Netflix Socks - automatically pause your binge-watching if you fall asleep!

So the Paris Climate Conference went well, and we have apparently solved the problem of global warming - what's the next major problem humanity should tackle?

Well, it's obvious really:

You're binge-watching your favourite TV series on Netflix, you fall asleep, and you wake up two hours later having missed a couple of key episodes.

The good people at Netflix have a simple solution that you can make for yourself:

Netflix Socks http://makeit.netflix.com/netflix-socks

These amazing socks detect when you have dozed off, and send a pause signal to your TV / set-top box. A bright LED flashes a warning, so that you can press the over-ride button if you are awake and just happen to be sitting very still.

You can install the Netflix Socks adapter into your favourite pair of comfortable TV-watching socks, or you can download the knitting patterns to theme with your favourite Netflix shows, including Bloodline, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, BoJack Horseman or House of Cards.

http://makeit.netflix.com/patterns/templates.zip

The parts list http://makeit.netflix.com/netflix_socks_materials_list.pdf is pretty simple:

• A pair of TV-watching socks (raid your sock drawer, or knit a pair of Bloodline socks)
• Arduino microcontroller (get one of the tiny "wearable" models, such as the Arduino Pro Trinket https://learn.adafruit.com/introducing-pro-trinket/setting-up-arduino-ide or AdaFruit Gemma https://www.adafruit.com/products/1222)
• IR LEDs (to control the TV)
• LED indicator light (to alert you that the Pause function is about to trigger)
• Battery
• Momentary button (the over-ride switch)
• Accelerometer
• 12” x 12” piece of felt

You should be able to make yourself the adapter for a few dollars, or you may even already have most of the parts if you have tinkered with Arduino before.

Enjoy!