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Hardware pr0n: clock battery revealed
The above picture surfaced over at Go Nintendo yesterday, revealing what many in the comments section are calling the Wii's internal clock battery, which allows the Wii to keep accurate time even when it is not plugged into a wall socket. We're surprised to see the battery revealed so late in the game, as we know Nintendo fanboys always go over every inch of their console.
Hello Kitty gets its own iPod docking station / stereo clock
We all know by now that Hello Kitty goes everywhere and gets everything she pleases, and when that sassy feline demands an iPod speaker dock that doubles as an alarm clock, well, she gets it. The KT4560 Hello Kitty Stereo Clock Radio handles more multitasking than most non-cute devices of its stature, and aside from eliciting countless grins from the pink and sparkly paint job, it also acts as an iPod docking station for dock-connecting units, channels video / pictures from video iPods onto your TV, sports the ability to wake you with tunes from your 'Pod, and there's even an aux input for those "other DAPs." As expected, the LCD-faced clock also features an AM/FM radio, alarm functions, rotatable volume control, oh-so-loveable snooze button, and an iPod-totin' cat atop the device. While we're not sure how much you'll end up laying down for this multifaceted gizmo, we can't help but give props to the practicality.[Via Chip Chick]
Ambient Clock combines Google Calendar and analog timekeeping
Yes, we've seen the projection clock, the pong clock and the venerable atomic clock, but leave it to our pals at Ambient Devices to come up with a way to combine a chronometer with a glanceable display, not unlike their previous orb and analog dial panel. Assuming that you keep your schedule in Google Calendar (and really, who doesn't these days?), you can link it up the Ambient Clock (via Ambient's "nationwide wireless network") to find out what your schedule is. Meaning, a quick glance will help determine when you have scheduled events (the block rectangles on the clock) and the clock itself will change color if you have an upcoming appointment. As of right now the Ambient Clock isn't actually in production, although there is an online beta so you can get a feel for the features and help the engineers decide certain aspects of the build. Still, we're not convinced that this will revolutionize time management, but if you have a penchant for post-modern analog clocks, then maybe you'll appreciate it.
Quadtec unveils pricey digital wristwatch
While we've got no qualms with implausibly priced gizmos, nor with timepieces sporting integrated Bluetooth, drum machines, GPS, or breathalyzer functionalities, Quadtec seems to be asking a bit much for a watch that does little besides alternate the way you tell the time. For those who might actually enjoy learning a new way to read time, Quadtec's digital watch can be "set to show the number of minutes to the full hour," so you can have the presumable pleasure of "reading the time on a digital display as you would on an analog one." Aside from also displaying the current day / date, it only sports a simple backlight and alarm, while coming in a stealthy briefcase that packs orange, black, and stainless steel bands. Although it bears striking resemblance to a top-notch gumball toy, this uninspiring wristwatch demands a whopping 1,960 quarters (or $490, whichever you prefer).[Via I4U]
Fly Pitcher's Digital Stag wall clock
While we've seen clocks that do a whole lot more than tell time, and some that just stick to what they do best, it's good to see a fresh approach to the age old cuckoo clock. Although the Digital Stag won't play your MP3s, allow for a quick Pong matchup, or even wake you up at a specified time, Fly Pitcher's design-centric wall clock seems to bring that crisp mountain air to any living area (and provides the perfect way to countdown to hunting season, if that's your thing). While the layout may look familiar, the typical hour, minute, and second hands have been nixed in favor of a digital readout, and there's no need for any swinging pendulum here. Out to "re-invent" a classic, the company has utilized "veneered composite board" that is meticulously crafted via CNC cutters in order to produce a timepiece that showcases the "natural beauty" of the outdoors while rocking a not-so-homegrown LED display. Reportedly, the company offers these classy clocks with all sorts of fauna gracing the top, such as squirrels and swallows, just in case you've had any not-so-pleasant run-ins with deer. From what we can tell, these still aren't available en masse (any VCs in the audience?), but can be ordered individually for an undisclosed price should you so desire, and if that prized 12-pointer keeps eluding you, this would probably be a decent placeholder in your "game" room.[Via Inhabitat]
UK gets countdown clocks to Wii launch
Originally posted in the Wii Chat forums, there was supposedly a memo sent out where it was revealed that select UK Virgin megastores would be receiving countdown clocks, set to count down to the launch of the Wii. The memo says that Nintendo would be contacting the following stores from today onward about when to expect their clock's arrival: Megastore Piccadilly Liverpool Cribbs Causeway Kings Road Bournemouth Leeds Meadowhall Birmingham Over at Joystiq, Ross brings up a good point. With Nintendo's keynote at this month's Leipzig Games Convention, it's a natural venue for them to announce the date, which would see these stores having their clocks installed and functional on that date of August 23rd. While we'll chalk this one up to rumor at the moment, consider it an unusually interesting one.[Note: The graphic does not convey a believed release date. It is entirely made up on our part.][Via Joystiq]
USB clock with air purifier and LED party lights
This little white ball may look like an ordinary clock but, let us tell you, this thing is anything but ordinary. Turn it around and you can see what sets it apart from its brethren -- an air purifier and multi-colored LED lights, all powered via good 'ol USB. We don't really know how good the air purifier part works as it's only a $32-powered USB device, afterall, but if you need a clock/calender on your desk, why not peep this thing? We're sure your computer room/cubical could use a little freshening up, plus the multi-colored LEDs are sure to liven up the place a bit. USB Geek claims that it can clean-up the air out of a nine square meter room, and who are we to doubt the same people that brought us our favorite USB mini paper shredder?
All-tube digital clock, seven years in the making
Nixie clocks, which use little vacuum tubes to display the numbers, have been around for a while. Geeks build them, hipsters put them in their lofts, and they range from very cool to not so cool. Now Friedhelm Bruegmann, a member of the German Tube Collectors Association, has spent seven years of his life putting together an all-tube digital clock. Instead of a little quartz module, he uses 103 tubes to calculate and display the time. Yes, it looks like a small army of pointy silver-headed robots. No, it's not for sale, but Friedhelm's site is so detailed, you can probably hack one together yourself in a decade or so.[Via Music Thing]
How-To: Add USB power to your alarm clock
Your machine is modded out. It's got plexi hard drive windows, silent fans ,and it's half refrigerator. The other appliances are starting to get jealous and it's time to even the score. In today's How-To, we're modding an innocent alarm clock to provide five fine volts of USB juice right on the nightstand. Perfect for a bed-side USB fan on those steamy summer nights, a cheeky USB lava lamp, or, erm, a USB massager. Check it out.
The Giovannoni TimeSphere projecting alarm clock
We've seen plenty of alarm clocks that offer different ways to pull you out of bed no matter how hungover, sleepy, or otherwise incapacitated you are. Almost all of these clocks, however, rely on the same old LEDs or LCDs to actually display the time. The Giovannoni TimeSphere may not rumble or fly around the room, but it will project the time on any surface. Fine, yea, we know it's not the first clock with a projector either, but it is one of the more stylish (if 80s-style cyberpunk designs are your thing), and it is apparently the first with a wireless projection unit -- that's what the ball thing sitting on top is, which you position anywhere you like to get the best view of the time. Also, unlike so many of these alarm clocks we keep telling you about, this one is an actual product, available from Oregon Scientific for the hefty sum of $150.
Did the SMC Firmware Update cripple some Intel Mac clock speeds?
A thread in Apple's support forums discusses complaints of crippled clock speeds after installing yesterday's SMC firmware update on Intel Macs. Upon an apparently successful update, some users checked their min and max clock speeds with CoreDuoTemp to find that their max has been limited to 1000 Mhz, even after using utilities to force their machine to work as hard as it can.I just used CoreDuoTemp to check my own MacBook Pro's clock speeds to find that it's max is set right where it should be, at 2000 Mhz. However, if your Intel Mac's speed is suspect after successfully installing yesterday's SMC firmware update, check out this forum thread to see if something is really afoot in the land of Intel Mac clock speeds.[Thanks Aaron]
Lexon's new On-Off alarm clock literally rocks
If all of those new fangled "buttons" that they put on them thar alarm clocks these day are getting you down, you might be interested in the new On-Off clock from Lexon. Designed by Nina Tolstrup, the On-Off LCD alarm clock can have its alarm activated by tilting it into the on position, and the alarm can be turned off by (you guessed it) tilting the clock to the off position. While we're sure this will result in some exciting and violent early morning clock tilting action, we're not so sure how snooze functionality factors in. In any case, the clock should be available May 15th in numerous colors, and for the quite reasonable price of $36.50.[Via Gear Live]
Widget Watch: Retrograde3
I know what you're going to say already. "The last thing we need is another clock widget!" While I'm inclined to agree, I will say this: Retrograde3 is one cool clock.It's a Yahoo! Widgets Engine widget that displays the time, date and phase of the moon. You can change the clock's color as well as the "reflection" on its face. One word of warning, however: It's BIG (bigger even than the image at right). Those of you with 12" displays have been warned.
Pong clocks; real vs. widget
We missed the news that the swoon-inducing "Pong clock" is actually for sale! At $240, it's a bit more expensive than an Atari Flashback, but oh so worth it!If you just want the Pong time-keeping functionality, but don't care about the aesthetics, you can download the free "pongClock" widget for Apple's Dashboard. The widget uses the score to keep time for you and you have the option to play a match against it. Oh, Pong, where will you be next?
Wall clock from Newton eMate spare parts
What do you do when you have a ton of spare parts from Newton eMates lying around? Make a gutted eMate wall clock of course!Andrew Peleikis of Canada had collected many eMates from eBay for repair purposes. The extra parts--a logic board, a screen, and a battery--were enough to make a working, albeit rather naked Newton wall clock. He then used the BigCountdown app (handily this app only works on eMates and Newton Message Pads) to display a large clock on his eMate's display. Newton geeks rock my strange little hardware hacking world.[via Hack A Day]
