A BRIEF HISTORY OF Time...
The first time piece was the earth as it rotated from day to night. Then came shadow clocks, sundials, water and hourglass clocks. In the early 13th Century, the mechanical clock (with 1 hand) came to be (said to be "off" by as much as an hour or two a day!). Rapidly clocks moved through weights, pendulums, springs, electricity, quartz crystals, and now to the cesium atom and the perfectly timed atomic clock. Most interestingly, there is one other type of clock that is not generally well known ---the atmos clock ("Thanks" Jeff). It runs on air! Check it out at:
Mere months after Edison's invention of the phonograph, inventor Frank Lambert shared Edison's vision of applying the new talking/sound machine toward the development of a talking clock---CIRCA 1878! Since that time talking clocks have been adapted and developed for the visually impaired and as a teckno novelty. Perplexingly, while most talking clocks take advantage of digital technology, many clocks are manufactured with an analogue face! Indeed, talking time functions have been added to key chains, calculators, thermometers, watches, weight scales, x-mas ornaments, photo albums, robots, caller id, pedometers, etc.
Talking Clocks...
What the hey, before getting on to "talking clocks"
check out this amazing clock.