Gadget Master

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Give that old hard drive that has been gathering dust in your room a new lease of life by re-inventing it as a clock.

Alan turned an old hard drive into a fully functional clock. Making use of 12 high power LEDs - six blue and six red - to display the clock hands, the hard drive clock uses a custom programmed PIC16F628 microcontroller for clock operation. If you can put up with the noise, this would make a quirky and unique addition to any home (or a very good present for someone you don't particularly like).

It takes the hard drive clock a few moments to stabilise, when you would see a trippy pattern of lights displayed. After the clock smoothes itself out, the accurate time is displayed.