A digital Roman numeral desktop alarm clock. Why is that so hard to find!? A Google search revealed a computer version available for download, but that's not what I want. Another Google search turned up a very expensive digital Roman numeral clock with a mahogany case, but apparently no alarm function. WTF!?

So that's my big idea. A standard digital desktop alarm clock, with all the standard bells and whistles (you know, adjustable snooze, adjustable display color and brightness, USB music download, etc...), with a Roman numeral display. For those making the transition from standard clocks to Roman numeral, a smaller secondary display under the RN display would show the standard digital time, with a switch on the side to turn it off when you feel comfortable with the Roman numerals. I was thinking a binary display that you can toggle between would be kinda neat, too.
-- 21 Quest, Oct 16 2009

Halfbakery: Digital Big Ben http://www.halfbake...dea/Digital Big Ben
Numerals, Romans, LCD, Clocks, Shameless Self Promotion. [zen_tom, Oct 16 2009]

Here's a halfbaked binary alarm clock http://hackedgadget...binary-alarm-clock/
This thing is cool! [21 Quest, Oct 16 2009]

How's this? http://technabob.co...d-clocks-from-idea/
[Jinbish, Oct 16 2009]

Overly expensive mahogany clock http://www.sonic.net/chronart/romdig.html
[21 Quest, Oct 16 2009]

Nope... thinkgeek hasn't done it. http://www.thinkgeek.com/stuff/looflirpa/
The snuzNluz clock, however, is pure genius. [21 Quest, Oct 16 2009]

IV or IIII http://www.ubr.com/...on-clock-dials.aspx
[zen_tom, Oct 16 2009]

ThinkGeek Epoch Alarm Clock http://www.thinkgee...office/lights/a7c5/
I guess you shouldn't have limited your search to the April Fools products. [nick_n_uit, Oct 16 2009]

I don't know if anyone has done a Roman Numeral LCD layout - but it would be a cool alternative to the traditional 7-segment display.
-- zen_tom, Oct 16 2009


I seem to recall thinkgeek may have had this as an April Fools item one year.
-- tatterdemalion, Oct 16 2009


Nope, thinkgeek hasn't done it. I linked to a page with a list of all their April Fool's Day products and then some. It ain't there.
-- 21 Quest, Oct 16 2009


Will it use IIII or IV? Upon this rests one pastry!
-- vincevincevince, Oct 16 2009


Shouldn't it use unequal hours, starting at dawn and dusk?
-- pocmloc, Oct 16 2009


It was a roman numeral calculator I remember seeing, actually. Not thinkgeek obviously, but a similar sort of retailer offering a fake product.
-- tatterdemalion, Oct 16 2009


IV, of course, V3. This would be authentic Roman Numerals, or what's the point?
-- 21 Quest, Oct 16 2009


We have a wristwatch that displays the time in binary. So we think this would be cool. [+]
-- 8th of 7, Oct 16 2009


//IV, of course// Au contraire, it's traditional to use IIII for clock faces.
-- zen_tom, Oct 16 2009


Seriously!? I never noticed... wow, I have got to pay more attention to such things. Why is that, I wonder?

Mr. Borg, I used to work with a TSO at the local airport who had a binary watch. It was pretty cool.
-- 21 Quest, Oct 16 2009


And dammit, I can't believe that clock in the link didn't turn up on a Google search. I'm keeping this, because it's hardly widely known to exist.
-- 21 Quest, Oct 17 2009


I knew it, you just convinced me I didn't. That's one way to get things unwidely known.
-- tatterdemalion, Oct 17 2009


It's called strategy, dear Tatter ;D
-- 21 Quest, Oct 17 2009


The reason IIII is used instead of IV is twofold. It makes the face look more balanced if it's analogue, which wouldn't be relevant to a digital face, and it means there are four X's, four V's and twenty I's, which allows XVIIIII to be cast as a single shape four times before being cut up, so the numbers can be made more efficiently. That might be relevant because it could mean the matrix for the figures on the face would be simpler as well, but i can't think that through right now.

Edit: That's all in the link, isn't it? Sorry.
-- nineteenthly, Oct 17 2009



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