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We would like to own this clock which plays Pong, please
We admit it -- we're suckers for a stylish timepiece. A surprising portion of our income goes towards purchasing new, fancy clocks, turning our living quarters into a slightly less melty version of Salvador Dali's "The Persistence of Memory." The latest object of our affection? Adafruit's Pong-playing MONOCHRON clock, in which two AI opponents compete in pixelated table tennis, and the players' scores denote the current time. Check out a video after the jump to see the chronometer in action. Sure, it's not the first Pong-clock we've ever laid eyes on, but with a slim $80 price tag, it is the first we've ever considered actually purchasing. Sadly, you have to assemble the clock yourself, a process which requires "some basic soldering & hand tools." Curses! We knew our decision to take home economics instead of shop class would come back to bite us one day. [Thanks, PT!]
Adafruit's Monochron retro clock now on sale, changes time with every match point
You might have the vaguest of memories seeing this piece before -- it made a cameo in an Engadget Show segment -- but here we are with a much clearer picture of Adafruit Industries' Monochron clock, now also on sale! As is its modus operandi, the timepiece is open source... but should you plan on sticking to default, you'll be gifted with a great retro-style Table Tennis for two. The best part? The time changes whenever the clock "loses" -- something tells us that gives one side at least a 59-to-1 advantage. See for yourself after the break.
Engadget's Kindle design contest: we have winners!
The votes are in, dear readers, and you've spoken loud and clear: from our original 23 finalists, your votes have boiled it down to five well-deserved winners who've clearly put time, effort, thought, determination, and old-fashioned elbow grease into their designs for gracing the metal back of Amazon's 6-inch Kindle. So what happens next? We'll be working with winners and coordinating with the good folks at Adafruit Industries to turn these designs into reality thanks to some insanely high-powered precision lasers -- picture that scene in Goldfinger where the film's namesake tries to cut 007 in half to get an idea of just how high-powered we're talking about here -- and rest assured, we'll be posting plenty of pictures as they come out of the workshop! Follow the break for the lucky five (presented in order with the most votes first). A huge word of thanks to Amazon, Adafruit Industries, everyone who submitted entries, and the voters who figured out where these Kindles belong!
Reminder: vote for your favorite Kindle design by Monday!
Our Kindle contest that we're running in cooperation with our good friends at Adafruit Industries and Amazon has drawn to an epic conclusion, and there's simply no other way to put it -- we're blown away. We received literally dozens upon dozens of incredible, art gallery-worthy entries and it was all but impossible to narrow them down to a group of finalists -- but after an entire weekend of mulling, debating, and hand-wringing, we've done the dirty work and narrowed it down to a group of just twenty-three. Now, dear readers, the fate of five Kindles lies in your hands and your hands alone. The laser awaits. So here's what we need from you: pick your favorite by 11:59PM ET on Monday, August 3rd. That's it. We'll take the five top vote-getters and award each with a 6-inch Kindle engraved with their design -- and of course, we'll post pictures of the finished products before they go out to their lucky owners. Hit the read link below to view the finalists and cast your votes! Good luck to everyone!
Amazon Kindle design contest: now it's your turn to decide who wins!
Our Kindle contest that we're running in cooperation with our good friends at Adafruit Industries and Amazon has drawn to an epic conclusion, and there's simply no other way to put it -- we're blown away. We received literally dozens upon dozens of incredible, art gallery-worthy entries and it was all but impossible to narrow them down to a group of finalists -- but after an entire weekend of mulling, debating, and hand-wringing, we've done the dirty work and narrowed it down to a group of just twenty-three. Now, dear readers, the fate of five Kindles lies in your hands and your hands alone. The laser awaits. So here's what we need from you: pick your favorite by 11:59PM ET on Monday, August 3rd. That's it. We'll take the five top vote-getters and award each with a 6-inch Kindle engraved with their design -- and of course, we'll post pictures of the finished products before they go out to their lucky owners. Follow the break to see the entries (which you can click to see in larger form). Below each design, you'll see a number -- these correspond to numbers in the poll, which you'll find directly below the entries. Just choose your favorite by number and we'll take care of the rest. Good luck, contestants -- and good luck picking from all of these amazing entries, readers! Update: The contest is now closed. No votes have been counted since August 3rd at 11:59PM ET. Stay tuned for the winners!
Reminder: don't forget to design your own Kindle and take it home!
We know you've been wracking your brain for the past week trying to dream up that perfect etching for the Kindle's hindquarters, but time's running out -- Friday at 11:59PM EDT is the deadline -- so put digital pen to digital paper and get your entry submitted on the double!Need a refresher? Head on over to the announcement to learn all about our awesome Kindle design contest -- and a big thanks to Amazon and Adafruit Industries for making it possible!
Design your own Kindle (and win it) with Engadget, Amazon, and Adafruit Industries!
Reading isn't just about the text that you're reading, it's an intimately personal experience in every sense of the word -- the way the book feels, the crease of the pages, the wear on the cover, it's all totally unique to your copy at the time that you're reading it. Put simply, it's an experience no one else will ever have. Between three models, dozens of accessories, and countless e-books, no two Kindles are alike, either -- but Engadget has partnered with Amazon and the DIY experts over at Adafruit Industries to hook up five extraordinarily lucky readers with truly unique reading devices. These guys are the laser etching experts -- see one of the Kindles they've done here!Here's the deal: we're asking you to think of a design that would look great on the Kindle's brushed metal back -- something that means a lot to you, something that'll make passers-by drool with envy when you casually hold up your new toy while reading The Economist from the comfort of your train, plane, or bus seat. Draft up that design (seriously, make sure it's awesome, because you'll be facing some stiff competition) and send it to us. We'll post some of our favorites as finalists and hand the reigns over to you -- our dear readers -- to select five winners who will each have their designs laser-etched into reality on the backs of their very own Kindles!The rules: Send your design to us by emailing it to contests [at] engadget [dawt] com with the subject "I want my custom Kindle!" (no quotes). Submissions must be in EPS or AI format, must be in black and white only, and must be composed strictly of vector graphics with all fonts converted to curves. We can scale your design as necessary, but keep in mind that you'll be dealing with an etchable area roughly five inches by seven inches. You can find a (very large) image of the back of the Kindle 2 here for your reference. We can't print anything you don't have the rights for, so to be safe, original work is the best! You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.) Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad. Five (5) winners will each receive one (1) Amazon Kindle 6" Wireless Reading Device customized by Adafruit Industries. Approximate retail value is $299.00. If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Design entries can be submitted until Friday, July 24th, at 11:59PM ET. Good luck! Full rules can be found here.
Adafruit's Citizen Engineer comic book / SIM card reader kit
The gang at Adafruit Industries are on a mission -- and they won't rest until every man, woman, and child on this planet has access to the DIY and open source electronics they crave. The most recent project of theirs, Citizen Engineer: SIM Card Hacking, is a comic book that both serves as a primer on GSM and SIM cards and tells you how to build a SIM card reader. And if that weren't awesome enough, if you purchase the title for $35 they'll throw in the reader kit -- either enabling your thirst for knowledge or jump-starting you on your path towards a new life as a hacker / fixer for the Russian Mafia. Video after the break.
Video: Kindle 2 sees the wrong end of a laser, recommends you don't panic
If there were anything a frequent traveler needs more than a towel (and money, and identification, and maybe a cellphone...) it's a Kindle 2. To celebrate its ability to provide free access to the world's great information repository from absolutely anywhere (within in the United States that has cellular access), Adafruit Industries has turned the K2 into something of an ode to Douglas Adams's great epic: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. After a little burning action courtesy of its Epliog 35 watt laser (which we've seen in action before), the e-book reader now sports the most valuable advice ever given to a man (or alien). Sadly it still won't give you directions to the Restaurant at the End of the Universe, but it will at least let you download and start reading it in under a minute. Ford Prefect would be proud.
