Crystal Blue "Powers of 2" BCD & Direct Binary Clock (Silver w/Blue LEDs)

So we all know that binary code is important in the computer world, right? Who has time to teach binary numbers in the regular math classroom? No one, because it isn't "in the standards" of what we are expected to teach. But boy oh boy, this little clock is a GREAT conversation piece and it is a FANTASTIC tool for teaching the very basics of base 2. Although I just bought this one, it is identical to the one I had in my classroom for years. It ended up in storage through a few moves and ended up not working anymore. These blue flashing lights will garnish immediate attention! My students all want to be the first to learn base 2! I purposely set the clock to crazy times so that they can't compare it to the real time. But when class starts, they all want turns trying to tell time. (I teach high school math.) All in all, a great teaching tool that allows me to introduce base 2 without having to test it!

This is a great little clock. The blue LED's have three brightness settings and I'm running them at the lowest setting which is plenty bright enough even for my old eyes.I'm running in BCD 12-hour mode. There is also a BCD 24-hour mode and a true binary mode. In the true binary mode, the top three LED's are not used. Personally, I tried the true binary mode and found it more difficult to read, but that's just me.Another reviewer complained that this is a very small clock. It is. It measures 3.5" wide x3.75" high x 1.75" deep, but this is just perfect for me and my "busy" computer workspace. It would not make an impressive mantlepiece or credenza accessory in your home.I work in database application development and I've already had other IT-type folks stop by my office, see it, and say, "what's that thing?" So it's also turned out to be a good ice-breaker (along with my USB Missle Defense System, but that's another review).If you're reading this, you already know that there are 10 kinds of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.

This is a great clock. I love that there's a new way to tell time. If you put it somewhere that's in view of visitors, you will get MANY questions- first "What is that thing with the blue lights?". Then "Really, it's a clock?" Then "How does it work?" After that, you'll see a deer-in-the-headlights look. I moved it to a room that no visitor sees because I want to look at it to tell time, not to try to explain how you read it.I bought a second one for the bedroom. The first one I keep at its brightest setting. The one in the bedroom I keep at its lowest setting. The lowest setting does not bother me at night as it does some other people. In fact, if I'm facing it when falling asleep, looking at it will keep my mind clear and let me fall asleep easier. If I also add a "low-volume thunderstorm" via an app (an app for almost any device), somehow that adds to the sleepiness effect, too.

Great idea but really for that kind of money it should have a battery to keep from having to reset it each time the power flickers or goes out.

My 1975 sort-of binary clock [it had 10s columns for the minutes and seconds making it not totally binary] finally conked out - lights would no longer light, the setting mechanism had failed and no clock or watch company would try to fix it- and I wanted a replacement that was accurate and cool. This clock I got from Amazon more than fits the bill. It has 3 settings for how bright the lights are, and it has a "true" binary setting, meaning all combinations of lit lights are powers of 2. I'm still getting used to it with a 16 and 32 possibility for the minutes and seconds, but, it's still fascinating even after 45 years of watching my old one. Great buy!

Once you figure it out how to read it, its kind of fun way to tell time. Makes a great conversation piece. It has a "easy" binary mode, a 24 hour ( military time) mode, and if you want to go hard core, it has a true binary clock mode! You can dim or brighten the LEDs and cranked up, they are very bright and uniform. Good quality, I've had mine for over a year, no problems!

I bought this for my math dork husband per his request. We plugged it in and he easily set it, but I'll admit that I had to look up instructions on how to read it. However, the learning curve is pretty short because now it just takes a glance for me to figure it out. As a bonus, we amuse ourselves by "seeing" different shapes as the lights change. As other customers noted, it is super bright. We have a pet hedgehog (who is nocturnal) and we ended up moving it so the room wouldn't be as lit for her. It's now on the other side of our rather large den, but even with my non-stellar eyesight, I can easily tell the time. We are very happy with this clock!

Cool binary clock. Lights are just too bright. And it makes it hard to tell which sauces are lit up. Great idea though