Digital Watches Beeping on the Hour
Sitting in the cinema, listening to all the usual post-film warnings about turning off mobile phones etc., reminded me of something - didn’t there used to be a time, around about the late 70s, when digital watches had just arrived in a big way and you witness the passing of an hour anywhere without a synchopated chorus of beep-beeps (interspersed with more restrained beeps). I seem to remember that being a big problem in cinemas at the time.
I was reminded of it because the other day I was in a meeting with Adam when his watch (I think it was his) beeped on the hour. It’s years since I’ve heard that sound. Of course, there was never any point for anyone having a watch that beeped hourly (unless they had some kinda very intensive regime of medicines or something), especially what with time being a relative concept and all, but still… why was it so popular at the time, and why is it now so passé? I guess we just did it because we could, and before too long the novelty wore off. Will mobile ringtones go the same way? And Naff screensavers etc?