Twist alarm clock has you wring math equations by the neck

Man has striven for centuries to build a better mousetrap, but in the digital age, mice are the least of our worries. No, the modern day rat race requires a better alarm clock instead, and lord knows we've seen plenty, from tickers that chomp your change to clocks that give you target practice. What we don't see that often is a clock that makes you think at the same time it provokes a physical action. Thus, the Twist Alarm Clock, which displays a simple math equation when it's time to wake up, but requires effort to silence. In order to quiet the alarm, you have to twist the numbered dials on either side of its LCD screen into the right position -- in this case, to figure out what minus what equals two. It's no Turing Alarm Clock, to be sure, but this human number cruncher's actually for sale; you can get yours for ¥2,625 (about $28) in Japan.

[dkillone Posted Mar 27th 2010 11:29AM]

Sounds awesome, maybe it would solve my sleep turning off alarm problem.

[juanvaldez Posted Mar 27th 2010 11:40AM]

@dkillone Yeah, I've had that. I also combine it with dreaming that I woke up, meaning in my dream everything is well and I'm not late, though that gets less true by the second.

[onlymyrailgun Posted Mar 27th 2010 11:53AM]

@juanvaldez
Or one of those dreams where you are late and everything's gone south, and you are like this has gotta be a dream, please be a dream. Then you wake up disoriented.

[TonyMontana2367 Posted Mar 27th 2010 12:22PM]

@dkillone

your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!

[TateLyle Posted Mar 27th 2010 2:02PM]

@TonyMontana2367

I fart in your general direction !

[v2shan Posted Mar 28th 2010 6:00AM]

@onlymyrailgun
Or when the sound of the alarm is actually incorporated into your dream. Like a school bell or something...

[Atkins Posted Mar 27th 2010 11:33AM]

"What we don't see that often is a clock that makes you think at the same time it provokes a physical action."
Well, each of my alarm clocks provoked a physical action. After, it's usually too late for thinking.

[CakeBalls Posted Mar 27th 2010 11:34AM]

I just leave mine out of reach, that way you have to get out of bed to switch it off.

[Joseph9307 Posted Mar 27th 2010 11:40AM]

@CakeBalls
Yea I do that too! By the time I turn it off, I'm alert enough to continue with my day....

[TonyMontana2367 Posted Mar 27th 2010 12:23PM]

@CakeBalls

me2

[MrAffrox Posted Mar 27th 2010 10:33PM]

@CakeBalls by the time I get out of bed and reach my alarm, I'm so exhausted that I fall back asleep.

[Techno1q Posted Mar 27th 2010 11:39AM]

And you think that will help wake me up? I helped my little brother solve an electrecity physics homework, and I didn't even remember it.

[Sogeking Posted Mar 27th 2010 11:54AM]

@Techno1q

Same here. I'd probably need some integration by parts or something.

[juanvaldez Posted Mar 27th 2010 11:39AM]

In the past, when I had trouble going to sleep on time, I'd change the time on my clock to something incorrect say 23 minutes fast so I'd have to do math in order to figure out how much longer I could sleep in. Math seemed to be the most effective method for waking me up, that I wouldn't have a choice of at the time. I had also tried moving an alarm clock further, if the phone would ring sometimes I'd pick up and hang up.

[BigD145 Posted Mar 27th 2010 11:47AM]

5 - 4 =/= 2

Math. Not Engadgets strong suit.

[Hraefn Posted Mar 27th 2010 1:43PM]

@BigD145 The clock gives you the solution (2) and you're supposed to come up with the equation ( x - y = 2 ). Engadget said as much.

Comprehension. Not your strongest suit.

[BigD145 Posted Mar 27th 2010 2:01PM]

@Hraefn Making fun of Engadget, and more specifically the original company site, not your strong suit.

[oldpass56 Posted Mar 27th 2010 2:27PM]

@BigD145 taking a joke too far.
your strongest point.

[onlymyrailgun Posted Mar 27th 2010 11:57AM]

How about an alarm clock that dresses you up, feeds you breakfast and carries you to school/work on time before you wake up?

[SuperGadget Posted Mar 27th 2010 1:52PM]

@onlymyrailgun

Uuuh Uuuh, I have one of those.

[InspectorEngadget Posted Mar 27th 2010 12:29PM]

NEED.

[dave1812 Posted Mar 27th 2010 12:44PM]

its smarter to buy at BB than at an apple store, because if you change you decide you don't like your shiny new iPad, you won't get hit with a 15% restock fee that Apple charges on returns.

[onlymyrailgun Posted Mar 27th 2010 12:53PM]

@dave1812
LOL, did you happen to have 2+ tabs open or something?

[dave1812 Posted Mar 27th 2010 1:09PM]

@onlymyrailgun

nope, I just scrolled down too far on the page when I hit "comment". LOL!

[dave1812 Posted Mar 27th 2010 12:44PM]

oops, I was trying to comment on another story!!!!

[dima1109 Posted Mar 27th 2010 1:35PM]

There are a bunch of android apps that do this, most notably Math Alarm Clock

[blland Posted Mar 27th 2010 1:45PM]

@dima1109 you know which one would be easier to just throw out if it doesn't stop beeping? your phone.

[MaxL Posted Mar 27th 2010 3:03PM]

Fuck it.. Ill just hit the snooze button

[Dan Fruzzetti Posted Mar 28th 2010 2:26AM]

What's awesome about these ideas? I mean, the concept has built a lot of really, really cool devices but why not just do like millions already do and put the alarm (usually your cell phone) somewhere that's out of reach without a bit of getting out of bed?

I mean, I'm the first to admit I can turn off my cell phone alarm in my sleep... IF i can reach it.