We have all seen, I hope, birds perching on telegraph lines, neatly spaced, looking for all the world like a living abacus. However, instead of learning to count on them, I propose using them to completely get away from both the analog and digital metaphors for telling the time.

Using the magic of e-paper (q.v.), sounds chips and Flash animation, this square clock shows birds perched on a row of telegraph wires. The top wire shows the hours, the second and third the minutes, the fourth and fifth the seconds. The birds are grouped in threes, to make it easy to count them at aglance.

Every second, a new bird flutters up and settles on the bottom wire. Once there are nine birds, the tenth bird settles on the fourth wire, and all the birds on fifth take flight and fly away. Likewise, the minutes and hours.

If this is not clear, please see the linked pictures of the clock at various times. With the pictures, imagine the gentle sounds of the fluttering of wings as the birds settle or fly away, the sounds proportional to the number of birds in the air.

Options include turning the seconds off, having a bell or cannon startle the birds on the hour, and turning the sounds off altogether. And also for showing AM/PM (haven't entirely figured that one out yet; maybe a sun or moon to indicate whether it's night or day).
-- DrCurry, Jun 27 2004

Clock at 5:27 and 58 seconds http://moniplex.com...ain.php?picture=204
[DrCurry, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 31 2004]

Clock at 1 second before 1:00 pm http://moniplex.com...ain.php?picture=205
The 59th "second" just arriving. [DrCurry, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004]

Clock turning 1:00 pm http://moniplex.com...ain.php?picture=206
(with a fluttering roar of wings) [DrCurry, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004]

Delightful clock animation http://www.lares.dt..._ver3/03/index.html
I have always thought this to be a masterpiece. 160Kb Flash animation. [bristolz, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004]

love it!
-- po, Jun 27 2004


Roll on midnight, when they're all gone. (Evil, nasty, horrid, smelly...)
-- angel, Jun 27 2004


"It's four o'clock and all is squab."
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Jun 27 2004


Use roosters, and make an alarm flock.
-- Amos Kito, Jun 27 2004


Very pretty but I imagine it would be distracting, what with birds flying about every second.
-- phoenix, Jun 27 2004


could use bats for pm. (+)
-- xclamp, Jun 27 2004


<Obvious Joke>Time to wash your car.<OJ> +
-- sartep, Jun 27 2004


Seconds would have to be humming birds, pigeons are too slow.
-- kbecker, Jun 27 2004


May be just me, but I find a digital clock, or even a wall clock, so much easier.

The birds, I assume, would be more realistic and lively than in the links.

Plus, I think you should be able to shoot the birds to change the time.

[+-]
-- Pocketassreturn, Jun 28 2004


Very nice, Curry!+ I would love to see the animated version, and a screen saver would really be cool.
-- dentworth, Jun 28 2004


A clock idea? That's not from [FarmerJohn]? Shirley some mistake?
-- spacemoggy, Jun 28 2004


Wow. I would just sit around and wait for one o'clock every day. Beautiful, [CurryMD].
-- k_sra, Jun 28 2004


I can see the cat enjoying this.
-- skinflaps, Jun 28 2004


This is really great. I'd just sit and look at the clock all day.
-- evilmathgenius, Jun 29 2004


I agree - this wins. [+]. I'mm gonna toss a bun your way to try and throw-off your time.

Also the species of birds an change with the seasons. But it would all depend on where you live. I fear the Florida clock. Snow birds migrating in their RVs and handicapped plackards. Get the parking lot.
-- Letsbuildafort, Jun 29 2004


Rats with wings [-]

Great idea [++]

Couldn't you make it with doves instead for people who have been shite upon too many times by the wing-ed rats?
-- Klaatu, Jun 29 2004


Pigeons are cool, once you get to know them. And they are doves, [klaatu].
Good one, Curry.
-- lintkeeper2, Jun 30 2004


Very elegant. I like it. A lot.
-- bristolz, Jun 30 2004



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