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Alexa can use smart lights to wake you or lull you to sleep
It's getting a bit easier to fall asleep or wake up in sync with your lights -- if you have an Alexa-powered device. Amazon has introduced a trio of Alexa options that can gradually adjust smart lights to suit your daily habits. Wake-up lighting brightens the bulbs grouped with your Alexa device when you tell the voice assistant to set an alarm "with lights." You can add lights to sleep timers if you want them to gradually dim as you call it a night. And if you want Alexa to gradually change lighting as part of a larger action, you can add brightening or dimming bulbs to routines -- say, a morning routine that plays the news and ramps up the lights as you struggle to get out of bed.
RIM claims responsibility for "Wake Up" stunt at Apple Store
RIM, maker of the BlackBerry, has claimed responsibility for the ultra lame "Wake Up" flash mob stunt that appeared outside the Sydney Apple store last week. The stunt saw flash mobs pull out black signs that read "Wake Up." When confronted with the signs, shoppers at the Apple Store seemed to have thought the same thing as everyone else, "Wake up to what?" then continued shopping and went about their day. Until RIM owned up to the stunt, many had thought it was spearheaded by Samsung, which has performed similar stunts in the past. Tiphereth Gloria, a social media strategist at VML Australia, told The Age, "The punch line -- which is the fact that BlackBerry is behind it -- is what makes it fail because BlackBerry is not associated with any kind of success." The past couple of years have not been kind to the BlackBerry, as both the iPhone and the Android-based smartphone offerings have chewed away market share from the one-time market juggernaut. Aside from the shifts in the competitive landscape, at times RIM itself seemed to encourage its own demise. First, the Canadian phone maker suggested that the iPhone was a physical impossibility when Apple announced it in 2007, and subsequently the continued self-denial that the iPhone wasn't a threat to RIM's business didn't help matters. Unfortunately, RIM doesn't seem to know (or at least admit) that it's the next Palm. When your brand is weakening, you need killer products and not marketing stunts to get your game back. But hey, at least it's starting to admit "BlackBerry isn't for everyone."
Archos 35 home connect hands-on
Though we didn't have the Archos 35 home connect to wake us up personally during CES, we had a chance to get hands-on with the Android-based alarm clock on the floor and it did not disappoint. The Archos 35 home connect is the company's entrance into the world of feature-filled alarm clocks, joining the already established Sony Dash and Chumby. In terms of functionality, it's a morning talk show all rolled up into one, providing weather, real time traffic, news, sports, movies, music, TuneIn radio, social networking and much more through the built-in WiFi. You'll also find a webcam on the front, supporting apps like Tango for video calling, a rechargeable battery to take the party with you, and a 3.5 headphone jack for more personal use. The overall device is solid and has a very curvy and nightstand-friendly footprint -- which is important for folks like us who sleep with other bedside gadgets. The volume controls are touch sensitive and the unit itself has a decent enough range. Archos is not only pushing this as a fully-featured Alarm Clock, but also a portable Android 2.2 media device -- supporting over 30,000-or-so apps in Archos' non-Android-Market, Appslib. While the 35 home connect's features make it compelling enough to make it a viable option, we feel there's nothing to push it past its aforementioned competition, especially with the $149 price tag. Check out all the angles and interface of the 35 home connect in the gallery below.
Talk O' Clock makes alarm clocks more social, strangers more friendly
Alarm clocks have been developing more and more unique ways to wake people up over the years, but being woken up by a stranger has always been something of a difficult proposition. Sure, you can use an old fashioned wake-up call service, but then you still sort of "know" who's calling you. Not so with the Talk O' Clock service -- soon to be available for Android and iOS devices, in addition to the current web-based app -- which relies on the power of social networking to ensure that a complete stranger calls to wake you from your slumber. Yes, it is real -- and, yes, you should proceed with caution (although you can at least rest assured that the person calling you doesn't actually see your phone number). It's still at the invite-only beta stage right now, but those seem to be readily available to anyone with a Facebook account. See how it works in the videos after the break.
Mutewatch now in production, set to silently manage your day by July (video)
We first caught wind of Mutewatch AB's eponymous sort of anti-watch -- a personal vibrating time management wristband, equipped with a hidden touch-activated LED display -- when it became available for pre-order back in August. It seemed unique, but back then we had no idea of how it looked in action or when we might finally get one strapped onto our wrists. It's a mystery no more, as the Swedish suite has just released a heavily stylized (and totally rendered) video showcasing the Mutewatch's various touch-enabled functions. Also in tow, a press release announcing retail availability in July. Although our cellphones can do pretty much the same thing as this spendy $259 timepiece, we can't hide our geeky (and guilty) lust for one. You can check out the video for yourself past the break, but be warned: a moderate case of GAS -- Gadget Acquisition Syndrome -- may occur after viewing.
iLuv iPhone dock includes "bed shaker"
The iLuv iMM178 shares a lot in common with many iPod docks available in the market today: Play and charge your iPhone or iPod -- check. Alarm clock scheduling based on full-week, weekdays and weekends -- check. Alarm clock with customizable sounds -- check. Alarm clock that vibrates to wake you up -- wait, did I read that wrong, or did that say that this alarm clock will vibrate to wake me up? That's right, folks. The iLuv iMM178 (couldn't they have thought of a more friendly name?) is equipped with a corded "bed shaker" that, as its name suggests, will vibrate in tandem with your alarm. As the iLuv iMM178 wakes you up to The Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations," it can also literally give you some good vibrations of its own with its bed shaker. iLuv suggests that the bed shaker be placed underneath your pillow. In addition to these niceties, the iLuv iMM178 also plays FM radio, and has a time sync feature that reconciles time between it and your iPhone or iPod. iLuv's website lists the iMM178 at US$99.99, where it's available for purchase. Alternatively, you can improve your sleep habits with Sleep Cycle (available for $0.99), a bio-alarm clock iPhone app that analyzes your sleep patterns and wakes you when you are in the lightest sleep phase.
Tabulator: Alarm clock showdown
Mac users must be extremely heavy sleepers, because there is no shortage of alarm clock software for your Mac. If you need to wake up, your Mac will get you up. But which one rules the rooster?Aurora, a popular choice, recently updated to version 4, and went from donationware to a licensing setup (a single copy will now run you EU$15.00. And Awaken was recently included in the Macheist bundle, but could it be that a donationware app like Alarm Clock 2 will do what you want, or is Koingo Software's Alarm Clock Pro the way to go?We decided to wrap them all up into one big table-- app vs. app vs. app vs. app for a wakeup showdown. After the jump, find our first Tabulator battle (thanks to sister site Joystiq for the slick formatting) and discover which clock and timer program deserves to press play on your wakeup playlist.
Boynq rolls out Wake Up iPod speaker / alarm clock
Yeah, what you see above actually is yet another iPod speaker / alarm clock mashup, but being that it's from Boynq, it looks noticeably better than most of the alternatives. The interestingly designed device does quite a few things aside from wake you from your slumber, as it also includes an FM radio and line in / out ports to compliment the built-in equalizer and 20-watts of amplification. Best of all, this thing plays nice with every dock-connecting iPod ever created (including the iPhone "on models produced after January 1st"), and the remote controllable snooze practically guarantees that you'll never be on time for anything again. Talk about user friendly. [Warning: PDF read link]UPDATE: Looks like Amazon's got this thing for $129.99. Thanks Russ![Via The Red Ferret Journal]
Pull-handle alarm clock concept
No matter how much sleek design, aromatherapy, USB power, WiFi connectivity, advanced technology or medieval torture companies manage to cram into their alarm clocks, they still remain one of the most hated devices in our electronics arsenal. Designer Duck Young Kong is hoping his hip new concept clock's pull-cord operation is charming enough to keep you from hucking it out the window. To set the alarm you simply pull the cord on the bottom of the unit until the numbers on the LCD screen reflect the time you wish to get up. The cord then slowly retracts into the clock as your awakening approaches, until it reaches the end and the alarm sounds. The alarm can be turned off by pushing (punching?) the LCD screen, so we're hoping the production models are made with durability in mind. Of course there's always the chance that like some alarms it'll kill you instead, but at least you'll have fun setting it.
