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Clock
Steuart’s Patent vacuum tank regulator – the timepiece to beat in the early 20th Century
By Darren Quick
03:02 October 27, 2009 PDT
The second in our series of interviews with Michael Bennet-Levy looks at the Steuart’s Patent vacuum tank regulator – a clock produced in 1923 that its makers, J & D Meek, claimed was accurate to “better than a second a year.” If true this would have made it the most accurate timekeeper in the world prior to the invention of Caesium clocks in the mid 1950s. The essence of the Steuart regulator is that the electric motor drives the clock and the pendulum governs and corrects the speed of the motor. Neither is connected. Ideal for telescopes (because it doesn't tick), the clock was used as a stand-in for Big Ben during WWII and in the opinion of the Scientific American it marked “the most important development in clock-making which has taken place in modern times.” Read More
Time to connect with the iXP3 Internet Messaging Clock
By Mick Webb
04:15 September 24, 2009 PDT
When communicating via the typed word, sometimes a text or regular instant message just won’t do the trick. Here to take personal communication to a quirky new level is the iXP3 Instant Messaging Clock, which, through a simple Internet connection, changes from a mild-mannered clock to a personal messaging device that projects messages in the air. Read More
Sony's ICF-CL75iP combination alarm clock, photo frame and iPod dock
By Jeff Salton
21:33 September 2, 2009 PDT
Alarm clocks (uncool), digital photo frames (ho-hum), and iPod/iPhone docks (seen ‘em all). Three pretty bland objects, right? But give them to Sony and what you get back is one smooth-looking piece of equipment. The Sony ICF-CL75iP has beautifully melded three boring CE products to deliver an item that would easily grace any horizontal surface at home or at the office. Read More
Look, no hands: the Qlocktwo from Biegert & Funk
By Paul Ridden
17:16 August 26, 2009 PDT
What's so great about numbers anyway? And why is it that the circular form seems so sought after? After all, the Qlocktwo from proves beyond reasonable doubt that it's cool to be square and words are what matter most. The familiar rounded clock face is abandoned in favor of a stylish and elegant, cornered design where illuminated letters spell out the time at set intervals. It's time-signal receiver ensures this quartz-driven timepiece is always accurate and its interchangeable faces offer numerous color coordination options. Read More
Ytterbium times its run for next-gen atomic clocks
By Darren Quick
23:44 August 17, 2009 PDT
Technically, no clock can be more accurate than cesium standards such as NIST-F1 – the cesium fountain atomic clock that serves as the United States' primary time and frequency standard. But researchers have managed to develop an experimental atomic clock based on ytterbium atoms that boasts precision comparable to that of NIST-F1. The humble second was chosen as the International System of Units' (SI) base unit of time since it is based on the properties of the cesium atom (one second is the duration of 9,192,631,770 cycles of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the cesium 133 atom). Read More
The Bedol Eco-Friendly Clock - just add water
By Mick Webb
21:07 July 20, 2009 PDT
Anything that flies the green flag is a welcome addition to the array of resource depleting devices in our homes. The Bedol Eco – Friendly Water Powered Clock is as environmentally sound as they come – literally just add water. Read More
Bang & Olufsen's magical Beotime flute alarm
By Paul Ridden
07:19 July 20, 2009 PDT
Inspired by Mozart's famous Opera, the new Beotime alarm clock will, according to its creator Bang & Olufsen, turn the chore of waking up in the morning into an "extraordinary experience". As well as finding all the usual functionality of a standard alarm clock onboard, the elegant flute-like tube of aluminum can help you control all of your (compatible) audio/video gadgetry and even your room lights. As the suggested price tag of USD$375 indicates, this is no run-of-the-mill alarm clock. Read More
Routers of the future... maybe
By Darren Quick
01:31 July 17, 2009 PDT
There are exceptions, but for the most part routers are decidedly unglamorous, which is why they are generally secreted away under a desk or otherwise hidden from view. With the Internet now so much a part of daily life they are almost invisible. So long as their lights keep flashing to provide us with our Internet fix we don’t even notice them. Now the UK’s largest broadband provider, TalkTalk, has asked Goldsmiths, University of London to give the humble router a face-lift with their vision of what the routers of the future might look like – and they’re probably not what you expected. Read More
Oregon Scientific’s +ECO Clima Control solar powered weather station
By Darren Quick
01:36 July 8, 2009 PDT
Oregon Scientific’s solar powered +ECO Clima Control weather station allows users to monitor the temperature and humidity in up to four locations within the home and outdoors and includes weather predictions on the best time for the unit to soak up the sun’s rays. Read More
Shape Up Alarm Clock Dumbbell to wake masochists
By Darren Quick
23:19 July 5, 2009 PDT
We’ve looked at a few alarm clocks designed to rouse the reluctant riser from their slumber over the years. There’s the Puzzle Alarm Clock to get the gray matter working first thing in the morning and Clocky to get you up and running. Joining the ranks of masochistic devices is the Shape Up Alarm Clock Dumbbell which won’t stop screeching until you’ve done 30 reps. Read More
Feed me Seymour: The flesh-eating robotic clock
By Darren Quick
20:07 July 1, 2009 PDT
Giving robots a taste for flesh might not seem like a great idea given that they’re probably going to rise up and enslave us in the next few decades. But that’s just what a couple of UK-based designers have done with their prototype flesh-eating robotic clock. Read More
Word clock tells the time in plain English
01:27 June 29, 2009 PDT
If numbers just aren't your thing or you simply want a clock that stands out from the pack, this could be the timepiece for you. The Word Clock consists of two adjacent rolls, one with five minute time increments written out and the other with the words one to twelve, that turn against each other within an acrylic tube to produce whole sentences like “a quarter to six”. Read More
iTalk voice-controlled alarm clock
By David Greig
00:21 May 27, 2009 PDT
If you're the type of individual who is too dead-dog tired to reach over to turn off the alarm, just couldn't be stuffed or who might enjoy the companionship – or convenience – of talking to an obedient alarm clock, then the iTalk from Neutrano may be what you're looking for. The iTalk is among the first household appliances to use TimeSet Voice technology that Neutrano claims can understand any English-speaking voice – although we're not sure how well it understands the morning slur after that big night out. Read More
MP4 Watch records and displays video – and tells time!
By Darren Quick
20:28 January 25, 2009 PST
Watching the clock gets a whole new meaning with Thanko’s MP4 Watch. Seemingly straight out of Q’s arsenal the watch that features a full color 1.8-inch LCD screen as well as a voice recorder and tiny camera that can record video at 352 x 288 resolution and take photos at 640 x 480 resolution – perfect for any aspiring James Bond wannabes. Read More
Roberts digital kitchen radio
By Emily Clark
03:27 December 8, 2008 PST
This digital Kitchen Radio from ROBERTS fits neatly under the kitchen cupboards and offers a range of features, including - yes - an egg-timer, making it a nifty cooking companion. The space-saving design means the radio won’t encroach on your much needed counter space when cooking up a storm. Read More
Sony's latest iPod dock range
By Darren Quick
20:02 October 22, 2008 PDT
Sony's new range of iPod compatible products makes good on the company's stated promise to “continue to develop products that are compatible with popular hardware formats and audio codecs.” Not surprisingly, this includes Apple’s ubiquitous portable player. The five-strong range includes a mini hi-fi system with docks for two iPods and DJ functions, two designs of iPod speaker system and two clock radios, one having CD playback in addition to its iPod compatibility. Read More
WoodStation: weather with a difference
By Emily Clark
18:37 October 12, 2008 PDT
The function is familiar, the form definitely isn't. WoodStation uses LEDs embedded just under its surface to transform what appears to be a solid block of timber into a digital weather station and clock. Read More
Jonathan Cole
- November 6, 2009 @ 16:15 UTC
