Posted August 1, 2008
At last! A perfect (very affordable) gift for the sleepy, retro-minded dork in your life. The DIY MP3 Alarm Clock, new at nerdtastic online shop ThinkGeek, has old-school metal bells on top, but they’re just for show. The alarm sound you set yourself by plugging the hidden USB cord into your computer (only once, during setup), so you can upload a custom wake-up sound of your choice (up to 45 seconds' worth, using the included Windows 98/ME/2000/XP software). Sure, there are some preloaded alarms—assorted animal noises and other stuff to jar you awake (including the song “Wake Up, Monkey!” in honor of ThinkGeek’s simian mascot)—but why not rip and load the chorus from, say, Arcade Fire’s “Wake Up” or the Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun”?

$19.99 at ThinkGeek.com.

• Buy it online