Author Clock: a novel way to tell time

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Overall Reception

  • Many find the concept charming, literary, and aesthetically pleasing; seen as a good gift for avid readers.
  • Others consider it more of an “executive toy” or art object than a practical clock.
  • Some early backers/owners say it “works as advertised” and like it; others describe significant disappointment.

Price, Value, and Profit Model

  • Price ($199–$349) widely viewed as high; several call it “expensive” or “overpriced.”
  • Counter‑argument: small e‑ink runs, custom enclosure, low volumes, and software justify the cost; some think it could even sell at much higher luxury prices.
  • Separate debate about capitalism and profit maximization; some defend pricing to maximize profit, others criticize the broader system and “cause‑branded” markups (e.g., tree‑planting claims).

Hardware, Build Quality, and UX

  • Mixed reports: marketing photos praised; in‑person owners mention plasticky wood, sharp/unfinished knob, bezel gaps, small screen, and poor battery life.
  • E‑ink refresh flicker is distracting for some, including one spouse who rejected it outright.
  • Battery life claims: marketing suggests over a week to months depending on settings; owners report roughly 2–3 weeks or “runs out quickly.”
  • One report of interference with Bluetooth peripherals, possibly due to Wi‑Fi/firmware.

Wi‑Fi, Updates, and Ads Concerns

  • Wi‑Fi used for quote/timezone updates and time sync; can be updated manually without Wi‑Fi.
  • Some see connectivity as useful; others consider it unnecessary and prefer an offline, SD‑based design.
  • Strong anxiety that any internet‑connected display could eventually show ads or be bricked if service shuts down; others criticize this as overly cynical.
  • Discussion of dark‑pattern “social proof” popups on the website (recent purchases), generally disliked.

Quotes, Content, and DIY Alternatives

  • About 13,000 quotes for ~720 time combinations seen as reasonable by some, too sparse by others.
  • Concerns that quotes often feel banal out of context and repeat over time; limited reading window before refresh.
  • Curiosity about extracting the quote database; attempts found firmware blobs but not an obvious quote store.
  • Multiple references to open “literature clock” projects and public quote datasets; several say they’d rather repurpose a Kindle, Raspberry Pi, or e‑ink dev boards to build their own.