alarmclock
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Thanko's slightly retro MP3 Clock allows personal recording
Sure, the art deco crowd has plenty of fashionable alternatives when it comes to alarm clocks, and even the off-kilter set has a few surefire options to get them a-risin', but for those of you who just can't live without the tried and true round faced variety with a pair of ringers perched at the top, Thanko's got your number. The MP3 Clock connects to your Windows XP-based PC via USB, and the included software can insert a number of animal calls, sensational alarms, or even your very own recording onto the device. Rather than striking up that annoying screech in the morning, you can now awake to cows mooing, a dog barking, motorcycles revving, chainsaws blaring (saywha?), or your very own voice demanding that you release yourself from sleep. The MP3CLK01 is available now to shake up your wake-ups for ¥2,980 ($25).[Via AkihabaraNews]
Voco alarm clock has mini-Jeeves to wake you from slumber
The class wars are over (and have been for a few months apparently, as that's how long this Voco alarm clock has been around) as any subject of Her Majesty's Commonwealth -- hell, the world -- can now be woken in the morning by their very own "gentleman's personal gentleman." Stephen Fry in his P.G. Wodehouse role does his duty here by providing the virtual voice of civility in the form of the Voco valet alarm clock. Complementary to the usual beeper, the Voco has an internal speaker with 50 different voices to draw you out of your restful slumber in a polite, old English manner. A shame perhaps, since we've found that the most effective English lingo for getting out of bed tends not to be one with correctly pronounced 't's, but one that goes something along the lines of "get your arse outta bed!" If you're lucky enough to be in the regular companionship of a Brit, then that announcement comes free of charge too, whereas the Voco will set you back £29 and 90 pence (or ~$60).
Citizen alarm clock grabs tunes from your cellphone
Citizen's got a new alarm clock for those that prefer the simple pleasure of waking up to some some of their favorite tunes instead of the roving antics of a robotic noisemaker. Nothing too unusual there, of course, except that Citizen's M-stock 533 clock is able to wirelessly snag up to five tunes straight off your cellphone -- if you happen to be a user of Japan's mupass service, that is. If you fit that particular bill, you can get your hands on the clock now for ¥6,247, or just over fifty bucks.[Via Tokyomango]
Sagem My Dual Radio 700 does internet / FM radio, MP3s
Don't look now, but it appears that Sagem is taking a brief break from kicking out Bluetooth accessories and smartphones to delve into the oft ignored world of internet radio boomboxes. The Sagem My Dual Radio 700 touts a lopsided design, a very noticeable antenna, and a built-in LCD screen to keep you in the know. Feature wise, it plays nice with internet radio signals (via WiFi or Ethernet) and FM radio, while also supporting RDS and MP3s via the integrated USB port. Additionally, you'll find a 3.5-millimeter headphone jack, wireless remote, RCA stereo outputs, two-watt amplifier, and an obligatory alarm clock function to get you all cranked up in the AM. Sure, we have our doubts about the sound quality here too, but if you're looking to cover most of your audio bases in a single device, and are hoping to keep it all under €150 ($200), you can look Sagem's way when this thing reportedly lands next month.[Via TRFJ]
Power up your alarm clock with He-Man and friends
We have to admit, after having seen software engineer Douglas Gray lovingly transplant the heart of a He-Man Talking Alarm Clock into one of Sony's ubiquitous Dream Machines, that maybe we were a little cruel when we performed all sorts of horrifying childhood experiments and unnecessary surgery on the most powerful man in the universe and his MOTU posse. Nonetheless, we've got the old power of Grayskull flowing through our veins again, maybe even enough to follow Doug's step-by-by step guide on gutting the salvaged toy and wiring it to the buzzer output of Sony's cube. Yeah, waking up to He-Man and Teela rapping about Skeletor every day for the rest of our lives seems like appropriate penance for dismembering poor Man-at-Arms and using a magnifying glass to scar all three visages of Man-E-Faces. Sorry guys.[Via MAKE]
Devious Clocky hits the market, ready to roll
We must have missed the memo explaining the world's growing problem of ignoring their alarm clocks, but on second thought, maybe it's just time (ahem) for manufacturers to crank out solutions to the issue that has quietly been around for centuries. Not too long after the ever-mischievous Blowfly hit the market to force drowsy individuals to rise and shine, Nanda Home is offering up the rugged (and oh-so-devious) Clocky to those who are ready to deal with their addiction to snooze. Ready to roll in almond white, aqua, and mint colors, this dual-wheeled alarm clock gives users just one free round of snooze before it darts around the room, blaring its alarm and zooming across floors until the exhausted owner manages to locate, load, and fire his / her shotgun at the free-spirited toy. Watch out, though, as this bugger can even leap from three-foot heights without missing a tick, and it's finally ready to shake up your morning routine for a relatively modest $49.99.[Via GadgetReview]
The BANCLOCK: if the IRS made alarm clocks
Meet the BANCLOCK alarm clock. Not to be confused with the bang clock, this alarm clock features a display like a national debt ticker and alarm which can only be turned off by feeding the damn thing some coin. No option to snooze here brother. Of course, there's nothing to prevent you from feeding it slugs you cheap azz, but you're only cheating your kids of their education. Available in Japan for ¥5,985 or $51 bucks which is itself, a crime.[Via Akihabara News]
Rockridge Sound's iSR-01 "luxury" iPod alarm clock
Surprise your guests when you tell them this gem isn't from a thrift store and that it actually plays an iPod, not cassettes. Rockridge Sound busts out yet another iPod clock / dock option, this time with 2.1-channel audio, alarm clock function, and AM / FM tuner. Although the specs aren't exactly eye-popping, it seems Rockridge is pushing the iSR-01's "luxurious" wood finish and quasi-analog hark-back design -- after all, the product page screams "MODERN & LUXURY" in huge all-caps letters. This gigantor unit supports third, fourth, and fifth gen iPods, minis, first and second gen nanos, is powered by an AC adapter or 2 AAA batteries, and they've included a remote in case you need to control functions while admiring all that luxury from afar. There's no mention of cost, but for some reason, we're banking on a heavy price tag. [Via Akihabara News]
The DangerBomb alarm clock: wake or go boom!
Already loosed in Japan, the DangerBomb alarm clock from Banpresto is yet another oddball way of coaxing you into the morning grind. To disable the alarm, you must reconnect the red, yellow, and blue cables in the correct order. Fail your mission and suffer the annoyance -- and possible death -- of a mocked audible explosion. Genius. Just ?2,366 in Japan or $19... if you can get it back through customs. Warning: not for use in the Boston Area.[Via Akihabara News]
Lupus Sabene adds style, fabric to alarm clock
There's a plethora of techno-inspired alarm clocks available to wake you up with your own tunes, and there's even renditions that force you to play games with it in order to shut its yap, but Lupus Sabene has designed an alarm clocks that breaks the mold of existing models by adding a dash of pizazz to the bedroom mainstay. The aptly-named Fabric Clock is simply an average desktop alarm clock encased in designer walnut wood veneer and stainless steel, but taking the artsy approach one step further, Lupus has designed fabric-based covers to clip onto the front panel, adding a simplistic, modern touch to what would've been an eyesore. Ideally, users would have numerous Burberry-inspired covers to change with your mood, and although we've no idea how pricey this thing will be, those comfortable with basic DIY hardware shouldn't have too much difficultly creating one of their very own.[Via SciFiTech]
Buzzing, copter-inspired Blowfly alarm clock goes on sale
We see far too many fabulous ideas that simply never make it to market for one reason or another, but after a lengthy stint in proverbial purgatory, the Blowfly alarm clock has hit production. The design looks a bit more mainstreamed that previous conceptions, but the functionality remains in tact and looks to be the perfect annoyance to force you to rise in the early AM. Sporting a shiny black base, blue backlit LCD, large-format numbers, and the obligatory mini-copter launcher, this alarm clocks purportedly blasts the chopper into the air whenever you're supposed to awake, and unless you get up, catch the flying object, and place it back into the clock, that awful screeching nose simply will not cease. So if you're the world's worse snooze abuser, and you don't mind stumbling around your room with eyes half closed, you can cure that late arrival syndrome for just DKK299 ($53).[Via GadgetReview]
iHome unveils bevy of colorful iPod alarm clocks / speaker systems
No sooner than iLuv hit us with two new iHome competitors, iHome has struck back with the unveiling of no fewer than seven new iPod alarm clocks and speaker systems. Going for that classic look, the iH14 is a tabletop iPod speaker system with a wood or black leather finish, AM / FM radio, and rotary knobs. The iH10 rocks the same overall design, but sports the more typical, trendy white or black finish. The ultra-compact iH4 provides an iHome for folks on the go, offering an alarm clock / docking iPod solution in a tiny enclosure that also features an aux input, adjustable LCD accent lights, and a white or black paintjob. Next up is the colorized versions of the now-famous iH5, and while the iH5 colortunes will come in white with blue, green, or pink grills, the iH3 adds silver to the mix and will be sold exclusively in Target. The iHM1 also gets a colortunes makeover to match those 2G nanos, and comes in blue, green, and pink as well. Lastly, the iH19 sport case rocks a water-resistant design, stereo speakers, and external control pad, and should be available in your choice of blue, green, pink, or silver. No pricing or release information was readily available, but we're pretty sure these colorized units will make it out just in time for Spring.
iLuv kicks out Bluetooth-enabled i277BLK / i199BLK iPod stereo clocks
It may not be iHome, but iLuv's done a thing or two with DAP-docking alarm clocks that other firms just have to respect, and the company's latest duo even includes Bluetooth for that cordless approach we so adore. The i277BLK (pictured after the break) features an LCD display, docking cradle for your dock-connecting iPod, built-in track / volume controls, AM / FM tuners, digital clock with dual-function alarms, wireless remote, AV output, dock adapters, twin three-watt jAura speakers, and an A2DP-compliant BluePin audio transmitter / receiver to receive tunes from any BT-enabled device or listen in with your Bluetooth headphones. The i199BLK ups the ante by including a CD / MP3 disc player, USB port for thumb drive input, ID3 tag support, and a larger, more descriptive LCD panel. Both options should be available this March, and while the i277BLK will set you back $149.99, the more featured i199BLK will demand a cool $229.99.Read - iLuv i277BLKRead - iLuv i199BLK
iRooster 2.2
Using your Mac to wake you up isn't a new idea, but I think it is a good idea. iRooster 2.2 (release notes) is another alarm clock app that turns your Mac into the most expensive alarm clock you have ever used. It allows you to pick playlists, or random songs, from your iTunes library to jar you awake from slumberland. It will also download album art if the track it is playing has no artwork associated with it.New in version 2.2 is an iTunes like style for the clock (not pictured above) and some bug fixes for those of us on Intel Macs. iRooster requires iTunes 6.0 or above and OS X 10.3 or above and will set you back $9.95.
iHome Mobile Bluetooth Alarm Clock
We've seen a few Bluetooth speakers 'round here as well as modern takes on the clock radio. Now in a fit of bedroom convergence, meet the Bluetooth clock radio and er, speakerphone. Pair the iHome Mobile with your Bluetooth musicphone or computer and drift off to sleep in a cradle of weak radiation. Hell, it'll even double-up as a speakerphone for all your dirty little, "hands-free" calling needs while alone in bed. And while it might look like it features a charging cradle for your Chocolate, or other capable cellphone, we highly doubt it -- more than likely we're just looking at a cup to hold the phone or other Bluetooth device. No worries, you'll wake refreshed with a dead cellphone battery ready to take on the day without interruption.
WidgetStation gives you fewer reasons to get out of bed
Korea's emTrace looks to be branching out from its smartphone-centered niche, jumping on the widget bandwagon with its beefed-up alarm clock, the WidgetStation. Packing dual LCD screens (one color, one monochrome), the device will give you at-a-glance access to all the usual information that can be widgetized, including stocks, weather, and RSS feeds, as well as integration with a desktop PIM and the ability to browse photos (but apparently not videos) stored on a desktop PC. Interestingly, while the device will let you listen to Internet radio stations, there's no mention of support for plain old AM or FM radio -- one step forward, two steps back we suppose. From the looks of it, you'll also have to plan on stringing some ethernet cable if you're thinking of using the WidgetStation very far from your router, with the device sporting an RJ-45 port but no built-in WiFi -- something others don't seem to have had any trouble doing. Still no word on price, though emTrace should be announcing that at CES if the product is launching in early 2007 as planned.[Via Akihabara News]
Directed unveils Soloist universal media dock
If you've ever dreamed of morphing your Sirius boombox and iPod speaker system into one incredibly convenient unit, you're obviously not alone. Directed Electronics has raised the curtains on its Soloist universal media dock, which apparently hopes to be an end-all solution to folks who don't want a separate sound system for every media player they own. Although this is labeled with the ever-trendy "universal" tagline, it's clear this NXT-powered device was created with Apple's cash cow and Sirius subscribers in mind. The Soloist utilizes SurfaceSound flat panel speaker technology, and packs a subtle 10 watt-per-channel Tripath amplifier into a thin, black housing. While the system will definitely support the iPod and Sirius varieties, an untold amount of other interchangeable cradles will supposedly be included. Just in case your DAP is shunned in the cradle department, an aux-in port is provided along with a headphone jack and a Sirius in-house antenna to boot. The portability crowd will be a bit bummed that the Soloist only plays when connected to an AC outlet, as a battery compartment is MIA, but you will be able to wake to your favorite tune or Sirius station thanks to the built-in alarm clock, which could possibly make dragging yourself out of bed at least slightly less excruciating. This surprisingly well-featured device might not replace your high-end speaker systems, but if consolidation becomes a necessity, you can snag the Soloist for $149 this September.
Xbox 360 case mod oddity of the month
We've kind of tapered off on Xbox 360 case mod coverage, since beyond a bit of paint here and a large fan there, where are you going to go? Well, a friendly Engadget tipster finally answered that question with the "Xbox 360 Tissue-Dispensing Alarm Clock Case Mod." Featuring not only intense tissue-dispensing action, but a snazzy EL-based alarm clock, the Xbox 360 case mod sheds all such constraints such as "functionality" and "reason" for a case mode made especially in our honor. Fitting, no?[Thanks, Jordan]Read - Pic 1, Pic 2 and Pic 3
Xbox 360 tissue-dispensing alarm clock
Jordan Keeling, one of the snot-nosed morons (he takes it as a compliment) behind smashsomestuff.com created this oddly familiar tissue-dispensing alarm clock in honor of this blog. Thanks man. There's no clock display shown in this case mod pic, but he says the ring of light functions as a snooze button. Time to re-purpose that Core System, especially if you suffer from a runny nose.
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.
