An electronic gizmo made of wood makes as much sense as a trombone made of mince. But once you see the über stylish WoodStation in action you’ll appreciate this unorthodox union in an instant. And that’s because this seamless block of designer timber is actually a motion sensitive LED clock/weather station.

Yes, we know plastic’s fantastic but you can’t beat a gorgeous slab of wood (even if the wood in question has actually been laminated). Especially when glowing numerals and symbols appear on its smooth surface, as if by magic, the second it senses movement. The effect is head-scratchingly impressive.

You can even view the WoodStation’s mysterious luminous display in direct sunlight. Talk about cutting-edge arboreal design meets high-tech electronic wizardry. All right then, don’t.

Snooze button		Controls on the back		The weather report

An ideal gift for anyone who abandoned TV forecasts the day Michael Fish boobed big time, the WoodStation’s large coloured icons show sunny, partly cloudy, rainy, snowy and stormy conditions, so even a meteorological dunderhead can suss out what shoes to wear.

If Beeb style weather symbols are too tame, Ian McCaskill wannabes can check out barometric pressure, indoor relative temperature and indoor relative hygrometry data, enabling them to predict the weather up to 24 hours in advance. With features that flashy it goes without saying that the WoodStation also boasts hour, calendar, alarm and snooze functions.

Place the WoodStation on a table or hang it on the wall and we forecast guests will be flummoxed and wowed in equal measure, even if they’ve got zero interest in the time, date or weather. After all, it’s not every day you see a glowing plank telling the time and predicting the weather. Unless you watch GMTV.

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