The wall-mounted alarm has a container of compressed, concentrated wasabi mist that, at the first hint of a fire, will make the most seasoned snoozer wake up and look for sushi and soy sauce.
Could the Taser alarm clock also be in development?
In tests done by a bioventure company in Tokyo, the subjects woke up less than three minutes of being gassed by the wasabi. Then there were more tests done to make sure that just the right amount of wasabi was released into the air -- enough to wake up deaf people, but not blind them in the process.
The alarm sells for $560, but the hefty price hasn't deterred one Japanese hotel from placing those noxious vapor emitters in rooms reserved for the hearing impaired. Reportedly, karaoke rooms are also checking on the viability of the system, since loud singers might drown out an audible alarm. Great, so your reward for listening to a bad singer is to get gassed with hot mustard.
I wonder if we can use it stateside for American Idol.
