The Wordclock
A 50x50 cm clock that spells out the time in words, exact to minutes and seconds, plays Snake and Tetris, and glows in any color I like.
A wordclock tells the time in plain language: "IT IS HALF PAST TEN". I loved the idea but wanted more than the kits you can buy, so I designed my own: 50 by 50 centimeters, individually controllable LEDs behind every letter, plus extra LED indicators for exact minutes (green) and seconds (blue).
The clock got smarter over time. It dims automatically with ambient light, shows indoor and outdoor temperature, reacts to sound, and can be controlled by three push buttons, an IR remote, or Alexa. And because the LED matrix is basically a tiny display, I programmed Snake and Tetris on it, plus a Matrix rain mode and an "I love you" plugin for our anniversary.
It hangs in our living room and still runs every day. Every guest asks about it, and every time I get to say: I built that.
What it can do
Time in words, with exact minutes (green) and seconds (blue)
Automatic brightness control via light sensor
Colored LED ambient backlight
Temperature and humidity sensor, inside and outside
Control via 3 push buttons, IR remote, or Alexa
Weather data: Sunrise, sunset, moon phase
Snake and Tetris, playable on the LED matrix
Matrix rain mode, RSS news ticker, anniversary plugin
Gallery
