# 21st century Alarm Clock? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 25, 2013, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/21st-century-alarm-clock/674785 "2013-11-25T22:55:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CheapBastid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8baadc/32.png) [@CheapBastid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheapBastid)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/21st-century-alarm-clock/674785/1 "2013-11-25T22:55:31Z")
Hello Teeming Millions! I was wondering if anyone had a good experience with a fully functional alarm clock with modern technology. It seems too much to ask for: A disc (CD/MP3) player An FM Radio Wireless Internet Radio/Pandora/Etc Configure-able alarm clocks (M-F settings as well asone time settings) USB Stick capacity Bluetooth capacity The closest I was able to find a year or so ago was a by Grace Digital, but it’s clunky in size and as well as difficult in menu functionality. It’s also missing a few of the components that would make it useful. I don’t think I’m asking too much, but it seems there aren’t many options. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/21st-century-alarm-clock/674785/2 "2013-11-25T22:59:24Z")
Once I got an iPhone I threw my old clock/radio out the window. Those things take up space I could be using for my iPad. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/21st-century-alarm-clock/674785/3 "2013-11-25T23:13:09Z")
don’t neglect the AM band with a loop antenna. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/21st-century-alarm-clock/674785/4 "2013-11-25T23:14:40Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > don’t neglect the AM band with a loop antenna. Yeah, I’ll debate whether FM radio and CD player features are “modern technology.” ---
**Author:** ![CheapBastid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8baadc/32.png) [@CheapBastid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheapBastid)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/21st-century-alarm-clock/674785/5 "2013-11-25T23:17:13Z")
Fair enough, but is including ‘current technologies’ really all that much to ask for? ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/21st-century-alarm-clock/674785/6 "2013-11-25T23:25:35Z")
Never seen one with that many features. For about two years I had a pretty nifty alarm clock with USB stick capacity and an ipod dock. The iPod dock was kinda sad and froze up my iPod nano several times before I stopped using it, but the USB port was pretty good. The only thing it wouldn’t do was play a shuffle alarm from the USB stick. Still used it until it completely died. Now I’m back on the CD player alarm clock radio which will do shuffle alarm from the CD, even if it doesn’t have MP3 capability. But I can get woken up with an unexpected selection from 21 of my favorite songs if I use a mix CD, and that’s good enough. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2013, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/21st-century-alarm-clock/674785/7 "2013-11-26T00:23:18Z")
I want an alarm clock that stays dark until you tell it to light up, and then goes back to sleep so that I can go back to sleep. Most clocks are waaay too bright. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2013, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/21st-century-alarm-clock/674785/8 "2013-11-26T04:16:29Z")
See, the problem is that, with modern computer technology, you can create hybrid products with various functions in almost any _arbitrary_ combination, so it’s a crapshoot if you’ll find just exactly the combination of functions that seem most useful to yourself. It used to be, for example, that you got a clock to tell you the time and wake you up; a calculator to do your arithmetic; and a radio to play music and news; and, say, a desk lamp to shed light in the darkness. Now you can get a single device that combines all those (maybe) or some other combination of functions that some product designer thinks would sell. Think, for example, of how many functions your modern car does besides just transporting you. Now, see, I’ve got this nifty alarm clock that also massages my feet on a pre-set schedule, controls the hot-water heater for maximum efficiency, it’s also my phone answering machine, calendar and organizer application, and it waters and mows my lawn, and has a built-in Roomba too. As it happens, I live in an apartment and thus have no use for the lawn care functions, but I could really use a built-in link to my bank account to pay the rent automatically. Alas, I couldn’t find a model with that particular combination of functions. (ETA: I wish it would do my laundry too.) So it goes. You find the product with a few functions you like, according to your priorities, and buy the one with the best evaluation in terms of functions it has that you like, price, and functions it’s missing that you wish you had. ---
**Author:** ![R.P.McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2013, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/21st-century-alarm-clock/674785/9 "2013-11-26T04:46:29Z")
Shouldn’t it also have: - Atomic clock syncing. - Automatic Daylight Savings Time shifting. - Projection of the time on the ceiling. - Outdoor and indoor temperature. These are things that current clocks are already capable of doing. It doesn’t involve new technology. So, to the OP, why not? ---
**Author:** ![CheapBastid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8baadc/32.png) [@CheapBastid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheapBastid)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2013, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/21st-century-alarm-clock/674785/10 "2013-11-26T17:02:43Z")
I agree, it should have the first two on your list as well. Sorry I didn’t have a complete list I just was struggling with that set of (what seem to me to be) simple requirements. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2013, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/21st-century-alarm-clock/674785/11 "2013-11-26T17:13:33Z")
It needs a weather-band so you can listen to the weather forecasts before you get up. Also, how about a button to listen to WWV so you know the _exact_ time (not just adjust the clock, but to actually listen to the broadcast). ---
**Author:** ![Sr\_Siete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Sr\_Siete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sr_Siete)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2013, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/21st-century-alarm-clock/674785/12 "2013-11-26T17:19:07Z")
I’m sorry, but isn’t what you are describing a regular cellphone without the ability of calling? ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2013, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/21st-century-alarm-clock/674785/13 "2013-11-26T17:26:25Z")
OK, first off, the concept of a clock/radio is an anachronism. As was mentioned upthread, because of our tiny embedded processor tech, we can make a thing do just about any normally discrete function. The limitation is the I/O. The user interface more precisely. You have to have a smart display that can project and be dimmed programmatically. The command interface can’t be too difficult and should be as simple as can be because we are, after all, talking about something you use when you are sleepy or disoriented from awakening. You want the ability to read audio from a variety of digital and physical formats, and that sounds like a main console from a home stereo system. Think about a tricked out Bose system. Voice annunciator to announce the date and time and current temperature (if you have a remote sensor unit). Steaming audio from the Internet. Ideally, you would build these units in a modular manner to construct as many different configurations as would be possible to store in the complete framework. Don’t we have something like this yet? ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2013, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/21st-century-alarm-clock/674785/14 "2013-11-26T17:45:19Z")
Sorry for the double post. The question intrigued me. How about this? > [@](#): > > A compact docking station lets you prop your phone up on your desk, tilt it back, and charge it while you work. This means you can position the phone for use as an alarm clock, photo viewer, movie player, or weather station. Not all handsets have docking stations available. But a quick survey of [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com) finds docks for more popular models, such as the Motorola Droid and Droid X, the HTC Droid Incredible, and the Samsung Captivate. You may even want more than one dock; say, one for your desk for photo viewing, one for the living room for listening to music, and one for a bedside table for watching videos. [Cite](http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2383031,00.asp) Start with that and build in audio inputs from discrete components. Add a projector. The voice interface is already in some Android apps. All you would need then is good programming. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2013, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/21st-century-alarm-clock/674785/15 "2013-11-26T17:46:19Z")
> [@JohnGalt](#): > > It needs a weather-band so you can listen to the weather forecasts before you get up. > > Also, how about a button to listen to WWV so you know the _exact_ time (not just adjust the clock, but to actually listen to the broadcast). i could listen to that for hours. for weather band and WWV voice you would need a telescoping rod antenna which puts constrains on where and how you could use the unit. to have the time set by WWVB uses a small antenna. ---
**Author:** ![CheapBastid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8baadc/32.png) [@CheapBastid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheapBastid)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2013, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/21st-century-alarm-clock/674785/16 "2013-11-26T18:03:22Z")
I agree that it ‘could’ be built, but I’m befuddled as to why there aren’t more options on the marketplace. There are truly slim pickings for a wifi enabled alarm clock. I was hoping I was just missing something, and I suppose I am as I should be looking more for a phone dock and work with different apps for the phone. ---
**Author:** ![Shadowfyre](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfyre/32/9972_2.png) [@Shadowfyre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shadowfyre)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2013, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/21st-century-alarm-clock/674785/17 "2013-11-26T22:24:00Z")
I definitely need a separate alarm clock from my phone. I like just being able to turn my neck to look at the time without having to reach over, find my phone, press the button and recoil in pain as the bright light blinds me. I like my room to be as dark as possible while I sleep. That means no blue or green glowing clocks, either. Red is the only acceptable color for the numbers on an alarm clock. My current alarm clock is great. I would just love for it to have weekend alarms. I always leave my alarm set for 5:00 am. That’s when I need to get up for work. I’m afraid to turn it off on Friday because I know I’ll forget to turn it back on Sunday night. So every Saturday and Sunday morning, my alarm goes off at 5:00. Usually I can go back to sleep, but sometimes I can’t. Those are the mornings I lay there wishing I the clock had better alarms. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2013, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/21st-century-alarm-clock/674785/18 "2013-11-26T22:41:00Z")
Which music and programmability features an alarm clock has is a lot less important to me than controls that are easy to use and make sense. We’ve had a couple of generations of clocks based on fairly shitty common chips that did all the familiar functions by press-this, hold-this, close one eye while doing this. I have a Boston Acoustics table radio/clock that allows very simple setting of times and functions, but it was expensive and is not great as a headboard alarm clock. I wish someone would design a new general-purpose alarm clock chip that supports simple, discrete controls and a modern display - then you can hang all the Pandora, net, MP3 inputs on it you want. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2013, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/21st-century-alarm-clock/674785/19 "2013-11-26T22:58:40Z")
> [@CheapBastid](#): > > There are truly slim pickings for a wifi enabled alarm clock. Mainly because everyone carries one in their pocket.