Diagram of the alarm clock

A Less Forgiving Alarm Clock

In an ideal world, we’d all wake up naturally at the right time of day. But circadian rhythms vary, and sometimes you need a little extra “persuasion” to get up. And I think the traditional alarm clock is too forgiving. So I made my own. No snooze button, no off button, a backup battery in case you try to unplug it, no way to remove the battery without a hex key, and deactivating it requires hitting a remote key fob. You also can’t change the alarm or even the date or time without hitting the remote switch. And the key fob should be hidden as far away from your bed as possible. Obviously this is more effective the larger your home is. ...

May 4, 2025 · 3 min · Ben Bokser
It works!

Reviving an MP3 Player from 2007

I love little semi-retro gadgets, maybe because I grew up playing a GameBoy? Anyway, a few months ago, this video about Rockbox really sold me on getting a first-generation Sandisk Sansa Clip, and I ended up ordering an unopened one off Ebay. There was one problem, though. Turns out if you leave a LiPo pack on the shelf for ~15-17 years it stops working. And the Sansa Clip was never designed to be repairable. ...

June 12, 2024 · 2 min · Ben Bokser