Netflix wants you to make socks that will pause your TV when you fall asleep


Netflix is working to solve a major 21st century problem: Falling asleep while streaming your favorite TV show. Their suggested solution? Suit yourself up with a pair of socks that knows when you've nodded off and pauses the TV. The socks don't even have to cost a gazillion dollars, either: Netflix provides you with all the instructions necessary to make them yourself.
It only takes eight steps; all you need are knit socks, an Arduino microcontroller, IR LEDs, an LED indicator light, a battery, a momentary button, an accelerometer, a 12" x 12" piece of felt — and, very likely, a lot of time and patience. Get the full set of instructions here.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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