Badtux the Snarky Penguin

In a time of chimpanzees, I was a penguin.

Religious fundamentalists are motivated by the sneaking suspicion that someone, somewhere, is having fun -- and that this must be stopped.

Thursday, March 15, 2007

The alarm clock for teenagers

Yes, an alarm clock that runs away, forcing you to play hide and seek to find the alarm clock to make it quit beeping at you.

The two most impressive things about this alarm clock:

It got a PhD for its inventor, Gauri Nanda (it was his PhD project), and
It won an igNobel Prize in Economics (after all, anybody chasing their alarm clock around is unlikely to be late to work due to oversleeping, and thus is going to be more productive!).

As for me, I have three alarm clocks -- one that beeps at me, and two that bat at my arms and face with their paws and yowl at the top of their lungs that it's time to feed them -- so I'll pass on young Nanda's invention... still, impressive. Way impressive.

- Badtux the Impressed Penguin

Labels: culture, technology

Posted by: BadTux / 3/15/2007 10:03:00 PM

Comments:

Oh, the depths to which technology descends.

But I do like the way this thing was designed. It actually looks like it's laughing in your face and daring you to run after it. There's something poetic in that -- I just can't put my finger on it.

I only have one alarm clock. It plays music to wake me up. The other day, it played Duran Duran's "Hungry Like the Wolf." This is the third time I've woken to that song in less than a year. Not that I mind this -- I happen to like the song. I just wish the people at the radio station would download some more friggin' tunes for airplay...
# posted by Mimus Pauly : 15/3/07 10:54 PM

I had an organic model: mother.
# posted by K. Ron Silkwood : 15/3/07 11:04 PM

I set Amarok to start at 7:00 am, but that is a cute little alarm clock.
# posted by Rachel : 15/3/07 11:44 PM

I would just shoot it. Then, go back to sleep.
# posted by Lab Kat : 16/3/07 1:01 AM

The problem with furry alarm clocks is the snooze bar. And they can't be reset for daylight savings. The basset wants out at 2 AM, (put him out, wait, bring him in the building where he heads for the couch in the living room) and at 6 he wants back in the bedroom. At 5, Kenya Dog wants out, (put her out, wait, bring her in and she wants back in the bedroom immediately). The alarm goes off at 6:30. At 6:45, the chorale of Meows and door scratches begin, even if the alarm fails. (no cats in the bedroom and they want Breakfast). Sleeping in is greatly desired and entirely impossible.
# posted by georg : 16/3/07 6:39 AM

You'd have to find it first before you could shoot it, Lab Kat, because it hops off your nightstand and runs for cover before beeping the second time at you!

And yeah, the furry alarm clocks do seem to have a problem resetting for daylight saving time, but that's not an issue in the spring. It's an issue in the fall when the clock gets set back an hour... but the furry alarm clocks don't.
# posted by BadTux : 16/3/07 8:05 AM

I need that clock!
# posted by Ole Blue The Heretic : 16/3/07 1:17 PM

Honor Roll

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"Keep fighting for freedom and justice, beloveds, but don't forget to have fun doin' it. Lord, let your laughter ring forth. Be outrageous, ridicule the fraidy-cats, rejoice in all the oddities that freedom can produce." -- Molly Ivins, 1944-2007

"The penalty good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men."

-- Plato

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