Have you ever considered adding a sound when auctions go into the last minute? I always find myself reading something else waiting for the drop then miss the last minute of bidding.
We use to have a popping sound actually when new bids came in - admittedly for our amusement more than anything! The problem we found with sounds is it slows the browser down a bit - and the final minute is the last place we want things to slow down.
Will have a think about something we could work in...