Bombproof gadgets: Our most trusty technology

Sony Digicube alarm clock
This is the lump of tech that inspired this article. I woke up one morning, looked at it and thought, "I've had that thing for bloody years and it's never let me down," and I decided it deserved some credit.

The most remarkable thing about this alarm clock is that it wasn't even new when I bought it -- I got it ages ago at a jumble sale. It cost me 50p and it has woken me up every day without fail for at least the last 15 years. I even took it to university, although I never used it there because students only ever wake up naturally, and generally not before noon.

Over the years it's had a few additions -- the Intel Pentium II sticker is a reminder of the time I spent building computers. And there's even a little area that has been melted by something. I have no memory of what, but it hasn't affected the clock's performance. Indeed, the only times this alarm clock hasn't woken me are when I'm a) not sleeping next to it, or b) so hung-over a hurricane wouldn't disturb me.

I've considered replacing the clock from time to time, but I've always come to the same conclusion: why bother? The Digicube is perfect. -Ian Morris