In the blink of an eye, episode one of a Netflix series can turn into episode 20 if you’ve fallen asleep at the remote. To help combat this, Netflix has developed a pair of knitted socks you can make yourself that automatically pause your show when they detect you’ve nodded off.
The project requires both knitting and electronics know-how, so if your holiday craft skill level tops out at paper snowflakes, you’ll want to find someone with soldering skills to help you out. But Netflix has provided a detailed step-by-step breakdown on how to make a pair, including sock knitting patterns for a handful of its most popular TV shows.
The electronics inside the sock include an accelerometer that detects when you’ve stopped moving for a certain period of time, signalling you might have nodded off. But in the case of false positives, an LED in the sock’s cuff flashes to let you know Netflix is about to be paused, so you can simply move your leg to keep on watching uninterrupted.
It’s slightly concerning that we as a society now need electronic socks to help us out when we inevitably fall asleep in front of the TV, but what else are you going to do during those upcoming dark and cold months? Few winter activities can compete with a Netflix marathon.