A hardware-based hit counter in a variety of styles, built to look like a staked yard ornament or suitable for hanging in a window. It uses an IR beam to detect people passing to or through a door.
More a gimmick than really useful, but might give commercial outlets bragging rights as well as an easy way of tracking traffic. All versions come with a random increment feature which can be used to simulate traffic (specifically for home users going on vacation).
{Admins: Catagory suggestions? There is no Product:Sign and I didn't want to tie this too closely with either home or office use...}-- phoenix, Jun 03 2002 not quite like banging on the counter though, eh?-- po, Jun 04 2002 I hated it when people banged on counter. Sometimes we'd be just a second away from finishing something and some rude sop would rap or whistle - what was really aggravating was if they put up a good fight while we ran them through the grinder before burying them out back.-- thumbwax, Jun 05 2002 If you've ever walked into a Radio Shack in North America, you've heard the little "ding-ding" of their door sensor. There's a counter hooked up to this thing, like an odometer that rolls up one every time the beam is broken.
They sell these things, too.-- waugsqueke, Jun 05 2002 Sometimes I think people would like it if I had a button to push hmm.-- reensure, Jun 07 2002 random, halfbakery