Voodoo Hardware, Unearthed

Thermometer Used in My Previous Offices

OK this is truly strange.

This is the thermometer I used for years when I worked in an office to check the building temperature versus my perception. It's a WYSIWYG device; it shows the current temperature and that's it.

I haven't used it since I left Google, and of course the battery was quite dead. Today, I was curious about the temperature in my office closet and had a spare battery; I threw the battery in.

The thermometer displayed a reasonable temperature about a degree low compared to my office thermometers (one is my office thermostat and the other is a weather station with three remote sensors); that's fine, the two thermometers don't always agree with each other exactly.

But then things got weird.

I've flipped it over to see the back of the case, and when I flipped it back and could see the display again, the LCD suddenly had "Mem" in a corner.

(It has no buttons to turn on a memory function or any other display. It just doesn't.)

I power cycled it (by removing & replacing the battery), and it powered up with "Min" & "Max" also showing.

I power cycled it, and it powered up with a clock display (WFH?).

I power cycled it, and it powered up with a blank display.

I power cycled it, and it powered up flashing.

I power cycled it, and it powered up with just the current temperature.

I quit while I was ahead (or least breaking even). I set it aside, putting the thermometer in my (chilly) office closet, which was in fact the planned original destination.