I travel a fair bit for work and one of the things that frustrate me are the hotel alarm clocks. They’re usually these big multifunctional radio/CD/alarm monsters with 100 buttons and switches. Getting up on time is the most important thing. The last thing you want to be is late on a business trip. And I don’t trust wake-up calls ever since a hotel messed it up. I always have to test the alarm-clock first and to be sure, I also set the alarm on my Blackberry.

So it was very nice to see the following device next to my bed in Tokyo. Very simple. The buttons on the left controlled all the lighting in my room. Three buttons to set the alarm; on/off and time up and down. Easy. Another light button on the right plus an airco on/off. Thank you Odakyu Hotel Century Southern Tower.