ROANOKE TIMES

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, January 20, 1995                   TAG: 9501230021
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: 1   EDITION: METRO  
SOURCE: NANCY GLEINER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short


A REAL EXPIRATION DATE

The sands of time have gone digital.

No longer will fatalists have to wonder when their number is up. No longer will the anxiety-prone have to worry when it's their turn to punch out on the ultimate timeclock.

Timisis LifeClock features an LED display that gives you a down-to-the-minute - even to the tenth of a second - readout of your remaining moments on Earth.

The clock's dire predictions are based on optimistic life-span averages: 75 years for men, 80 for women. Enter your age and sex, and the clock begins the countdown.

Think of it as an in-your-face message to seize the day.

The morbid minds of Chicagoans Charles Altholz, a talent manager, and Barry Faldner, an orchestra conductor, have created the faux-marble, pyramid-shaped desk clock. So far, 33,000 have sold at $99.95 each through the Sharper Image catalog and 1-800-TIMISIS.

The inspiration for this memento of mortality was none other than Ludwig van Beethoven. ``On his deathbed,'' claims Faldner, ``he shook his fist at the heavens and said, `I need more time.'''

You can also program the device to count down mortgage payments and kids' graduations, thereby making it an indicator of glad tidings, rather than ...

Could make a great Valentine's Day gift - a real heart-stopper.



 by CNB