Acts Not Facts has launched the Poem/1, a clock that tells the time by displaying a new poem every minute.
It's currently being funded on Kickstarter, but each backer will receive a clock of their own once it's been developed. If the funding target of just over £90,000 is reached, the developer will add a button that allows you to send a poem to yourself as a note.
From the best watches to the best alarm clocks, there's a variety of devices out there that can reliably tell you the time. Sometimes a quick glance is all you need, with many people preferring to time keep via a watch or phone. Others may prefer breeze through their day with a roundabout idea of what hour it is. It all depends on what kind if schedule you have, but there's something out there for everyone.
However, one brand has created a device that's a little different from the rest. Acts Not Facts has launched the Poem/1, a clock that tells the time by displaying a new poem every minute. Invented by Matt Webb, the original clock prototype went viral in March 2023 and subsequently featured in the New York Times, Bloomberg, and The Verge.
This Kickstarter campaign is going ahead for another five days, and each backer will receive a clock once development is completed, expected to be in August.
The Poem/1 clock, uses the technology behind ChatGPT to compose a unique rhyming couplet for every minute of every day, displaying them on a crisp e-paper screen that's similar to a kindle. Although the screen is non-reflective, it's not illuminated and therefore cannot be read in dark rooms. Power is supplied via a USB-C cable, but there's also an option to have it wall mounted.
If the funding target of just over £90,000 is reached, the developer will add a button that allows you to send a poem to yourself as a note.
Webb says: “Poem/1 is often profound, as it should be because I wrote that in the prompt to the AI. But it is also often weirdly motivational, and sometimes very odd, referring to the cosmos frequently, and balloons.”
It's not entirely clear how much the clock will cost, and when it'll be available to purchase as a consumer. However, we think the premise behind it is fascinating and it'll undoubtedly become hugely popular when launched.
