Products: How to Beep Yourself

In simpler times, beepers were usually worn by doctors on call to answer medical emergencies. Today they are routinely carried by executives, lawyers and journalists. In fact, they are something of a status symbol. Now comes a new twist: an ersatz beeper so that people can beep themselves. Press a small button. About 25 seconds later, a red light flashes and a beep starts to sound. The person can gracefully excuse himself from a boring business meeting or a dull blind date. About the size of cigarette lighter, this device, called the Timely Beeper, weighs 2.5 oz. and sells for $29, while the real thing costs some $100.

The Timely Beeper, also known as False Alarm, is sold by the Sharper Image, a San Francisco firm that has a mail-order catalog and several retail stores. Since it was introduced three months ago, several thousand have been sold. The product was created by Eugene Grant, 67, the founder of Omega Contract Design, a California-based designer of aerospace products. The notion came to him one day, when he found himself restless in church. Says Grant: “There I was listening to one homily after another. Meanwhile I was dying to go fishing.” When a fellow churchgoer’s beeper went off, divine inspiration struck.