Tech digest

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Published: 12:00am, 29 Mar 2005

catch-me-if-you-can clock gets sleepers out of bed

MIT Media Laboratory's new alarm clock is a gadget you will either love or hate. Gauri Nanda has developed an alarm clock that literally plays hide-and-seek with oversleepers. When the alarm goes off, 'Clocky' rolls away from the bed, forcing the sleeper to get up and search for the device to switch it off. Mr Nanda said he was inspired, in part, by kittens he owned that would bite his toes every morning. 'Clocky is a troublesome pet that you love anyway,' he says on his website. 'It's also a bit ugly. But its unconventional looks keep the user calm, and inspire laughter at one of the most hated times of the day.' It is estimated that 'Clocky' could be manufactured for under US$20.

Here's to A bottle opener that you can count on

British firm Spinning Hat has come up with the ultimate drinking companion for those who analyse their lives through a spreadsheet: a bottle opener that counts the number of bottles it has opened. While BottleSpy will appeal to closet statisticians, the gadget may have less attraction for others. Those nursing hangovers after a long session probably will not want to see double-digits staring up at them from the small LCD screen, and in any case, how many people take a bottle opener with them to the pub? There is a simple solution for husbands who return home to find that their wives have bought BottleSpy - buy cans instead of bottles. BottleSpy is available for #6.95 ($101) from a number of gadget websites, including www.brit-style.co.uk.

'crazy' robo pets on leash will follow you to school

Japanese toymaker Takara has developed a range of robotic pets for the primary school set, but young owners are expected to control the pets with their cellphones. The Choro Mode Pets are available in five versions - a blue bunny, a brown cat, a green cat, a brown dog and a white dog. They will sing songs, run around in circles and do 'crazy things' - all controlled by buttons on the keypad. Unfortunately, the pets are connected to mobile phone via cable rather than Bluetooth, which means owners will literally have to take them for a walk. Choro Mode Pets cost $230. They are currently not available outside Japan.