This mesmerizing water display was created by Koei Industry and it’s located in the South Gate Building in the Osaka Station City shopping mall in Japan. Flowing sheets of water act as a shimmering canvas, as the display is part waterfall and digital printer rolled into one. The water streams are lit up to display an ever-changing array of patterns and designs.

This looks pretty cool. I wonder if they’ll end up making HDTVs that will fit in water fountains someday.

[via NOTCOT]

The clock is made by hand by the Etsy store owner NotByLaser. It works on a wall or on your desk. The design was inspired by the creator’s first box of records. Each of the handmade designs is custom-made, including the label color, style, and genre of the record. The design can also be flipped 180 degrees if you need that for the proper Feng Shui.

The Star Wars AT-AT clock sells for $39 on Etsy. If that’s not to your liking, he’s got other incredible clocks, like this Dali melting vinyl clock.

[via Geek Alerts]

Ukranian artist Mykola Kolomieyets is just that person. He designed all of the components for the clock and uses CNC machining technology to cut all the parts. He then hand-assembles them to create a functional timepiece. On the surface, these clocks look a bit like their mass-produced predecessors, but they’re so much more special having been built by hand.

Each clock uses a set of spinning mechanical plates to tell the current hour and minutes, and the clock is backlight for nighttime viewing as well. You can choose from a 12 hour or 24 hour version as well. The base model doesn’t include an alarm, so it’s best used in your living room or on a desk, but that’s probably for the best, since this thing makes a rather noticeable “tick” sound every time the hour or minute changes.

There is a more expensive alarm version too, but I’d be afraid that it would keep me up at night. Still, it’s an impressive bit of work if you ask me.

The handmade flip clocks are available over at Mykola’s Etsy shop for $165(USD) without an alarm, and $250 with an alarm, and come in a couple of different finishes. You can check out some of Mykola’s other mechanical clock designs over on his YouTube page.

The clock is controlled by an ATtiny44 and has a bare PCB board with LED spires that radiate out from its center, reminiscent of a traditional wall clock. Each spire has three digits, corresponding to 1, 2 and 4. When the inner and outer digits are lit up, it shows a binary five. Then the next spire will start the count. Confusing enough for you yet? The hours are displayed with a red LED, and they correspond to the positions of an analog clock, so at least those are easy to read.

If you want to build your own, you can check out Mike’s post on Jumptuck where he explains how he made the clock.

[via Make:]

The game plays very much like the original, but the aliens in this version tell the current time with their formations. This means you’ve got exactly one minute to complete each level, before the level changes. And if you manage to finish the level in time, more aliens show up anyhow, bombarding you a la Galaga.

You can also switch the game into clock mode, and it just plays by itself silently as the time changes. Personally, I like to switch my iPhone off when I go to sleep, but if you’re the type of person that likes to leave their devices running all night then this might be the right app for you, especially if you love retro gaming and don’t mind a little game from time to time in bed.

Space Timeders is available for free at iTunes, but for $0.99 you can get rid of the rather annoying ads. I had fun trying it out and I’ll probably play it some more this week.

[via Design You Trust]

While I wish you had to slash it with a lightsaber to shut it off, they decided that you’re supposed to throw it across the room in order to shut the alarm off. I suppose that’s a good way to get your aggression out first thing in the morning, but I’d be afraid that I’d break it (or something else in its path of destruction.) It’s not like it looks like this thing is made from rubber after all.

To make your morning routine more challenging, be sure to wear a helmet with the blast shield down when you reach for it.

The Jedi Training Remote Alarm Clock should be out this April/May. I haven’t found a U.S. retailer yet, but they are available for pre-order now over at Australia’s Frontline Hobbies for $29.99 (AUS) (~$32 USD) and at UK seller ForbiddenPlanet for £19.99 (~$31 USD).

These office supplies were created by the Spalvieri/Del Ciotto studio for Lexon. All of these creations are sustainable and are powered by photovoltaic cells. When that’s not enough, they include rechargeable batteries. They are made out of corn plastic, which is eco-friendly and has a unique feel. Even the color scheme is geared to sustainability, as it’s white with green accents.

The Maizy collection includes a radio, LED flashlight, analog and digital alarm clocks and two calculators. Lexon doesn’t advertise retail prices on their wholesale website, but I imagine they’ll be reasonably priced when they hit stores.

[via Moco LoCo]

The Lineær Clock was designed by Audun Ask Blaker. The clock features no illumination or digital displays, and promises a very quiet-running mechanism. Some people will say that it’s too minimal, but I like the fact that you can easily and quickly tell the time with it, and it doesn’t take up much space.

From the looks of this illustration, the overall mechanics behind it don’t seem too complicated either.

It’s a cool time-telling concept, but for now, it’s just that – a concept. Only time will tell if the Lineær clock will ever be produced.

[via Yanko Design]

So besides its looks, what’s different about the Ramos? In order to stop the alarm on this clock, you’ll have to enter a code into the Defuse Panel, an independent keyboard – much like that you’d find on a burglar alarm – that you can place anywhere within a certain radius. Assuming you don’t just keep it under your pillow, you’ll be forced awake because of the intellectual stimulation necessary to perform this task. It will definitely stop you from pushing the snooze button over and over again, and ending up late for work. Depending on how much you end up pledging, you’ll either get the standard model, effective within 50 feet or so, or the long range model, which works within 100 feet.

The Ramos Alarm Clock sells for $160(USD) for the plain-Jane LED model, but the highly desirable Nixie Ramos sells for $350, and you can even spend more money on custom versions. The long range version is pretty interesting, because you can put the Defuse Panel on another floor or room in your place, ensuring that you’ll wake up.

And if you have any funny ideas about unplugging the alarm clock – that won’t help either, since it’s got a battery backup unit built in. You can find out more about the Ramos Alarm Clock over on Kickstarter.

[via Uncrate]

This 8-bit inspired clock is awesomely retro. I know that Mario is supposed to be jumping over a Goomba, but all I see is a Goomba swinging from his junk. Since that’s stuck in my head, I guess this clock isn’t for me, even though I still find it awesome.

It comes from Etsy seller ClockworkOregon and it can be yours for just $60(USD). As for me, I’ll just admire it from a distance.

[via Nerd Approved]

The Napper lets you easily take short naps 15, 30 or 60 minutes in length. I actually nodded off in approval when I saw this product. Then I realized how easy it already is to set up an alarm on my phone. Then I looked at the Napper again and resumed nodding off once more.

Set an alarm so you’ll remember to order the Napper on Amazon for $15 (USD).

[via Craziest Gadgets]

These quirky timepieces will display the time as an constantly evolving artwork on your wall. The fact that it does so with bright, lively, and vibrant displays is just one of the major features of its design.

Both hands of the clock are connected with a flexible surface made from Tyvek. The movements of the clock are based on the mathematical notion of Riemann surfaces, including the log(z) function.

The Manifold Clock is a Product Design project from Studio Ve, that’s based in Tel Aviv, Israel. The project is currently up on Kickstarter, where almost half of the $15,000 has been reached by interested contributors, with about 1 month to go. If you’re interested in getting one of these gorgeous clocks for yourself, then a minimum pledge of $45 is needed.

I have some obsessive-compulsive tendencies myself, and if you can combine the two to save space, then why not? Thus comes Ken Lo’s CalenClock concept – not a very creative name as it’s just the two objects put together, but a creative concept that’s been a long time coming.

It’s pretty obvious what the CalenClock is, from the name itself. It’s also pretty self-explanatory once you see images of it.

The hour and minute hands of the clock are positioned over split-page days of the calendar, which you’re supposed to tear off with each passing day. It’s a neat idea and I’d definitely run out and buy one (or two) if it does go into production.

[via Yanko Design]

Nothing is more annoying than waking up to the sound of someone else’s alarm, especially if that someone else is still sleeping and drooling all over their pillow. I’ve thrown the occasional pillow or two at the said someone before going back to sleep in a grumpier mood.

If you find yourself in a similar dilemma, then you might want to consider gifting them with the Chirp Alarm Clock. Not only is it a pretty simplistic and attractive alarm clock, but it also makes sure to wake only the person who set the alarm, and not anyone else.

How? Well, the Chirp Alarm Clock comes with a vibrating clip that you can clip onto your pillow, shirt, hair, or wherever you want it to. It vibrates at the set alarm time for a certain period of time, so once you’re up, just insert the clip back onto the base to make it stop vibrating. If you don’t do so though, then an audible alarm (the annoying one) will ring out to make sure that you get out of bed, pronto.

The Chirp Alarm Clock is in pre-production, and garnering pricing feedback over at Quirky, so if you’re interested in one be sure to drop by and provide your thoughts. Currently, the estimated market price for the Chirp is about $18 (USD).

[via Oh Gizmo!]

Each BR Twelve O’Clock watch face uses a set of three rotating disks to gradually shift between a numbers representing a single hour. When it’s not exactly that time, the watch reveals abstract geometric patterns, again revealing the time when that hour approaches again. That’s right, each Twelve O’Clock watch tells the proper time exactly twice a day. All other times, it’s just a cryptic pattern. In fact, you need to own a set of 12 of these watches in order to tell the time properly. Huh, wha?

Given that limitation, the Twelve O’Clock clearly works better as a clock than as a wristwatch, since it’s being sold in a set with a dozen watches, each placed into its own battery-powered winder. Here’s a sped-up video showing off the Twelve O’Clock in action:

And a little more footage of the concept from this year’s earlier Baselworld show where it was first revealed:

Sure, completely impractical, but its still a cool design. Bell & Ross fully admits the Twelve O’Clock is an art piece, and not really intended to be worn as a practical timepiece. With that in mind, they’re only making a dozen of these limited-edition watch sets. And if you have to ask how much it costs, you most certainly won’t be able to afford one. That said, a set is said to cost about $88,000 (USD). See? Told you that you can’t afford it.

The Spiral Clock was designed by Will Aspinall and Neil Lambeth. The unusual face of the clock has a red ball which indicates the current time. The ball starts by dropping into the outer part of the spiral, and then the spiral rotates slowly over the course of 12 hours, gradually moving the ball closer and closer to the center. Eventually, when 12 hours have passed, the ball drops through the hole in the center, and the whole process starts again. While it sounds kind of weird, time-telling is actually quite intuitive – if not the most precise of exercises.

It’s a pretty ingenious design if I do say so, and definitely not like any other clock I’ve seen. Each Spiral Clock is made from an aluminum body, and the spiral itself is made from cast resin. The image you see above is from the first-generation Spiral Clock, but the guys who designed it are working on a new version called the “Equitime”, expected out in early 2012. The reason for the upgrade is that it was very difficult to read the time during the 11th hour. The new version fixes this problem by changing the number spacing, and also is quieter than the original model an it’s “frog-like croaking sounds.”

Now the only other problem is that the Equitime will cost £499 (~$782 USD), so most of us won’t be buying one any time soon. If you are interested in securing one, head on over to The Spiral Clock website for more info.

[via Reddit via SuperPunch]

I can see this setup working as a giant clock and lighting system in any modern pad. The effect is quite hypnotic when you watch it. The piece is vividly illuminated by many LED sticks that are programmed using an algorithm to reveal the time of the day. It’s a re-imagining of how sundials were used, using shadows to tell time.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

This clock premiered at Design Miami 2011, but it’s currently on display at the Carpenter’s Workshop Gallery in London.

[Vimeo via TrendsNow]

As much as we wish it did, the Portal Companion Cube Clock does not get its energy from a GLaDOS potato. Created by Amanda Stuart, a.k.a Minniethemink, this geeky clock is great for any Portal lover’s home. The Companion Cube clock is wall mountable, and comes with a stand if you decide to opt out of the “nailing pixel clocks to your wall” mantra. Additionally, if you decide to opt out of the TSA scanning at an airport, you get a free package of loud “opt out!” screaming and a bonus awkward pat-down from a 55 year old man.

Amanda handmade each of these Companion Cube clocks with Perler beads, and might have even sprinkled a little love on top just for you. (But probably not, since the price of love has really skyrocketed these past few years. *Silent weeping* ) Keep in mind that by “each of these,” I mean one, since there’s only one clock left on her Etsy page. You can buy it for $23 (USD), or you can try to make your own and end up with a mess of melted plastic and a clock with a bunch of hot glue on it. *Discretely shoves a heap of failed attempts into the trash*

Portal has been a huge hit among geeks like me, and fans have created thousands of tributes to the series. If you thought the Companion Cube clock was appealing, you might want to head on over to the Portal Bookends or the Portal Earrings for more Portal fun. Alternately, you could lock yourself in your basement and play the games until your eyes fall out, but I don’t think your eyes would appreciate that set of actions very much. But, if your eyes ever did fall out after an extreme Portal 2 session, don’t worry! The eye massager would make them feel like a pair of newborn ocular balls of jelly.

Mr. Andersson (you will now re-read that and all succeeding instances of Mr. Andersson in Agent Smith’s voice) calls his clock the Time Twister. It’s powered by two LEGO Mindstorms NXT micro-computers chatting over Bluetooth. The master NXT keeps track of the time, handles the minute digits and never pays the slave NXT, despite it’s important task of changing the hour digits as well as flashing the separator to indicate the second.

Speaking of the digits, as you can see in the pictures they’re each made of five layers of black and white tiles. Each layer is arranged in fixed patterns. Mr. Andersson describes the Time Twister’s mysterious ways as such: “By twisting the top layer back and forth in a specific pattern, you can arrange the layers so that the desired digit is displayed.”

This purposeful movement is what makes the clock fascinating, but you’ll also have to keep your eye on it because the whole thing happens quite slowly, it takes about half a minute to update the display. Thank god it doesn’t display the seconds.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Squeaky separator is squeaky. If Mr. Andersson’s past behavior is any indication, he will soon post the parts list, NXT files and the building instructions on his website so fellow Mindstormers can make their own Time Twister and come closer to defeating the machines. Also, Mr. Andersson.

[via Mr. Andersson's website via Make: via Gizmodo]

The creators call this their “Clock for Robots” and the idea is that the QR code would change dynamically depending on the current time. The Datamatrix Code Clock is quite visible, and allows robots (and humans) to read the time.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

You never know when your robot will need to tell the time. Of course, the whole idea seems somewhat odd, because you’d expect robots to know the time thanks to their own computronic brains.

For now, the clock is just a concept, but I wouldn’t mind having one of those around. (TokyoFlash, are you listening?)

[via Make:]