Ask Engadget: Best digiframe / alarm clock combo?
By Darren Murph 
posted Jul 31st 2008 10:30PM
posted Jul 31st 2008 10:30PM
Frightening though it may be, the fall semester is just around the corner. You know what that means? You'll actually have to get up at -- wait for it -- an appointed time. Carissa, being the proactive student she is, posed this question: "Going to school in the fall, I'm looking for the ideal alarm clock to beat the late nights and what not and noticed a few digital photo frames / alarm clocks. I want a decent alarm clock that has battery backup and good resolution on the screen for viewing photos. An auxiliary audio jack would be a major plus. Which one do you guys recommend that falls under the 200 dollar mark? Thanks a million!"
Look at that -- you all even received a thank you in advance! For those who've mastered the art of waking up on time and pretending to be a real live adult, which alarm clock / digiframe hybrid have you found to be supreme? Oh, and you know that question you've been hitting the snooze on? Yeah, send it on over to ask at engadget dawt com.
one word... chumby
Agreed.
Same here. Chumby. Hands down.
Fully customizable alarm clock. Can link with online applications. Every night before i go to bed i read the last of the engadget articles on my chumby and see which new roflcats are on icanhascheezburger.
Never had any problems. Terrific and open source.
The Chumby is great...so long as you've got an accessible WiFi connection within range. Without that, it's a brick. Sure, it'll work as a clock without WiFi, but not an alarm clock. It's also not much use "on the road" since even if there is a WiFi connection nearby, if you can't hack into it (like in a hotel that uses their own special "log-in" screen before you can access the web), the Chumby is useless.
I'm going to best honest with you why would you possible want a Digital Photo Frame as an alarm clock? Get yourself dedicated versions of both, seriously.
Jack of all trades, master of none.
Be*
worst ask engadget ever
Though oft-times better than master of one.
In some distant past, that jack of all trades, master of none view was true. I think some time around 2005, convergence started bearing real fruit - there's no reason why you can't have a digital frame and decent alarm clock in one package. I'm not saying I've seen it done, yet, but I do have a couple of decent atomic clock controlled LCD wall clocks with integrated and wireless temperature sensors - that could be anywhere from 2 to 5 functions in one depending on how you count them - cost less than $20 and look decent while performing all functions well. Beats the heck out of having three separate gadgets.
I think the Chumby idea is great, if you're a hacker, otherwise, I'd hope there's something a little simpler to use out there. Even my 90 year old grandmother can use a digital frame - if she wasn't so frugal that she unplugs it whenever we're not looking (it uses (wastes!) electricity, you know.) Get an alarm clock function in there and she could ditch the $9 alarm clock I picked out for her in 1979 and just use the frame.
Get a second hand 8GB iPod touch? :)
I don't think chiptune "alarms" are sufficient to wake anyone up, especially through the touch's crappy speaker. I speak as someone who owns one, and there are no options besides a couple of chiptunes that make the speaker buzz and crap out on one of them, and there is no option to even use any other sound, and it would require external speakers for that anyways. Plus, you have to deal with more crappy software from Apple that installs software on your computer without your permission (I'm talking to YOU, MobileMe Preferences and Bonjour!).
OMG I know! Every iPod (except the shuffle) was able to use a song/playlist as an alarm, is this progress? WTF?
Philips Digital Photo Frame Alarm clock with 7" LCD Screen
Too bad its crap. :/
Yeah, the first review I found say poor quality image and bad sound. :p
I'm after something like the OP, but with FM radio and I don't need the photos part. :p Just want a nice large screen for showing the time instead of another one of those boring LCD clocks. :(
nope.
Owning one, I can't get over the crappy UI and the disability to set mp3s as alarms.
Also, it lacks RDS (which would be usefull here in Europe) and battery backup.
Yeah I have the AJL308. The first firmware was crap because it couldn't keep time and date (seriously- how does a product like that get out the door???).
A firmware update fixed that. It's a pretty cool device, no where near as bad as some made it out to be- the picture is decent enough, and it's pretty cool to have an alarm clock with a 7" color LCD!
The only real problem with it is that the photo and alarm clock functions are completely separate- I won't go into the annoyances here, but it's kinda silly.
Buy the Sony ICF-C180 Clock Radio with Auto Time Set. For $24.95 it is the most intuitive and functional alarm clock I have ever used and I have tried a lot. It also has an internal rechargeable battery so it never runs out of power and automatically sets the time.
Then just buy a nice digital frame and place it beside your kick-ass alarm clock.
Nintendo DS is a good alarm clock with 2 screens one of thems touch screen so super easy to turn off when it goes of, its a perfect alarm clock i know that what i use, and i think it plays games
Cept since its a handheld your more likely to put it in your bag and take it with you or leave it somewhere else around the house. :p
A phone.
This. Seriously. I have insane trouble waking up, even with four alarms on three separate clocks. Yet when my ringtone goes off, I'm up and aware like a shot.
one word... chumby
well random shout out here but the DS and the iPhone as alarm clocks rock.
wow, just wow.
i mean this ask engadget applies to a whole .01% of the readers. most of them are at least somewhat interesting.
for those excited to answer this question, I would bet you can answer this and 15 others just like it by hanging out in the electronics aisle at your local Target, be sure and wear your red shirt and khaki's!
Yup, Chumby is the one.
This applies to me, believe it or not. I'm curious to see what is out there. I'm leaning towards the chumby but I would like something with a larger screen.
I don't believe it.
Chumby. Chumby does everything you need in this department, plus you get lots of great bonuses.
chumby ftw, but if not, then take a look at this http://reviews.cnet.com/digital-photo-frames/pandigital-8-inch-pantouch/4505-13499_7-32991492.html?tag=prod.txt.18
Too bad the Chumby doesn't have a battery, which makes it useless as an alarm clock. (So if the power goes out you will be late to work/school?). Seriously, people have alarm clocks without batteries in them?
how often does the power go out in America? :)
How often are there thunderstorms?
i haven't lost power in over 6 years... which is longer than the 4 years you're gonna spend in college...
Our power goes out about 5 times a year, but most of those are just construction. The outages usually don't last long. One time a drunk guy crashed into an electric box and they turned it off for an hour.
Actually the Chumby has a backup battery (9v) so it should be able to keep time in case of power outages too.
Four years in college? What are you, some kind of frikkin genius?!
CHUMBY!!!
Iphone/Ipod touch - Great alarm clock fully customized with 16 gb of photo storage you can play as a slide show.....
Agreed, hook it up to your stereo system and it'll wake the neighbors too.
-Brett
Chumby is the king for this, hands down
Uh, a $400/200 phone ≠ cheap, affordable alarm clock.
wow, I would almost rather read yet another non-news worthy iphone 3G story and this crap, I can't wait until next week when Bobbie asks:
"what is the best camera that is shiney with a wrist strap that can take pictures of cute little bunnies?"
You're not a real college student if you're willing to pay that much for an alarm clock.
The Chumby looks great but who came up with the brilliant idea of designing an alarm clock with no functioning battery backup? It is crazy that the unit can't go into some sort of a low power mode when power is out and keep it runing so it can wake you up at the time the alarm is set. Too much to ask from an alarm clock?
Chumby- it may not have a battery backup, but it auto-sets itself over wifi.
Actually, chumby does have a battery port for a 9v battery.
It's amazing what you can learn from the chumby forums, as it wasn't on the standard list of features.
agree with dbrim.
I have one of these, its great (well thats not what i think in the morning) for those hungover days
http://www.amazon.com/Sonic-Alert-SB200-Vibrating-Alarm/dp/B000EX7LNM/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1217563254&sr=8-1
I am a college student and can not afford the Chumby but I did want a 7 day alarm clock. It was on Engadget a while back but the name its made by American Innovative and called the Neverlate..Here is a link
http://www.americaninnovative.com/products/neverlate-exec.php