M E T I, an hourglass-like digital timer for smartphones
Design laboratory ÆHD creates M E T I, a concept digital timer shaped like an hourglass that locks smartphones so users can focus on their tasks. It has speaker grilles on the upper and bottom parts of its hourglass-like body. In the middle, there’s a scroll wheel so users can increase and decrease the time. Behind the speaker grilles, the digital screen hides. The upper part flashes the time trickling down. The lower one projects animations as time goes by, which is similar to sand slipping and slowly piling up into a mountain.
The grilles may double as speakers, as well, since the lower part can show the Bluetooth logo. This is to demonstrate that users can stream music using the multipurpose device. For the hourglass digital timer, users connect the concept device to their smartphones. There’s a dedicated app developed by ÆHD. On here, they can set the timer depending on how they want to use it. For example, users can set up the Game mode, which lasts for 45 minutes. Once set, the time begins on M E T I, and people can only use their smartphones after that hourglass digital timer is up.
all images courtesy of ÆHD Lab
Scroll wheel doubles as a ‘fidget’ toy
Andrea Fanelli and Edoardo Gouffran are the masterminds behind the design laboratory ÆHD and the digital timer, M E T I. They draw inspiration from the typical hourglass design for their own concept device. The scroll wheel in the middle has another function. Aside from adjusting the time, it also serves as a ‘fidget’ toy. People doomscroll a lot on their smartphones, so by adding a scroll wheel in the middle of the device, they can still get the same feeling minus the apps and the screen. They can play with it even when the time starts trickling down.
So far, the device is still a concept project. There’s no news yet on when Andrea Fanelli and Edoardo Gouffran plan to materialize M E T I. In case they do, the hourglass digital timer for smartphones can also double as a night lamp. When users buy it, it comes with a ‘plug stand.’ It is semi-transparent and acts as a charging stand. The design team adds a USB port at the bottom of the concept device. Once plugged in, the hourglass digital timer flashes the current time. The charging stand emits a warm glow, and it’s lit enough to give off a soft glow at night.
design laboratory ÆHD creates M E T I, a concept digital timer shaped like an hourglass
the hourglass digital timer locks smartphones so users can focus on their tasks
in the middle, there’s a scroll wheel so users can figdget with it instead of doomscrolling
the lower screen part projects animations like sand trickling down
users connect the device to their smartphones to set up the timer modes
