The frightfully proper alarm clock

For those who resent being awoken by the shrill ring of an alarm or the inane chatter of breakfast radio jocks, there is now a classier option. Voco has developed an alarm clock that sounds off with the dulcet tone of English comedian Stephen Fry, known for his work in TV shows Blackadder and the Young Ones. Fry, who once made the claim that his “vocal cords are made of tweed,” recorded 50 tender, deferential, deeply respectful wake-up messages to coax "sir" from his depths and into the world. The clock, which stands at 110mm, is available to purchase on the Voco website. The popularity of the UKP26 (US$51) product has ensured that an equivalent version will soon be created – "for madam". You can hear MP3 samples of Fry’s wake-up messages here.