Eta Clock, a new device that shows the location of family members in a clock-style interface has been launched in Kickstarter. The device, which is similar to the Weasley family's magical clock in the fictional universe of "Harry Potter," uses location data gathered from the users' smartphones. It then guides the clock's hands to point towards the person's identified location.
Unlike a regular clock, the Eta Clock, which is a Kickstarter project launched by DC Creatives, does not tell time. Instead, the number on the clock face have been replaced by symbols representing various locations. The clock has a number of arrows representing members of the family or community. These hands point on a corresponding location, based on data collected by the companion app in a user's smartphone.
Users can set specific locations that corresponds to the symbols on the clock face. These locations include "Gym," "Work," and "School." Some of the categories are more general and can be determined by the app itself. The clock will show that a person is in "Transit" if the individual is moving faster than three miles per hour. If a person's phone does not update its location in more than five days, it will be tagged as "Lost."
The clock works by broadcasting the users' location to the company's server, which then relays it to the clock. The company says that the geolocation data is removed from the system as soon as it has been passed along to the device.
DC Creatives is composed of a New York-based couple who are MIT-trained engineers. Their company focuses on creating technologies that promote "human-centric engineering."
"As inventors and technologists, our mission is to bring modern technology into the homes of everyone with a human-centric approach to connected devices. As craftsmen and artisans, we believe that experience should be beautiful," reads their Kickstarter page.
