Steampunk phone-headset status indicator

This gorgeous steampunk headset status-indicator uses gears, magnets and illuminated panels to warn cow-orkers that you're on the phone and don't bug me.

I work in an office cubicle and regularly use a headset (the second best office tool ever invented). Every so often, my coworkers would sneak up behind me and start jabbering away not realizing I'm on the phone. I needed a way to alert them that I'm preoccupied...

So because of those reasons, I made this Steampunk Headset Hook. While not in use my headset just sits on the hook. When I receive or make a call I remove the headset from the hook and the LED backlights a sign that says, On Phone Sorry. This alerts anyone walking into my cubicle that I'm on the phone. I know it is kind of dumb, but at least it gives a purpose for a joule thief circuit.

A side benefit of this project is that I work in California where battery recycling is enforced. Our office has small cardboard containers throughout that are used to collect used batteries. These containers are rarely collected and are almost always 1/2 full. So essentially I have an unlimited supply of "dead" batteries at my disposal. This Joule Thief will never go hungry.

Link to video, Link to stills (via Make)

[#1 posted by flyingdutchman , March 23, 2008 8:56 AM]

I think that by now, a distinction should be made between "steampunk" and "faux steampunk". For this purpose, I modestly propose criterium No. 1:

"If it has Phillips head screws, it's Faux. Real steampunk has slotted head screws."

[#2 posted by Jake0748 , March 23, 2008 9:07 AM]

Yeah, what #1 said, also I don't think steampunk should be powered by Duracells ("dead" or not).

[#3 posted by A New Challenger , March 23, 2008 10:23 AM]

Well so much for the steampunk laptop by that criterion.

I both love and loathe puns. I'm S&M like that.

[#4 posted by silverfish , March 23, 2008 8:21 PM]

Beautiful, creative and useful!

[#5 posted by mccookie , March 23, 2008 8:40 PM]

Super nice.

[#6 posted by pedmands , March 23, 2008 10:31 PM]

I really like this, but am somewhat disappointed by the way the headset just hangs there... the rest of it is aesthetically pleasing, couldn't there have been a better way to incorporate the headset?

[#7 posted by Xodarap , March 24, 2008 7:45 AM]

"Real steampunk," with a list of strict criteria, is a silly concept. It's not only a fictional concept, but a vague aesthetic. It's just a "look," and this piece seems to fit it. As soon as you start pulling all of your elitist nonsense, you'll ruin the propagation of it amongst the amateurs that make up its useful fans...