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clock posts

Bang & Olufsen's multifunctional BeoTime gets carefully handled

by Vladislav Savov posted Nov 4th 2009 at 5:50AM

It's rare that we get to see magic wand-shaped remote controls, and rarer still for them to have integrated alarm clocks. The Bang & Olufsen BeoTime is just that sort of exotic specimen, and its $375 touch-sensitive aluminum body has now been tested for our amusement. Being able to turn on your other B&O products by simply grabbing the remote or setting an alarm for the desired time struck positive notes, and those bite-sized displays earned praise too. With automatic backlighting, built-in accelerometer, and full channel readouts, they ensured the minimum of strain for the user (which is probably still pretty high considering they're tiny!). There wasn't much to complain about, but at that price point you wouldn't expect it either. Full hands-on gallery can be found at the read link.

iLuv ships weather-watching iMM183 dual dock iPod / iPhone alarm clock

by Darren Murph posted Oct 31st 2009 at 6:35AM

It belts out severe weather alerts as storms are barreling towards your domicile. It acts as a decent bedroom stereo. And it wakes you and the SO up to your own favorite jams -- all while charging your iPod or iPhone throughout the night. If those amenities sound like must-haves in your own life, you might be interested in knowing that iLuv's iMM183 dual dock alarm clock is now shipping, nearly a full year after being originally announced at CES. The pain? $149.99 -- but hey, that's a small price to pay to keep your dear media player / handset out of a tornado's eye, right?

Gallery: iLuv ships weather-watching iMM183 dual dock iPod / iPhone alarm clock

Ask Engadget: Best iPhone 3G (3GS) alarm clock / radio?

by Darren Murph posted Oct 15th 2009 at 9:02PM

We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget question is coming to us from Bora (from Turkey, he'll have you know), who is sick and tired of waking up to bleeps, wails and static-filled tunes not on his iPhone.

"I own an iPhone 3G and I'm looking for a decent speaker / alarm clock for it. I am going to listen music in a mid-sized room, so I want nice quality speakers with solid bass. I also want to use it as an alarm clock, so it would be great if there is such a feature. The price can be low-mid to mid-high range. I was looking at the Klipsch iGroove SXT; it's powerful, slick and the reviews are good, but it doesn't have an alarm clock feature. It's no deal breaker if I can set it up from the iPhone, but I'm not sure. Anyway, I'm open to recommendations. Thanks!"

Don't front -- we know a big swath of you loyal iPhone owners out there also have some sort of docking alarm clock / radio, so why not share your experience(s) with yours? It's easy, we promise.

iHome's iP88 dual iPhone / iPod alarm clock gets all rectangular on us

by Darren Murph posted Oct 1st 2009 at 8:17PM

Hey guys, guess what? iHome just popped out yet another iPod alarm clock. Hold the applause, please. The iP88 doesn't differ too much from the units that have come before, but we do appreciate the dual docking capability for those who have two iPhones or iPods and must wake at different times of the day. It'll also play back tunes through your 'Pod, blast out FM talk show hosts and charge your devices all the while. It's shipping now for a penny under $150, though we're still struggling to decide whether we adore or loathe the decidedly boxy design scheme...

[Via Slashgear]

Nixie Concrete Clock is perfect for the bomb shelter or the bedroom

by Donald Melanson posted Sep 14th 2009 at 12:12AM

What desktop contraption could possibly be more evocative of the Cold War than a handcrafted clock made with some genuine Nixie tubes? How about a clock made with Nixie tubes and forged in concrete? While it's unfortunately just a one-off creation for now, this so-called Nixie Concrete Clock designed by Daniel Kurth is indeed fully functional (and even wall-mountable, depending on the wall), and could possibly be headed into production if Kurth can line up a few partners (and buyers). In the meantime, you can get a closer look at the clock by hitting up the read ilnk below, and contemplate the daunting task of building your own after taking a peek at the spec list (which includes 244 cable connections).

[Via OhGIzmo!]

Winwatch wants RFID tags in your next wristwatch -- what could possibly go wrong?

by Darren Murph posted Sep 4th 2009 at 8:49PM

Looking to simultaneously trick your employees into thinking you love them and keep better tabs on their whereabouts? If so, you should definitely look into handing out Winwatch-approved timepieces as "performance incentives," which should be sporting an oh-so-telling RFID tag in the near future. The Switzerland-based outfit has just announced plans to patent an RFID-enabled crystal gasket that would be placed in luxury wristwatches, and while they're pushing it as a way for companies to weed out counterfeit products, we're sure the privacy advocates in attendance can think of far darker applications. Samples are slated to start shipping out later this autumn, which means your window to snag a non-voyeuristic watch is hastily closing.

[Via ABlogToRead]

Sony ICF-CL75iP alarm clock / digital frame / iPod dock a surprisingly attractive assimilation

by Ross Miller posted Sep 2nd 2009 at 5:23PM

We'll be honest, it takes a whole lot to get us excited about iPhone / iPod docks or digital picture frames these days, but congratulations Sony, you've managed to pierce through our hardened hearts with the ICF-CL75iP Dream Machine. Sony Insider brings word of the actually quite handsome bedside attraction, an assimilation of those aforementioned products with an alarm clock to boot. We're looking at a 7-inch WVGA LCD screen, 1GB built-in memory, FM / AM radio, and a retractable dock -- in case you don't feel like capitalizing on the total synergistic package. Photos can be pulled directly from the Apple handheld or loaded via USB, and your wake-up options include built-in presets, a customizable 10-second voice recording, or the iPod / iPhone itself. Our only knock at this point is the minimal codec support -- MP3 and WMA for audio, and MP4, M-JPEG, and AVI for video -- but if the $149.95 price on a cached SonyStyle listing stays accurate, we can be a little forgiving. In fact, throw in Chumby widget support and we'll be downright smitten -- make it happen, Sony.

Update: Turns out it's actually up for pre-order right now through Sony Style Canada, CAN $199.99 (that's US $180) and shipping out October 1st.

[Thanks, Neil!]

Read - Sony Insider
Read - Sony Style cached listing

Biergert & Funk QLOCKTWO gets an English version, our sincerest admiration

by Laura June posted Aug 20th 2009 at 12:12PM

This is exactly what we need: a clock that politely dispenses with the math (no matter how simple) in favor of words. Biergert & Funk handmake this one, called the QLOCKTWO, with both German and English language faces -- and there lots of color options. The price is a stunningly uncheap €1099 (about $1600), so get to saving your dollars and cents. There's a video showing off the QLOCKTWO after the break, but you'd better speak German -- or do what we did, and mute it and listen to AC / DC while you watch it.

Continue reading Biergert & Funk QLOCKTWO gets an English version, our sincerest admiration

Arduino binary clock doesn't care to be useful, just wants to be admired

by Vladislav Savov posted Aug 20th 2009 at 5:38AM

If there's one thing we love about DIY projects, it's the feeling that the outcome is more than the mere sum of its parts. This here binary clock is a prime example, being composed of scrap plastic, some dirt-cheap parts and a homemade Arduino board. And yet, after a few licks of polish and the inevitable LEDs, it looks like a true monument to geekdom, which is only amplified by the fact you can't even use the thing without being familiar with binary code. But then again, if utility was a standard by which we judged homebrewed projects, we'd have a lot less to talk about.

[Via Make]

Philips HF3490 Wake-up Light is also a bedside lamp, iPod dock

by Vladislav Savov posted Jul 30th 2009 at 6:54PM

Did you know that waking up by natural light is a lot less stressful than doing it with sound? Yes, apparently your toast tastes better too. Philips has long been a proponent of light alarms and, in an effort to stay hip with the kids, it's added a detachable iPod / iPhone dock to its latest offering. The HF3490 might never serve as your music station, but it tries hard, bringing an FM radio and some soothing sounds along. With 30 different levels of brightness and a "dusk simulator," this device has enough tweaking options to ensure you wake up just the way nature intended -- with birds chirping and soft sunlight on your pillow, all simulated by futuristically ugly electronics. If you can get over the $199 price, you can pre-order one for delivery on August 22.

[Via Coolest Gadgets]

Video: Continue Time wall clock articulates in weird, wondrous ways

by Darren Murph posted Jul 17th 2009 at 8:39AM

It's hard to say why fanciful clocks really get our juices flowin' -- after all, it's not like we're in any hurry to watch the best moments of our lives tick away -- but Sander Mulder's Continue Time is certainly amongst the classiest timepiece designs that we've seen. More than just a concept, this limited edition (just 20 were made) masterpiece is engineered to be wall mounted, boasting an articulating arm that pivots and swivels in order to display the current time to those with the appropriate vision. In the artist's words: "on this clock, two out of the three pointers rotate around another pointer, instead of the central point on the clock face, as with traditional clocks." It's a thing of beauty, innit? Hop on past the break for a mesmerizing clip.

[Via Unplggd]

Continue reading Video: Continue Time wall clock articulates in weird, wondrous ways

Future Routers pass themselves off as common household items: clocks, tables, jellyfish

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Jul 17th 2009 at 3:01AM

We see plenty of sweet concept designs 'round here (not to mention some downright bizarre ones) so we're all pretty acquainted with wanting things that we can't have. That said, there are a couple of these Future Routers -- designed by a firm called TalkTalk in conjunction with Goldsmiths, University of London -- that inspire some serious techno-lust. Route O'Clock, for instance, not only keeps tabs on your bandwidth utilization, but it displays the info on the clock face itself -- and looks good doing it. Also quite eye-pleasing is the Hybrid, a model that passes itself off as a hardwood side table. On the slightly more bizarre end of the spectrum is the aptly name Jellyfish, which apparently takes up a lot of space and gives off a creepy blue glow (not one for those of you in one bedroom / studio apartments). Last but not least, the Energy Saver doubles as a key holder, with the dubious benefit of shutting itself off when the last key is picked up. The rationale behind this one is that when everyone leaves the flat, no one will be using the Internets -- we guess these guys have never heard of bit.torrent. Get a better look in the gallery below, and don't forget to check out the video after the break.

Gallery: Future Routers concepts

[Via SlashGear]

Continue reading Future Routers pass themselves off as common household items: clocks, tables, jellyfish

Woodstation acts like a weather station, looks like a dead tree

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Jul 16th 2009 at 11:13PM

Usually the intersection of woodcraft and gadgetry consists of little more than taking a piece of gear and putting it in a box. Woodstation may be no different, but at least it does its thing with some style, placing its LED display beneath the surface, allowing it to seemingly display weather data on the wood itself. And if that weren't enough, the device contains a motion sensor (it turns itself on when you enter the room) as well as date, time, and alarm functions. Available in a maple or walnut finish, this bad boy is currently available in the UK for £89.95 (about $147). And unlike the Amazon Kindling, this thing actually works.

[Via Pocket-lint]

Bang & Olufsen's BeoTime alarm clock / remote favors a flute

by Darren Murph posted Jul 15th 2009 at 12:20PM

Bang & Olufsen -- the Danish boutique retailer famous for engineering gorgeous AV products that only a sliver of humanity can afford -- has just introduced its newest product, and it's a far cry from the gargantuan HDTVs and superfluous sound systems that it's used to shipping. Designed by Steffen Schmelling and inspired by Mozart's The Magic Flute, this elongated wireless alarm clock actually serves another purpose. Once it has awoken you from your slumber just in time to catch The Price Is Right in high-def, you can take it with you in order to control some of your other B&O components. The cubes you see are actually displays, and the built-in motion sensor enables display backlights to activate with a simple touch. We're told that the device should hit showrooms this August for $375, though you should probably budget for an anger management course to keep from smashing this thing to bits the first time it buzzes at 5:30AM.

[Via PRNewswire]

Gallery: Bang & Olufsen's BeoTime alarm clock / remote favors a flute

Black & White Clock concept reduces timekeeping to the bare essentials

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Jul 13th 2009 at 12:29PM

Call us jaded -- we've seen plenty of crazy clocks 'round here, but few we'd want in our apartment (even if they fit). And when we do find one that we like it's inevitably a concept. Case in point: Vadim Kibardin's Black & White Clock. Consisting of four OLED digits that contain a light sensor, this guy displays the time in black during the day, or in white at night. The designer is currently looking for a manufacturer to make these a reality, so if you happen to be in the biz, please hit the read link to embark on this fabulous adventure. Just make sure you send us a few review units -- you have our email address.

[Via Boing Boing]