Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by martyb on Thursday August 24 2017, @01:05AM   Printer-friendly
from the it's-that-time-again dept.

I came across a wooden word watch on kickstarter. I like the concept and the approach this chap took (see also Imgur post on building this watch).

I have little more to add except that it felt like the kind of thing I'd love to see on SN, so here you go. I am not involved with this in any way and am (currently) not even backing this. But I just thought it was a cool story about engineering, and I figured it'd be appreciated. I am also kind of hoping some of the reactions will point out similarly cool small tech projects, so please do respond in the comments with your own SoyVertisements of cool, independent projects!


[Ed Note: We occasionally receive self-promoting story submissions. These are quickly noted as 'bin spam' and unceremoniously passed over for use on the site. (You can well imagine what would happen to the submissions queue were we to do otherwise!) This submission does not seem to fall into that category, but it does nudge up against it. The tipping point for my accepting this story is based on three factors. The submitter has been with the site since nearly its inception. (Submissions from ACs and newly-created-accounts just for submitting a self-promoting story will continue to be looked at very askance.) Another factor is the submitter receives no remuneration or benefit from the submission. Lastly, the item in question does look interesting to me and I think it would be of interest to the community. So, if you do [not] want to see more stories like this, on occasion, please indicate so in the comments. Also, any suggestions as to factors to use to assess these kinds of submissions for acceptance are also appreciated. --martyb]


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 24 2017, @01:32AM (7 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 24 2017, @01:32AM (#558268)

    Guess I'm a chump then, so be it. Don't have a cell phone, borrow one once or twice a year when it's actually needed.

    Some days I still wear a Casio basic calculator watch, but not for the calculator--it's really easy to set the alarm when there are enough buttons. The batteries seem to last about seven(7) years, I've been through several of these cheap watches, easier to buy a new one than to change out the battery.

    I liked this story. A few off-beat or home-built tech stories are fine by me.

  • (Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Thursday August 24 2017, @02:02AM (3 children)

    by PartTimeZombie (4827) on Thursday August 24 2017, @02:02AM (#558275)

    I agree, the story is fine. The device is kind of interesting.

    I also wear a watch, so I must be a chump too.

    • (Score: 2) by kazzie on Thursday August 24 2017, @08:21AM (2 children)

      by kazzie (5309) Subscriber Badge on Thursday August 24 2017, @08:21AM (#558374)

      And another echo:

      The story is interesting. I also am a watch-wearing chump. And worse still, it's an analog watch!

      • (Score: 2) by FakeBeldin on Thursday August 24 2017, @01:24PM (1 child)

        by FakeBeldin (3360) on Thursday August 24 2017, @01:24PM (#558432) Journal

        Chump++ here.
        I recently got an analog watch myself. It looks great, and not having to whip out the phone just to see the time is very nice too.
        I'll have to see whether I'll be wearing it a lot in 6 months, but for now, having a watch makes me giddily happy :)

        • (Score: 2) by Reziac on Friday August 25 2017, @02:30AM

          by Reziac (2489) on Friday August 25 2017, @02:30AM (#558701) Homepage

          That wooden word watch is cool as all hell. Both clever and beautiful to look at. Will be interesting to see what else comes out of that fellow's brain.

          Alas, on the rare occasions when I wear a watch, it's one that I got for the cost of a stamp, from a coupon in a box of corn flakes. (Yes, really. Cost me 26 cents.)

          --
          And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
  • (Score: 2) by Nuke on Thursday August 24 2017, @10:09AM

    by Nuke (3162) on Thursday August 24 2017, @10:09AM (#558394)

    I'm another chump.

  • (Score: 1) by jrial on Thursday August 24 2017, @10:48AM

    by jrial (5162) on Thursday August 24 2017, @10:48AM (#558397)
    Agreed. The story is fine, no objections to similar stories in the future.
    --
    Install windows on my workstation? You crazy? Got any idea how much I paid for the damn thing?
  • (Score: 2) by janrinok on Friday August 25 2017, @08:10AM

    by janrinok (52) Subscriber Badge on Friday August 25 2017, @08:10AM (#558771) Journal

    Lots of people still rely on watches - don't write them off yet. Aircrew, nurses, divers, military folk, scientists (look at pictures of people working on the LHD for example), people working in remote places, astronauts, people working in secure areas with classified information. The list goes on but I think that I have made my point.

    you would still have to hold up your arm and wrist in an awkward way

    As opposed to having to pull your phone from your pocket and holding it in an 'awkward way'? My watch is on my wrist and the movement required for me to view it is minimal and entirely natural.

    As for using a smart watch - why not just use a watch? I don't need it to tell me how far I have walked, what I had for breakfast, how fast my heart is beating, or the quickest way to the nearest McDonalds. I just want to know what time it is!