I don’t usually do product reviews or restaurant reviews (except for ice cream parlours), or any reviews in general. But this product has changed the way I look at commercial solutions to problems I didn’t have. The Clapper is a socket adaptor that turns appliances on and off with an audible clap. Two claps activates or deactivates the top socket while three claps does the same to the bottom socket.
I originally put this in my room, but with one lamp at my desk and the other at my bed I didn’t really need it there. I could’ve used it in the doorway and activated the light with two stomps in lieu of two claps when I had my hands full with groceries, but I already had a light switch at the door I could nudge with my elbow.
So, I ended up putting it in the living room – the least used room in my apartment. During the first week, I only turned it on and off to test that it works and to see what kinds of sounds works to replace a clap. Over the next couple of weeks I’ve found that, to my annoyance, putting a cup down, putting a pepper grinder down, and hitting my phone against the wall all activate the light switch.
I’ve adapted. I put the device under the dining table so it’s less sensitive. Now, it only turns on when the sound comes from the living room, which has eliminated accidental activations. I usually eat in the kitchen, but I started moving dinner out to the dining area as winter meals got more elaborate. My raclette grill serves eight even though I live alone, so I have to use the dining table to set up the appliance. I could turn the light on from the kitchen by reaching through the hole in the wall and hammering the pepper grinder on the dining table twice.
I also found it easier to turn the light on and off as I transitioned between the study and living room as days shortened. During summer, I almost never had to turn the living room light on because I would’ve retired to the bedroom by sunset. During winter, I can turn the living room light on and off by tapping the tea table three times with any hard object.
Is this technology perfect? No, it’s 1980s tech that reacts to a whole spectrum of percussive sounds, so there’s bound to be a learning curve. What it did was pre-date smart home systems by using a simple audio sensor that does what you want to without the risk of being hacked or invading your privacy.
Do I need this product? No, I was doing just fine walking over to light switches before this. But now I can make fewer trips between spaces in my apartment because I no longer need a free hand to fiddle with light switches – I can turn them on and off (mostly) remotely or handsfree.
It’s one of those things that I’d take for granted until it’s gone.
