Walyou

SensorWake Alarm Clock Fills the Room with Scents

Posted: 27 May 2015 01:25 PM PDT

Using aromas to wake people up is not a new concept, as alarm clocks emitting coffee or bacon scents were launched not long ago. SensorWake is looking to provide a bit more diversity, though.

Even though some smells could be classified as generally pleasant by most people, not all of us have the same olfactory preferences. With that in mind, Guillaume Rolland set up a startup called SensorWake, with the sole purpose of helping people wake up in a cloud of their favorite scent.

Swiss fragrance manufacturer Givaudan created the aromas found in SensorWake’s cartridges. The French startup has decided not to make any extreme choices, so they picked several scents that should please everyone. These include, but do not resume to: peppermint, ginger, espresso, hot croissant, chocolate, peach and strawberry candy.

Some might find these choices nauseatingly sweet, but I definitely wouldn’t mind waking up in a room that smells like ginger. I find that particular scent to be very refreshing, exactly what people need in the morning!

The uppermost image also has a cartridge with dollar scents, so that should teach Vespasian a lesson.

The cartridges will get empty after about 60 uses, so I imagine that this scent alarm clock will have a lot in common with printers.

While it may sound pleasant to wake up surrounded by an aroma you love, I find this to be a source of disappointment. I mean… what to good to smell espressos and croissants right after opening your eyes in the morning, if it’s not the real deal? Sure, this might motivate you to get up and spend some money to get a real espresso and some real croissants, but that doesn’t change the fact that the reactions resemble a sine wave.

SensorWake has turned to Kickstarter to help its scent alarm clock make the jump from merely a concept to a real thing. At the time of writing, backers had pledged more than half of the funding goal, which was set at €50,000 (US$54,570) by the developers. Since the early bird spots are long gone, you will have to back the project with at least €80 ($87) to get a SensorWake alarm clock in November 2015. If you’re a heavy sleeper, you might want to reconsider purchasing such a gadget.

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Retro Video Game System: Cartridges are back

Posted: 27 May 2015 12:40 PM PDT

Get ready for some heavy nostalgia, as a completely new video game system promises to deliver content via cartridges: just like the old days!

Now that blu-rays are the default storage method for consoles, cartridges are a nostalgic thing that many of us miss and associate with the consoles of our childhoods. Ever since the N64, video game consoles have moved on to optical media, but the Retro VGS (Retro Video Games System) team view it differently, and think cartridges still can exist today. To prove their point, they are working in an upcoming cartridge-based games console.

This idea came from the mind of Mike Kennedy of the Retro Magazine, who is going to bring his project to Kickstarter where the community will be able to decide its fate this summer. Still, the idea seems pretty clear: retro-style gaming is ready for a comeback, and the experience just isn’t the same if the hardware doesn’t match. It’s like it’s 1989 all over again, thanks to this console and games like Shovel Knight.

The console’s name is still subject to change before it’s kickstarted, but it is being touted as Retro VGS. It will specialize in original 2D games made in a retro style, along with "16-Bit fan-favorite sequels" and some ports of mobile games that match the consoles’ vision and aesthetic. All of these games will release in cartridge form for the first time, so forget about patches, updates, and online play: this is just the game and the player, the way it was meant to be.

Kennedy’s team says the "RETRO VGS will reestablish the culture of video gaming, something that has been slowly dismantled over the last couple console generations. It will promote game ownership, tangibility and collectability. There will be no system updates, digital downloads or buggy games." We’ll see about the bugs, Mr. Kennedy, but you have our whole support. Be sure to check out the project at the team’s Facebook page

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