Not sure if this is a joke yet or not. It appears not.
Netflix has posted a how-to guide to make high-tech socks — or the gadget you put into your socks that shuts down Netflix if you fall asleep.
How does it work? Well, the brief video shows someone putting together the gadget to slip into a pair of socks (hand-weaving your own pair appears to be optional). Of course, you then hunker down on these absolutely dreary, awful Seattle winter nights with some Pinot and cookies and pass out.
It’s OK. We’ve all been there.
The gadget then detects that you’ve fallen asleep and pauses your show.
The Netflix guide shows you how to construct it on your own.
“We’ve based our sleep detection system on a popular method called actigraphy,” states the Netflix DIY guide. “An accelerometer detects when you’ve stopped moving for a prolonged period of time and triggers a signal to your TV that pauses Netflix. When it detects that you’ve dozed off, an LED light in the cuff of the sock flashes red, warning that the pause signal is about to be sent to your TV. Any motion will stop it from firing.”
It’s not a project for the faint of heart, but here are the goods needed to construct Netflix socks:
- Knit socks
- Arduino microcontroller
- IR LEDs
- LED indicator light
- Battery
- Momentary button
- Accelerometer
- 12” x 12” piece of felt
We would like to hear if anyone’s actually made this and if it works.
Also, Netflix is seeking more submissions for big ideas here. Who knows? If your gadget or Netflix-improving experience gets picked, you might get featured on the site, too.
