The failed gadget whose hand-clap gesture shaped the smart home era

The modern smart home owes a surprising debt to a gadget that largely failed: the Clapper, a US device from the 1980s activated by clapping hands, which never reached Poland. Despite its unreliability, the clapping gesture it popularised became a foundational concept for today's voice- and motion-activated smart home technology. The device is remembered today mainly through the hand-clap gesture everyone instinctively recognises.

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💻 Technology Google's New Home Display Rumoured — but a Pixel Tablet 2 Would Be Better TechRadar · 4d ago 💻 Technology The Clapper: The viral smart home gadget that barely worked The Verge · 6d ago 💻 Technology Smart switches aren't always worth the hassle — sometimes dumb is better 9to5Mac · 15d ago