It’s often mind-blowing to see how many new products are introduced into the marketplace on a yearly basis. Corporations, small businesses, and eager entrepreneurs usually claw their way to consumers, pushing entirely new products that often were never needed in the first place. What earns attention these days are ideas from people that take something that is tried and tested, and push it to new levels. When a commodity or piece of technology can remain familiar but provide an even better experience, I usually always want to be a part of that improved product experience.
I had the chance to speak with Scott Buss, founder of a Wisconsin technology startup called Duaxi and inventor of the Timeshare Alarm Clock. What struck me about Buss and his new alarm clock, was that he is taking something that society has become insanely used to and added a twist we would never think of.
Alarm Clocks are typically forward facing, with a limited viewing area in your bedroom while getting ready for the day and look from different areas such as your closet or by windows. Over the years the alarm clock has evolved to include better speakers, Bluetooth and often a dock for an iPod type device.
Duaxi’s Timeshare Alarm comprises those qualities but has two displays that point in different directions so that individuals in the room can view the time from most vantage points. Not only does this alarm clock work well for the home or a dorm room, but it also makes for a dream device in hospitality sectors.
It seems evident that hotel guests utilizing both beds will appreciate having a clear view of the time from their side of the room. Another perk of the clock is the pivoting dock that allows users to switch between iPhone and Android (USB-C) connectors easily.
The alarm clock is being made available to the public via a Kickstarter campaign that is set to go live on February 27. Crowdsourcing platforms like Kickstarter have opened doors for entrepreneurs to bring reshaped versions of existing consumer products to market, which has typically been reserved for larger companies and individuals with substantial capital resources.
With inventors such as Scott Buss, the excitement, imagination and actual means to make products better is becoming a more told story. Buss hopes that with some early success of the Timeshare Alarm Clock, he can leverage this to drum up even more products that help improve society and make people’s daily lives just a bit easier.
Most people share the excitement of products from large tech companies like Apple, but sometimes it’s great to be wowed by simple upgrades to products we all use daily. It’s those moments where it hits me, and I think “why isn’t this a thing already?”. I can only hope that companies of all sizes can put effort into going beyond the exhausting process of reinventing the wheel, and focus more on a simple direction by improving existing technologies.
