Tag: Timer

This Game Boy timer will come in handy in the kitchen. I could have used one of these back in the day, to let me know when to change the batteries in my actual Game Boy.

Tinkerer Steve Hoefer found a way to put those kitschy chattering teeth toy to good use. With the help of a 555 timer chip, a servo and some soldering, you can turn the toy into a timer that automatically counts down as you start brushing.

Because of two things, I consider myself to be a disaster in the kitchen: 1) I get absent-minded sometimes and think about other things (like work, stuff I need to buy, etc.) when I should be focusing on the task at hand (like minding the carrots); and 2) I always end up leaving the pot because of something I also need to do (answer the phone, get the door, help my nephew go potty – that sort of stuff.)

Boiled eggs are tricky to cook. You have to time them just right. That’s hard because it’s not as if you can peek inside the shell and check on them. There must be an easier way to boil an egg.

Japan is known for numerous technological innovations over the years, but none has ever made such an impact on me as this. This miracle of modern  technology is the world’s first fully robotic Cup Noodle timer.

Picture this: your alarm goes off late one morning, so you’re scrambling around your apartment with burnt toast in one hand and random work stuff in the other. You wash everything down with coffee, grab your car keys off the table, and rush out the door – completely forgetting about your electric pancake griddle that’s still hooked up and plugged into the socket. 

With all of the modern ways (apps, iPhones, and your watch) to let you know of elapsed time, it’s kind of cool to get a desk clock that does the same. Unlike other timepieces, this thing is right in your face.

Given the fact that I’ve probably spent at least a gazillion hours in my professional careers sitting in mind-numbing meetings, this device is definitely something that I need. The $25 Bring Tim! timer should be standard issue in every corporate conference room.

So what is it really? It is exactly what it says it is. Made by Nirav Patel, the Sleep Remaining Indicator is a homemade gadget that indicates how long you have to sleep by shining a laser beam on the ceiling (or I guess wherever you want it to shine).

Did you forget how long ago you put that meat in the fridge, or when you last scooped the nasty cat box… how about the last time you changed the oil in your car? This simple, ingenious device lets helps you keep track of the last time you performed a specific task, right in the context of the item in question.