Some ideas are too bizarre for me to think about them too long. I'm worried that if I do, something in my mind will just snap. A digital hourglass falls in the category quiet neatly. Hourglasses work on sand. There's something refreshingly analog about timing things based on the measured flow of a physical substance—it's the kind of thing that gives you respect for the scientists of yore who concocted systems like this without any fancy-shmancy chips or circuits.
So what do we do? We digitize it, effectively mocking all of their hard work by asking in pure innocence: well, why didn't you just use virtual sand, smarty pants? Huh?
The digital hourglass can be used as a timer, a stopwatch, or a clock. All for the price of $17.95. Which is probably a bit more than a traditional hourglass. But hey, it's digital, remember?
[via Oh Gizmo!]
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