Tracing back to medieval times humans have created funerary art that deals with themes around death. Many galleries and exhibitions around the globe are stuffed with “memento mori”, a term referring to art that reminds us that one day, we won’t be soldering and tinkering anymore!
So it grabbed my attention to see this interesting, and very fittingly Tindie, take on this area of art, the “Shortlife“. The Shortlife is a small electronic clock that essentially shows an estimated percentage of life remaining to the owner. On ordering a Shortlife device the developer, Dries, will be in touch and will enquire as to your date of birth and gender. This information is combined with the World Health Organisations’ life expectancy estimate for your country of residence. This combines to give you a bespoke Shortlife clock tailored to you, and it is further personalised with your name on the back of the unit.
The listing is clear of any technical detail (life is too short after all) but the unit is powered via USB (supplied) and the user only has to input the current time and date. Two brightness levels can be selected for the crisp display and, judging from the product images, this looks like a very well-manufactured device, fit for a hopefully long life of use!
