[HN Gopher] Show HN: I made an alarm clock
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Show HN: I made an alarm clock
Author : StavrosK
Score : 106 points
Date : 2021-01-25 11:55 UTC (1 days ago)
(HTM) web link (www.stavros.io)
(TXT) w3m dump (www.stavros.io)
| JshWright wrote:
| > I'm too obsessive to not check all my messages instead of
| falling asleep when I see the notifications on the screen.
|
| So this new clock is why you've stopped responding to my messages
| at all hours of the night? I see how it is...
| StavrosK wrote:
| Oh no, _your_ messages I see.
| hanniabu wrote:
| Lol do you guys actually know each other?
| StavrosK wrote:
| Haha, yep! For a looong time now.
| JshWright wrote:
| It's how I keep track of how old my daughter is...
| StavrosK wrote:
| We've known each other for highschool-age years.
| sgt wrote:
| >This symbolizes the futility of human existence and its
| incessant search for meaning in a cold and unfeeling universe
| that's ultimately profoundly devoid of such, and then you die.
|
| >Not having to wake up to a buzzer is cool, though.
|
| Hilarious!
| StavrosK wrote:
| I'd thank you but what's the point
| brian_herman wrote:
| Cool are you going to sell it?
| StavrosK wrote:
| Nah, I can't be bothered with sales and stuff. I estimate the
| effort left to make it an actual product someone can use to be
| about ten to thirty times as much effort as I put into this
| prototype, and I don't think many people will want it.
| hnburnsy wrote:
| That's really cool, but a projection clock really saves from
| having to strain to read the time on the bedside table.
| fernandopj wrote:
| That was hilarious! And it's such a cool project. Just copy &
| paste this entire post in a Kickstart page and watch the money
| pile up. Seriously. (but omit the "liar" part)
| StavrosK wrote:
| Haha, but then I'd have to do so much work :(
|
| I was actually contacted by the CEO of Pimoroni a while back,
| you can give them the product and they'll handle sales and
| manufacturing and give you a percentage, which is a great deal
| for a lazy guy like me. Unfortunately, he hasn't replied to my
| last 3-4 emails, so I haven't pursued it further.
| LibertyBeta wrote:
| They're likely a little swamped with the Pico launch.
| StavrosK wrote:
| I think the first email was ~8 months ago, but I don't know
| how long the Pico launch has been brewing for.
| nip180 wrote:
| One small design suggestion. You should include a battery so that
| if the electricity were to go out you could still see the time or
| be alerted at the time of the alarm.
| StavrosK wrote:
| Yep, I mention that in the post. I have an LoLin ESP32 board
| that includes a charger and battery connector, I might just use
| that.
| baxtr wrote:
| _> Say I want to set the alarm for 9:30, just in time to be ten
| minutes late for tennis._
|
| Haha. What a ridiculous time to get up - from my perspective at
| least having young children that are up at 6:30 the latest.
| That's the reason why I won't need your clock. I wholeheartedly
| agree though that it's "sexy". Niiice!
| StavrosK wrote:
| Oh man, 9:30 is my "this is inhumanely early" time. I usually
| get up around noon. Having kids will either be terrible or
| super easy, as I can keep the kid until 6 am, while my wife
| sleeps, and then we can switch shifts.
| seanalltogether wrote:
| Once past the newborn phase, babies like to be asleep when
| its dark and awake when its light.
| StavrosK wrote:
| So you're suggesting some sort of servo-controlled horse
| blinds, interesting.
| tailspin2019 wrote:
| Not many HN comments are worthy of a literal "laugh out
| loud".
|
| But this one is.
| glitchc wrote:
| Ah, to be young again!
| Sebb767 wrote:
| I've wanted to do this for myself for a long time, especially the
| dimmer wake up part. This might be Inspiration enough to finally
| go for it.
|
| Great write-up! I enjoyed the nihilist humour quite a lot.
| StavrosK wrote:
| Thanks! Go for it, I'm _fairly_ sure the dimming will work for
| you, but I _think_ the other similar screen I have doesn 't
| work with that code entirely, it needed some small change that
| I don't remember now.
| larrik wrote:
| > Octagonal shape so I can lay it down on its side instead of
| having to crane my neck up to check the time when lying down (I
| really did think of everything).
|
| I actually didn't understand this part. Why an octagon? How does
| it help this?
| pb7 wrote:
| You can rotate an octagon in 45deg increments.
| StavrosK wrote:
| Yep! That really is its killer feature, and it's very
| interesting how, when I'm lying with my head perfectly
| horizontal, it's easier to read the clock when it's at 45deg
| rather than entirely on its side...
| FriendlyNormie wrote:
| Jesus, how fucking retarded are these people that you even
| had to explain this. Any random Japanese person for example
| would have understood immediately upon looking at it.
| Americans are a fucking embarrassment
| dmje wrote:
| I'm really pissed off that I didn't think of an octagonal
| clock, dammit
| StavrosK wrote:
| Well it's too late now, the patent is _MINE_
| AndrewDucker wrote:
| Allows it to be angled in a variety of directions, but still be
| stable.
| roadbeats wrote:
| How did you get the case built ? 3D printer ?
| StavrosK wrote:
| Yes! I love my 3D printer, it has the highest ROI of anything
| I've ever bought, and I've bought a bidet.
| dceddia wrote:
| Cool! What sorts of things have you 3D printed that give it
| such a high ROI?
|
| I've got one too and it's fun to tinker with and I've printed
| a couple useful things, but not _a lot_ of useful things. I
| 'm always curious what people do with theirs, especially when
| they say they use it all the time!
| outworlder wrote:
| Not OP but most of my savings have been on time, rather
| than money. It did save some money.
|
| * When installing a portable AC, I noticed that the
| included window kit didn't extend far enough. Similarly,
| another window was small, and the window kit would have to
| be sawed off. They retail for approximately $50 for a piece
| of plastic. Printer cost me $150. Plastic costs were under
| $10. Thats close to 2/3 of the printer price right there.
|
| * One of the air conditioners came with a broken
| caster(bought online). Store didn't help. I could return
| the entire unit, but I would have to endure a heat wave
| without one. So I just printed an adaptor to use with some
| other furniture casters I had laying around. Designing was
| quick, so in a couple of hours I had my issue fixed.
|
| * Printed a Raspberry Pi case. A few more bucks.
|
| * My mom is starting a business and she needed some tools
| (really, they are guide pieces, ridiculously simple but you
| need relatively precise measurements). Some people would
| either purchase them (double digit dollars for one) or
| create crappy versions using cardboard. I designed and
| printed those for her and saved almost a hundred bucks, for
| something that almost looks like it came from a store. Plus
| I can further customize to her needs.
|
| * Printed a stand for my soldering iron. It's a DS-80p so
| it is tiny, the 'normal' stands are incredibly bulky.
| Printed a version I found on Thingiverse. While at it, why
| not print a nice case for it too, right?
|
| * Wanted to use the macbook upright, in clamshell mode. I
| could buy some stand, costing $20 and up. I didn't need
| anything fancy, so I just printed one. For about one tenth
| of the price of the cheapest option I could find. I got it
| in the same day even.
|
| * Due to COVID, printed a bunch of face shields.
|
| * Holders for a variety of things.
|
| Then there are some pure convenience:
|
| * Bike reflector holder piece broke. I wanted to go out to
| ride. Printing a replacement took less time than going to
| the store and back. Debatable if money was saved but not
| having to leave the house (or wait for a package) was
| certainly nice. Doubly so after COVID.
|
| * I wanted some desk grommets of a specific size (and
| length). Checked Amazon, they were either overpriced or
| came in larger quantities than I need and I would end up
| with an assortment of surplus pieces. Whatever,
| Thingiverse, fired up the printer, off I go. I even
| customized for the exact thickness of the desk.
|
| * Decided it would be cool if my Steam controller rested
| upright on a desk. Absent-mindedly queued a job remotely to
| the printer. Estimated costs around $1.
|
| I could go on and on for a day. But it's not a matter of
| seeing what I or others have printed and going "Oh I need
| that". It's about what it brings to the table.
|
| The bottom line is this. Assuming you have:
|
| * Some time to learn the basics of a CAD tool (any tool).
| You most likely don't need anything too complex. Most
| useful objects have simple shapes, you just need the
| ability to adapt them to your situation. You can get pretty
| far with downloading models online - sometimes I get
| surprised of what niche objects you can find. But often you
| can't find some specific thing you are looking for (the AC
| examples above) and you need to design.
|
| * Some time (and patience) to learn the basics of 3D
| printing and to do some troubleshooting when things go
| wrong. There's all sorts of communities that can help but
| you still need the basics.
|
| Then what you end up with is the ability to just conjure up
| stuff when you need a problem fixed. Anything. Maybe you
| need to hang something, maybe something moves and it
| shouldn't. Or maybe it doesn't but should (I've used skate
| rollers with 3d printed pieces, works great). Maybe some
| tiny plastic piece broke and the manufacturer is charging
| an arm and a leg to replace. You can just find it (if you
| are lucky or if it is a common thing) or you can design it
| yourself.
|
| This also allows you to come up with a bunch of DIY
| projects as this thread shows.
|
| If it is made out of plastic and fits in the build plate,
| odds are you can make it, unless it requires a more exotic
| plastic.
| StavrosK wrote:
| Exactly agreed. It's not so much _what_ you 've printed,
| it's that it changes your mindset to one where you
| realize that annoyances you wouldn't have thought twice
| about are now _actually easily solvable_.
|
| Before, the charger cables would roll off my desk, and
| I'd think "damn cables". Now I think "I can design and
| print something in 5 minutes that will solve this problem
| exactly". For many, many problems.
| StavrosK wrote:
| Once you learn to design (which is pretty easy), it changes
| your life. You can get custom-built components tailored
| _exactly_ to your problem in minutes. Computer cables being
| rowdy? Design a hook in five minutes, done. The other day I
| designed and printed a custom mobile phone holder for my
| laptop so I can use my phone as an HD webcam with DroidCam.
| Cat opens the door at night? Print a small doorstop and
| that problem is solved.
|
| A _lot_ of problems just go away when you realize you can
| make custom components for them.
| dceddia wrote:
| I love this mindset. I definitely think this way about
| software, and more recently, about things I can make out
| of wood.
|
| Plastic or machined parts have always felt out of reach
| so I'm not in the habit of believing I can fix things
| that way yet. I think it'll take some practice to get
| that idea to sink in. Thanks!
| StavrosK wrote:
| > I definitely think this way about software, and more
| recently, about things I can make out of wood.
|
| Yes, exactly. Though, I have to say, going from software
| to hardware was quite magical: You can suddenly affect
| the _physical_ world, which is amazing. Plus, if you
| already know software, adding hardware to the mix rounds
| you out very well, and opens up a large array of things
| you can make.
|
| > Plastic or machined parts have always felt out of reach
| so I'm not in the habit of believing I can fix things
| that way yet.
|
| I very strongly recommend designing a few things in
| OnShape or FreeCAD or SoveSpace and getting a 3D printer
| once you get the hang of that (it shouldn't take you very
| long at all, maybe a few evenings).
|
| Machined parts I find pretty hard, but then again I also
| found plastic things impossible before getting a printer
| and they turned out to be quite easy.
| paxys wrote:
| A long time ago I had a Google-branded alarm clock which had
| wheels and ran away when it rang so you couldn't hit snooze. Fun
| times.
| StavrosK wrote:
| Hahah I remember that one! It jumped off the nightstand and ran
| around the room, didn't it? That was hilarious.
| paxys wrote:
| Yes! It somehow managed to hide deep under my dresser every
| morning.
| kirktrue wrote:
| Are you referring to Clocky? - https://clocky.com/
| paxys wrote:
| Maybe. Or a precursor/knockoff. This was like 15 years ago..
| jordan801 wrote:
| I enjoy the nihilistic morbid humor here. I too question the
| futility of my work as I waste away in this cold expanse.
| Teknoman117 wrote:
| Sometimes I wonder if playing with old obviously obsolete
| computers is a waste of time.
|
| Been working on replacing the BIOS on a 386EX single board
| computer with a custom monitor / "hypervisor" I'm writing in
| Rust as kind of a demonstration of how low level you can get
| with Rust. I want to post a Show HN after cleaning it up a bit.
| StavrosK wrote:
| Enjoying yourself is never a waste of time.
| pbronez wrote:
| > There's an old Chinese saying:
|
| > To know the time, you must first connect to the internet.
|
| > - Sun Inc.
|
| amazing
| StavrosK wrote:
| Thanks! I wasn't sure if it would be obvious enough, I don't
| think many people got it.
| LeifCarrotson wrote:
| I enjoyed it, so there's at least two of us.
|
| You've turned microhumor [1] into something akin to a spoken
| accent that pervades the entire blog post. I'm unsure how to
| handle this.
|
| However, I was particularly amused by your closing sentence
| that mentioned how a LiPo could keep it running for "hours".
| That sounds about right for a 20 mA OLED and an 80 mA
| ESP8266, but it's remarkably shorter than an old-fashioned
| LCD alarm clock in which an alkaline battery could last for
| months.
|
| By the way, I'd recommend an 18650 LiIon instead. If you
| want, the charge circuit can be as simple as putting the
| LiIon and a silicon rectifier in parallel with your 3.3V
| regulator output (assuming the linear regulator has an
| internal PNP body diode and doesn't backfeed) and then just
| charge the cell outside the alarm clock in an off-the-shelf
| battery charger. You don't need the current density of a
| LiPo, you want low current but high capacity, and cheap LiPo
| pouches have an annoying tendency to puff up and go bad.
| Going bad may result in burning down your nightstand, which
| is never a good way to wake up.
|
| [1]: https://slatestarcodex.com/2016/02/20/writing-advice/
| StavrosK wrote:
| > I'm unsure how to handle this.
|
| I also. I'm fairly sure it's a compliment, though, so
| thanks!
|
| > it's remarkably shorter than an old-fashioned LCD alarm
| clock in which an alkaline battery could last for months.
|
| It certainly is, but an LCD alarm clock is much less
| fabulous, since it has to be pressed or otherwise activated
| to produce light, and that's my main need here (a clock
| that I can read in the dark without moving).
|
| > it's remarkably shorter than an old-fashioned LCD alarm
| clock in which an alkaline battery could last for months
|
| That's a good suggestion, but it loses some of the "set it
| and forget it" factor, and I will very definitely forget it
| (especially when there's no low voltage warning). I have
| some ESP32 boards with a built-in charger, so that's more
| hands-off. Also, the length of the clock is shorter than a
| 18650, so I'd have to make the clock larger and the screen
| would look even smaller in comparison. I appreciate the
| suggestions, design is fun and getting feedback from others
| makes it even better!
|
| > cheap LiPo pouches have an annoying tendency to puff up
| and go bad
|
| Oh, don't worry about that, they're all already puffed up.
| highpost wrote:
| Sun Inc. also said "The network is the computer." To which
| DEC Inc. replied "The network is the network and the computer
| is the computer. Sorry for all the confusion."
| Yhippa wrote:
| StavrosK, you're my hero. Thanks for the delightful write-up.
| StavrosK wrote:
| You're _my_ hero, Yhippa!
| e12e wrote:
| Nice write-up. No (ed: full) source code? I was somewhat qurious
| to see how much of it there ended up being.
|
| In high-school I did the almost opposite of this - I taped down
| the play button on my hi-fi CD remote, and wired the battery
| through the switch for the alarm of an old alarm clock (and cut
| the wires to the actual alarm). Allowed me to wake up to
| whichever CD was in the player, rather than an alarm.
|
| Most cd players would wake up from power off playing, but mine
| didn't - so I couldn't just make do with a timer on the mains.
| Plus, the analog alarm clock was easier to set for a time, than
| my timer-plug.
| StavrosK wrote:
| The code is here:
|
| https://gitlab.com/stavros/do-not-be-alarmed
|
| It's just pretty specific to me and I don't know if I committed
| any keys or anything, so I didn't really publicize it.
|
| It should be perfectly usable, though, you can build it with
| PlatformIO after specifying a few #defines.
| crazypython wrote:
| Nice to see it's under AGPLv3. Putting end-user code under
| AGPLv3 protects the rights of users to run, modify,
| contribute to, and share the software.
| StavrosK wrote:
| Yeah, I decided to switch to that from MIT/BSD as I don't
| like people taking the software and closing it up.
| e12e wrote:
| Thank you :)
| amelius wrote:
| An alarm clock without a radio?
| StavrosK wrote:
| _Then put your little hand in mine_
|
| _There ain 't no hill or mountain we can't climb_
| mbg721 wrote:
| It's interesting how that song in particular instantly zones-
| out the listener. Even though I've heard it hundreds of
| times, I had to look up the second line to make sure I had
| the right one.
| benbruscella wrote:
| That's the song that plays on the alarm clock radio in the
| movie Groundhog Day.
| selimthegrim wrote:
| The equivalent song for me personally is "Joy to the
| World" by Three Dog Night after a traumatic experience on
| an eighth grade trip
| mbg721 wrote:
| That is frighteningly easy to picture mentally.
| mbg721 wrote:
| Exactly, but I had a hard time recognizing Sonny and Cher
| just from the lyrics.
| war1025 wrote:
| Not nearly as nifty as this, but it reminded me that in college
| my alarm clock was cron job on my desktop that would launch a
| program every day at 8am which beeped the system bell once a
| second until I leapt out of bed and hit Enter.
|
| Making that sound stop was a great motivator for getting out of
| bed.
| gus_massa wrote:
| For a long time I had a similar setup, but I was just playing
| Thunderstruck by AC/DC. It stars quietly, the volume of the
| song increase slowly, and you have like a minute to get up and
| turn it off before they guy start to cry and wake up all your
| family.
| harkal wrote:
| Do you keep the screen constantly on (with dimming but still on)?
| I had the same for a thermostat I made and the pixel burn on
| those screens are terrible. I would add offsetting to mitigate
| it. (Periodically render stuff with small random offsets) kudos!
| StavrosK wrote:
| Yep, I do. I used this kind of screen in another project, but
| it took years to burn in (and that one was completely static).
| The screen only costs $3-4 or so, so I can just replace it if
| it becomes an issue, but you are quite correct that it's going
| to be a problem.
| shimonabi wrote:
| It's not that difficult. I made one for myself too with an
| ESP8266, a RTC clock module, a temperature sensor and a hd44780
| screen.
|
| It displays the time and date, outside/inside temperature,
| humidity, barometric pressure.
|
| I have the modules mounted on a breadboard, currently in vertical
| position with wires hangihg out. :)
| robocat wrote:
| > One thing I'd like to improve in the future is to add a
| battery, because right now it's solely USB powered and will
| obviously die if there's a power outage. Adding a small LiPo
| battery and a charger circuit will be pretty easy
|
| ?Maybe just use a USB powerbank if you want a quick n dirty
| solution?
| StavrosK wrote:
| That works, it'd just be a bit clunky. I already have a board
| that supports a battery, so I'll probably use that instead.
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