Tuesday 10 February 2009

Reasons to love the internet, part 136

I can add two more reasons to love the internet to my list this morning. The first is opening-times.co.uk where you enter a postcode and it'll give you the opening times of large shops in the vicinity, ideal for when you have the 9pm munchies and want to know where should be open, and also provides a little Google map to help out. It'd be better if it included Costcutter, being at the end of Brinkley Road, so I need to find out how to add shops to it...

The second will, I know, interest one or two readers in particular and it's the perfectly delightful (as Stephen Fry might say) ornate timepiece (as Stephen Fry might say) which fulfils the role of bedside clock and wakes you up to the dulcet tones of Stephen Fry saying, in his best Jeeves (they claim "Gosford Park") voice, such sublime utterances as:
"Excuse me Madam. I'm so sorry to disturb you but it appears to be morning. Very incovenient I agree. I believe it is the rotation of the earth that is to blame"
and
"Good Morning Madam! I am delighted you have survived another night. If you will allow a personal note may I add my own small congratulation to the roar of the world's approval. Thank you."

It comes in ladies and gentlemens versions (as you might have inferred from the sample phrases above) with additional phrases for the ladies such as:
"Good Morning Madam! A gentleman calling himself Mr Cruise wishes to talk to you. He is looking for someone to accompany him to something called the Oscars ceremony this year. He has banged his somewhat obtrusive nose on the front door I fear"
whereas the gentlemen get:
"Oh dear... Come, come, let us not be defeated sir. Let us seize the day and take it roughly from behind, as the Colonel used to say in his unfortunate way.

It's from http://www.voco.uk.com/ and they claim it has about a six-month supply of messages before they start to repeat. You can hear sample messages at the website even if you aren't going to buy the clock, which can only be bought online apparently.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm pretty sure I'm one of those "one or two interested readers," given my love of Mr. Fry.

I would be buying one right this minute if I had an actual need for an alarm clock. At the moment I have a 14-lb. one that wakes me every 2-3 hours by emitting strange, high-pitched crying sounds. I considered returning it but then decided that would be altogether too painful so I'm stuck with it for the time being. Maybe in six months...

The Brinkster said...

I must sat that you are one of the people I had in mind! ;)

Having heard the alarm clock in action almost seems worth developing a napping habit just to have the opportunity to be woken up by mr Fry, but I can see your quandry. Perhaps TNH should put it on your Christmas list.

As for me, I may just order the mp3s and find a clock I can put them on myself.

Julian said...

Hey, glad you like Opening Times. I'm working on a form (taking a while) to allow people to add/edit new services as getting hold of info from places like Costcutters is really tricky, but as you point out it's those little late night shops that you really want to know when their open till.

The Brinkster said...

Hi Julian

I'll keep an eye on your blog to see when the form's done and then I'll submit the Worcester Park info! Great stuff!