In case you thought yesterday's Japanese invention showed silliness (you fool), here is an entirely practical, useful and relevant-to-today tool: the Nap Alarm.

The device was invented by Kozo Samizo following a car crash, and looks like an especially ugly oversize Bluetooth headset. But no, much more usefully this device continuously monitors your head movements. Should it decide that they resemble the nodding movements that indicate the on-the-edge-of-sleep (which are apparently distinguishable between any other head movements by virtue of their "0.003 minutes speed" - stop the science talk!) the device will buzz to wake you up and furthermore "temporarily banishes the alpha waves which cause sleepiness". Apparently it's a bit ticklish too and known to induce giggles.

It's marketed as a device to keep you awake at the wheel of your ton-of-metal car (because having a rest would be too difficult presumably), and has proved extremely popular and stocks are constantly exhausted. The low low price of £9ish has led to suggested use in many other situations, including for politicians and business people, who in Japan are apparently rather well known for dozing off on the job. This, despite the Poorhouse's intuition, seems to be frowned upon, so any solution would no doubt be greatly received throughout the world. Remembering one's youth, schools, colleges and universities would also quite possibly be potentially huge, huge markets.

Apparently it has even been ordered on behalf of trainee Zen monks to keep them awake in during the ordeal of heavy mediation. Annoying as a buzzy ear every 2 minutes might get to be, it's probably slightly nicer than the traditional method of being beaten by a stick.