This is one for the nostalgia buffs. Do you remember the speaking clock? Well I just found out that he has a name and it’s George. I feel a bit let down as I have always called him Henry in my head. Anyway, I have called George/Henry on many occasions and not just for the time. I once called him when I was dining alone in a restaurant so I wouldn’t look like a loser. Now I feel like a loser for telling you.

Anyway the team here at the Big T tell me that calls to 1194 (aka George the speaking clock), rise six-fold with the conclusion of daylight saving.

George and his precise speaking rhythm has helped Australians set their time pieces since 1954. At the third stroke George gives customers the exact time based on their location. The service costs 38.5 cents per call. Standard call charges also apply if you access the speaking clock from a mobile.

Before the introduction of digital devices with in-built clocks like PCs and mobiles phones, George was found to be most popular just prior to 5pm when Aussies rang the service to confirm that they could knock off work. Today George is most in demand at the start and finish of daylight saving time and on New Year’s Eve when revellers use George to count the new year in.

Funny old video on George the speaking clock part 1 (circa the days of the Postmaster General):

Another video on George part 2 (circa the days of Telecom Australia):

Daylight Savings in 2010 (and why George still has a job)

Daylight saving ends at 3am this Sunday 4 April in NSW, Victoria, the ACT, Tasmania and South Australia when the time is adjusted back one hour to 2am.

It’s a good idea to check your phone settings this Sunday instead of just relying on in-built features like a calendar, an alarm and a clock to stay organised. Telstra’s networks will be adjusted to support the change and the majority of customer devices will be updated automatically,  but old software on some older mobile handsets may override network settings.  So this has the potential to put mobile users an hour ahead this Sunday.

Telstra tips for daylight savings:

• Check your device on Sunday morning to ensure the time has updated correctly.
• If the time has not updated correctly try turning the device off and on again – this forces a network-delivered update to the phone’s clock. Recheck the time after a few minutes
• Check whether your device’s Network Time Update setting is active (using your mobile user guide as necessary). Activate the setting and turn the device off and on again. Recheck the time after a few minutes.
• If using a Windows Mobile device, an affected Nokia or BlackBerry device, a Danger HipTop Mobile, or a Fixed Wireless Terminal please visit www.telstra.com/daylightsaving for further advice.
• As a last resort, manually adjust the time on the device  (and call George on 1194 for an accurate time check)

I’d love to know when you have called George the talking clock. Did he help you keep track of an important moment?