I saw this Pong Clock when it was first announced back in late November of 2005, and lusted after one. When it was finally released, I found the photos to have been rather deceptive, and it was much smaller than I expected, something on the order of a 6″ screen or so. It was also rather expensive, at $270.

Just a few weeks ago, a fellow by the name of [funnypolynomial] decided to build one of his own, using an old laptop (much cheaper now than in ’05), and implemented it as a screen saver. I snagged an old laptop laying around and installed it. I haven’t gotten to picture framing it, but that’s next on the list.

The construction how-to, screen saver and binary are available through the link below.

[[funnypolynomial], Moco Loco]

Now that I’ve seen it, I’m pondering ways to (inexpensively) build one. Unfortunately, I’m not much good with designing mechanical mechanisms like this. Gear rings? Layered platforms with capstan type rollers? While a slip-ring would be ideal for getting power to the lamps (LEDs, whatever), using a pair of wipers for each might be easier and less expensive.

I’m open to ideas…