline or rechargeable) you can also run it through your vehicle's cigarette lighter or the mains. And all of this will cost you just $39.

[Norm Thompson via Crave via PopGadget]

Oblong Gear Clock Anything But Conventional

Adrian Covert — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 15:20:59 EST

Now that timekeepers can be found on everything from computers to cellphones to dog collars (well, maybe not that), the wall clock lacks function, not to mention it's boring looking. This Oblong Gear Clock, however, eschews the round/proportionally square look for a tall, rectangular look thats jam-packed full of working gears. Even if the gears were just for show, I'd still like it just because it looks so nice. The Oblong Gear Clock can be yours now for $125. [Z Gallerie via 7 Gadgets]

Brando Updates Its Cup Warmer with USB Hub and Clock

AddyDugdale — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 07:51:55 EST

Brando has updated the classic USB-cup warmer combo and added a clock and a four-port USB hub to it. Presumably the hub is for the USB sugar bowl, USB milk jug and USB tea spoon. Hungry office workers can presumably plug in Solid Alliance's USB biscuit. A gallery, for those of you who are into cup-warmer, USB and clock porn, is below.

The USB Cup Warmer, Clock and Hub is available for $24. [Brando]

The Boynq Wake Up: Just When You Were Getting Sick and Tired of iPod Docks

Sean Fallon — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 18:50:47 EDT

If you are anything like me, the whole iPod dock thing is getting way, way old. However, one look at this stylish Boynq Wake Up iPod Dock Alarm Clock is (almost) enough to make you fall in love with iPod docks again. The Wake Up isn't just a pretty face however, because it also features a 20-watt amp, a wireless remote that can be docked in place of your iPod, video out so you can play movies on the TV, and an FM radio. If you live in Europe you can get it now for around $185, but there is no word on whether or not those of us in the States will be able to do the same anytime soon. Also available in black. [Boynq via TRFJ]

Motorola Responds to Penis Clock Allegations

Jason Chen — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 12:47:40 EDT

The MOTO PNIS clock image we found yesterday caused such an uprising over at Motorola, they felt the need to respond to any possible penis allegations today.

They said:

The image that you see is actually the result of shading applied to the clock background graphic to give it more of a three-dimensional appearance, in line with the theme of the phone. The graphic is actually built as concentric circles stacked on top of each other, with a lighting filter applied to give it depth. Unfortunately, the result is something that has some readers questioning what they see, and Motorola apologizes for any perception of impropriety as it was certainly not our intent at all. The graphic is only in a few models of our phones with certain software builds installed. We're already taking steps to ensure that the clock face graphic in question will not appear in any future products. If someone wants to remove the graphic from their view, they can either select Menu -> Settings / Personalize / Home Screen / Clock / Digital, or Options/Customize Home/Clock Style/Digital, depending on their phone model.

To us, we can't make out any raised bump or three-dimensional appearance to cause this wang-like specter, but maybe it's like that image of the vase that's also a face. Once you see the face, you can't un-see it—except in this case the vase is a penis and the face is another penis.

"Vice Versa" Digital Clock Only Needs Its Hands To Serve You

Sean Fallon — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 19:40:08 EDT

A lot of designers have taken a minimalist approach when it comes to wall clocks these days, and China's Yiran Qian certainly fits into that category with his "Vice Versa" clock. However, being gadget geeks, we do appreciate the inclusion of a digital interface on the hands. It's a truly unique way to blend the aesthetics of an analog clock with the functionality of a digital. It's only a concept at this point, but I wouldn't mind glancing at this clock in the morning when I'm running late. [Designboom]

The iHome iHC5 Gets Reviewed

blongo3 — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 11:40:03 EDT

iLounge got their hands on the soon-to-be-released iHome iHC5. This clock radio has decided to branch out from the iHome's comfortable iPod market, and instead is trying to attract media cellphones. While it does do some interesting things like stream music from your cellphone or PC using Bluetooth, it does have a couple of problems.

Most notably that some cellphones, including the iPhone, don't transmit music over Bluetooth and you will be forced to hardwire your phone. However, even if you're "lucky" enough to have a phone that connects to the iHC5 you'll still have to keep it a good distance away from it unless you enjoy listening to TDMA interference. Although to end on a positive note, the review does say that it is a very capable speaker phone, one that even works with the iPhone, complete with caller ID and a pop out dial-pad. The iHC5 is retailing for $150 and should be available by the end of the month. [iLounge]

Planetarium-Tellurium Clock Tells Time, Position of Solar System

ybaranovsky — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 23:24:39 EDT

Looking like something Doc would own in Back to the Future, Richard Mille's Planetarium-Tellurium clock is a beautifully intricate device, able to provide extremely accurate details about the workings of our Solar System. The clock provides not only the exact positions of the Earth, Venus, Mercury, the Sun and the Moon (who needs the other planets, anyway?) but the current axis of the Earth, its position relative to the Sun, the rotation of the Moon, and even the current signs of the Zodiac.

Mille used a famed astronomer-physicist to help with the exact calculations, and the only data that's a bit faulty is the current axis of the Earth — which can get off by plus or minus one degree every 7.7 years (just faulty, faulty craftsmanship.) No price or release info just yet, but we're going to guess it's going to cost somewhere between a flux capacitator and a human kidney. [WatchLuxus via Technobob]

Olio Coin Bank with Clock Needs T.P. for Its Bunghole

AddyDugdale — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 07:57:00 EDT

I would not like to meet the weirdo who designed this Olio coin bank-cum*-clock in a club—he probably uses his to keep his Rohypnols dry. $21.95, from Wrappables this is the chocolate teapot, the bone china stiletto or the USB thong of the gadget world. [Wrappables via 7Gadgets]

*Huhuhuhuh, she said "cum."

Hannspree Time Square LCD has Weird Things Attached

AddyDugdale — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 07:05:01 EDT

If anyone does weird LCD TVs, it's Hannspree. And, while I can understand the importance of fire truck- and french fries-shaped TVs, I am not entirely convinced about Time Square, a 12-inch LCD TV with built-in clock, thermometer and hygrometer, whose dials swing open to reveal speakers.

There's a four-in-one A/V connection (composite, S-Video, audio input and headphone jack) and remote control. Perhaps it's good for anyone thinking of turning the underground nuclear shelter at the bottom of the garden dug by Grandpaw 40 years ago into a den. The Time Square costs $130. [Amazon via Uncrate]

Wii Gets a Firmware Update, #1 Feature is a Clock...

blongo3 — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 04:59:40 EDT

The Wii Firmware Update 3.0u is here. Notice any differences in this picture? No? Read the complete list of changes after the jump.

[Warning: Do not install this update if you have modded your Wii]

Main Menu Revisions
&bull Clock Display

&bull The Disc turns 180-degrees on the Disc Channel icon

&bull News Channel icon displays headlines

&bull Forecast Channel icon now displays the weather without entering the channel

&bull Faster loading times when changing channels/leaving channels (Up for debate)

&bull Move contacts on Address Book

&bull Calendar no longer displays envelopes for the amount of time you played, only messages

&bull Light bar goes on when disk is inserted or removed

&bull Able to navigate Wii Settings with + and - (Man that always pissed us off)

&bull Scrolling through messages has a new sound, and scrolling with B now displays an arrow similar to the Internet Channel

Wii Shop Channel Revisions

&bull New Welcome screen detailing 4 Recommended Titles and the points they cost

&bull Titles You've Downloaded was moved to the main shop menu

&bull New ways to browse

&bull Popular Titles (not only based on recent info)

&bull Newest Additions remains the same

&bull Search for a title which can use partial names

&bull Search by Category

&bull System shows the different systems and how many titles have been released under each

&bull Publisher showing different publishers and amount of titles released

&bull Genres listed

Ok, so this is all well and good, but where are the real features we've been looking for like playing Virtual Console games off of an SD card, Nintendo? [Thanks Neogaf & IGN Forums]

LED Alarm Clock - Bend Time and Space

msparkes — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 03:57:37 EDT

This alarm clock is made up of four 1"x1.5" cubes that can be moved around independently—if you're running late you can just rearrange the cubes to suit.

There is a separate controller to set the time and alarm, dim the LEDs and press that wonderful, please-just-10-more-minutes snooze button. It's available now from Suck UK, at a rather steep £75 ($150). [Suck]

Japanese WiFi Train Clock

Jason Chen — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 19:30:06 EDT

People say the Japanese public transit system is fantastic, and it's stuff like this Japan Railways Wi-Fi clock that makes it so. This clock shows you exactly which stop your train is at, so you can plan ahead to see how long it will take for it to reach your stop. Best of all it's Wi-Fi enabled, which means you get live updates when your train happens to be late. If they sold one of these for the BART here, well, you'd probably get a letter from your internet provider about using too many resources. [Hobidas via Maochan - Thanks B!]

Carpet Alarm Clock

Jason Chen — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 14:40:20 EDT

Fumbling around for the alarm clock in the morning is second place only to getting elbowed in the ribs because we can't find the alarm clock when it comes to things we don't look forward to when we wake up. That's why this alarm clock mat design by Sofie Collin & Gustav Lanberg is so great.

Not only does it display the time in the middle, you turn off the alarm by firmly planting both feet onto its carpety exterior. There's little chance of misplacing this alarm, unless of course you've got a dog that really enjoys rugs. – Jason Chen

Stand Up To Wake Up, Simple As That [Yanko Design via Geekologie]

The Wall Clock

Jason Chen — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 18:50:46 EDT

Now you can smirk smugly as you tell your houseguests that you've got a "wall clock". See, it's a clock that only has a center piece for the mechanism and the hands, plus twelve dots you stick onto your wall.

Sure, it's kinda cool, but if you ever want to move the clock a foot over to the right it's a gigantic hassle and will take chunks off your wall. – Jason Chen

Product Page [Amazon via Nerd Approved]

Ghost Clock Doesn't Actually Look Like a Ghost

Jason Chen — Sat, 26 May 2007 12:35:34 EDT

It just so happens that our neighbors are in the market for a clock that's even easier to break than normal clocks, which means we'll actually have an excuse to come over this time to check out the hot wife. The clock itself is made of two plates of glass, one of which is a mirror, attached together by four rods.

Although it looks great, the glass on glass design guarantees it will shatter the instant it gets too heavy for the piddly mounts you hang it with. Which is actually why they want this thing: they really hate their baby. – Jason Chen

Product Page [Ezstyle via Nerd Approved]