Show HN: I made an online Unicode Cuneiform digital clock
10 comments
·June 15, 2025OisinMoran
If you like weird clocks, I've got a collection of them here [0] which includes two others I've made—the QR Code Clock (probably my stupidest design of anything to date), and the vague clock (which is always correct and accurate but as it is just a single rotating "6" is only really legible at 6 and 9 o'clock)
Currently working on my first physical one!
29athrowaway
This one is good
OisinMoran
It seems that of all the numbers (needed here), the symbol for 20 (𒎙) is the only one that doesn't render on Android. Very odd. It does seem to be the last used codepoint (U+12399) in the Cuneiform block (U+12000–U+123FF) and they seem to stop rendering from U+1236E (on Android) which leaves 43 symbols un-rendered.
Anyone any idea why that might be?
See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuneiform_(Unicode_block) and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuneiform_Numbers_and_Punctuat...
sent at 𒌋𒐖:𒐐𒐕:𒌋𒐗
OisinMoran
Okay, in the interim I have a shipped a fix for Android (seems fine on an iPhone emulation) that uses two tens like so "𒌋𒌋" (looks like <<) instead of one twenty "𒎙" (also looks like << but a bit tighter). This is definitely one of the weirdest patches [0] I've ever done—changing how an ancient language is displayed based on the specific type of incomprehensibly advanced technology it's being displayed on—but I guess that's what Sundays are for.
[0] https://github.com/OisinMoran/OisinMoran.github.io/commit/15...
thangalin
https://i.ibb.co/6RBrwZpz/firefox.png
Firefox 139.0.4 on Arch Linux
OisinMoran
I guess the Arch in Arch Linux isn't for archaeology then :(
arp242
You just don't have the required font.
thaumasiotes
Well, I can report that 𒎙 isn't rendering on Windows 10 either. Your "sent at" renders fine. Whatever it is, it isn't specific to Android.
I assume it's mostly down to fonts, but I don't know why a font would implement some of the cuneiform block without doing all of it.
sonorous_sub
The visual appeal is undeniable ;)
OisinMoran
Thank you! I am quite happy with how it turned out and looking at it now reminds me a bit of the clock in Lost when it turns to Egyptian Hieroglyphs.
I got the idea to pay homage to the people who gave us base-60 time, and in the process discovered that Cuneiform is in Unicode.