Waking the Dead (Asleep)

Wednesday, 13 October 2010 | by Pat's Picks

Nothing like waking up to the soothing sound of a chainsaw. The Wall Street Journal says a company specializing in products for the hearing-impaired community has turned their focus to another group that’s notoriously hard to rouse: college students. Available in models called the Sonic Bomb, the Sweetheart and the Skull, the clocks reach a volume of 113 decibels—the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association categorizes that as somewhere between “extremely loud” and “painful.” These serious alarms also come with a blinking red light and a vibrating pad to store under your pillow. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was an electro-shock attachment.

The Journal profiles less severe models in today’s article too. Like the Flying Alarm Clock, designed for “snooze abusers.” When the alarm goes off the propeller-rigged clock starts flying around your room. To turn it off, you have to catch it.

Flying Alarm Clock: