The Clapper gets a new look in Version History finale
The Verge’s podcast revisits the clap-controlled gadget, arguing its famous ads outperformed the product’s reliability.
By Maya Lindqvist · Senior Technology Correspondent
3 min read
The Verge has closed the fourth season of its Version History podcast with an episode on The Clapper, the sound-activated home gadget known for turning appliances on and off with hand claps. The episode matters because, according to The Verge, the device became a hit even though it was unreliable and could potentially damage connected electronics.
The Verge’s David Pierce wrote that The Clapper did not consistently respond as users expected. Pierce also said the device could create problems for gadgets plugged into it, while still finding a large audience through its marketing.
The episode traces the product from an earlier name, The Great American Turn-On, to its broader public rollout, The Verge said. Pierce described the commercial campaign around The Clapper as one of the best-known parts of the product’s legacy.
Pierce and Victoria Song host the episode, according to The Verge. They are joined by Allison Marsh, identified by The Verge as a writer and professor at the University of South Carolina, for a discussion of the device’s history and what it left behind.
A gadget remembered through its ad
The Verge framed the central question of the episode as whether The Clapper should be remembered as a useful product or as a commercial success story. The outlet said the gadget’s basic promise was straightforward: a user could control a light or appliance by clapping instead of walking to a switch.
In Pierce’s account, that promise was more complicated in practice. He described a device that could miss commands, require careful timing and respond inconsistently, even as its catchphrase and advertising made it familiar to many consumers.
The episode places The Clapper within a broader season about consumer technology products that shaped how people think about home gadgets, The Verge said. Earlier installments covered the Harmony universal remote, the Roomba vacuum, the Nest thermostat, Keurig coffee makers and Philips Hue smart lights.
Season ends before a break
The Clapper episode is the sixth and final installment of the fourth season of Version History, according to The Verge. The outlet said the show will take a few weeks off while the next group of episodes is prepared.
The Verge directed listeners to the podcast feed, the show’s YouTube channel, and its TikTok and Instagram accounts for future episodes. The outlet also said Verge subscribers can access Version History and other Verge podcasts without ads through account settings.
For listeners who want more background on The Clapper, The Verge pointed to several outside resources, including pieces from IEEE Spectrum, Tedium, HowStuffWorks and Technology Connections, along with examples of the product’s commercials on YouTube.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.