Flying alarm clock

[iago]

Just too cool: http://www.firebox.com/index.html?dir=firebox&action=product&pid=1681

It flies away in the morning, and you have to find it to turn it off.

[Sidoh]

Hehe, I saw that on thinkgeek a while ago.  I think I sent the link to Ergot and Towelie.  It's pretty neat!

[Chavo]

I'd really like to see how much the landing location really varies.  Seems like it would always land it more or less the same place if it always launches the same way (assuming a relatively windless room).  If it varied enough, this would be perfect for me!  I adjust to new alarm clock locations in a matter of days and need to be up for a good 2-3 minutes before I don't have the urge to go right back to bed anymore.

[Ergot]

There's a bunch of annoying ones, like one that rolls away... and one where you have to defuse it.

[Blaze]

Yeah, I just unplug my alarm clock if it annoys me, does this one use batteries to keep going or something?

[chuck]

Yeah, I just unplug my alarm clock if it annoys me, does this one use batteries to keep going or something?

It uses battery's according to the article.

I used to play with those kind of propeller things when I was younger, they tend to hurt when they hit you in the head, so I hope it likes to fly away from the persons head...

[BigAznDaddy]

hahaha this is such a good invention. its simple and annoying. why didn't i think of it?

[iago]

I'd really like to see how much the landing location really varies.  Seems like it would always land it more or less the same place if it always launches the same way (assuming a relatively windless room).  If it varied enough, this would be perfect for me!  I adjust to new alarm clock locations in a matter of days and need to be up for a good 2-3 minutes before I don't have the urge to go right back to bed anymore.

You'd think so, but even a small variation in the clock's location would probably mean a significantly different landing spot. I used to play with those helicopters when I was a kid, and they were pretty unpredictable.

[Chavo]

You'd think so, but even a small variation in the clock's location would probably mean a significantly different landing spot. I used to play with those helicopters when I was a kid, and they were pretty unpredictable.

The clock moves?

[Joe]

You'd think so, but even a small variation in the clock's location would probably mean a significantly different landing spot. I used to play with those helicopters when I was a kid, and they were pretty unpredictable.

The clock moves?

If you move it, yeah.

[Chavo]

That would defeat the purpose.  I could manually move any alarm clock for the same benefit.

[iago]

You'd think so, but even a small variation in the clock's location would probably mean a significantly different landing spot. I used to play with those helicopters when I was a kid, and they were pretty unpredictable.

The clock moves?

Yes, you move it when you put the helicopter back in it, by probably a cm or two. I didn't mean move it a lot (that's why I said "small variation").

[Chavo]

I still can't imagine that effecting the helicopter's final landing place by more than a foot or so.  I would need a good 3-4 feet of variance minimum to not be able to just walk right to it.

[iago]

Have you ever bounced one of those rubber balls off the ceiling? Even if you hit a predictable place, they're pretty random.

[Chavo]

Sure, but that has two primary factors: 

a) the elasticity of the rubber ball results in very little energy absorbed in the impact
b) the ceiling's rough surface and relatively high surface contact effect the new trajectory considerably

whereas the helicopter

a) as far as I can tell, has no more elasticity than any other plastic spinning wheel and will lose most of its energy when it hits the ceiling (IF it hits the ceiling)
b) has a much larger contact area that seems like it would have more consistent response

I would really like to see it in action, but the video on the site you linked only demonstrates the takeoff.