4 ms·

If someone wants to make a "smart" alarm clock, I'd really like to see one that actually has a ten-digit keyboard with dedicated function buttons, instead of tr

If someone wants to make a "smart" alarm clock, I'd really like to see one that actually has a ten-digit keyboard with dedicated function buttons, instead of trying to cram all time and alarm functions onto three buttons and a switch. It can't possibly be expensive. Pocket calculators cost $5.

Johnny555 7y ago
I saw an alarm clock like that in a hotel once -- it had a cheap 10 digit keyboard and poorly debounced keys, setting the time was harder than using the backward/forward button style, because typing "12:00" ended up as "11:11" more often than not, it took many tries and a firm press to get the time set correctly.
cardiffspaceman 7y ago
I have the most awesome alarm clock. It has an LED display, a radio, and it plugs into the wall for power. It has a knob for tuning the radio and a small slide switch for adjusting its band. It has assorted other affordances on its outside that I will skip over. The best features are the following: It has a battery-backed time-keeping chip which means it has never needed to have the time reset due to any loss of power to its main power supply. It has a piezo alarm that will sound if the main power is out and the alarm is on and triggered. It also has a slide switch labeled "DST -on DST -off" so in theory I would never have to +/- the time EVER once it was on the right time zone. I found it in a outlet-style store when I was looking for a WWV clock and this clock answers all my clock needs without needing WiFi, Bluetooth, any other antenna (for AM/FM radio it might be using the power cord, but I don't need that). It doesn't need to be told a password and I don't need to set up an account. I think it was marked down to $10 when I bought it.
- scohesc 7y ago
  But you can connect to it via NFC to change what kind of tune the piezo buzzer makes on an alarm, right? /s
  - cardiffspaceman 7y ago
    You purchase the tunes in a store /s
- CharlesColeman 7y ago
  > I have the most awesome alarm clock. It's cruel to describe such a thing without providing a link or at least a brand name/model number.
- icebraining 7y ago
  > piezo alarm Yeah, that's why I don't own one. Since I'm not ready to invest in one with a bell/gong, at least my smartphone has a proper speaker. Piezos are good for smoke alarms and such, but waking up to one is awful.
  - elaus 7y ago
    To be fair that piezo alarm seems to be the fallback for an power outage only. I think it's acceptable to be waken by a piezo instead of having no alarm at all.
    - icebraining 7y ago
      Fair enough!
- Izkata 7y ago
  I have one from around 2005 that sounds basically the same, except with an additional feature that shows its age: It can play a music CD as an alarm. Also bought at a physical store, though I don't remember how much it cost. I think I last used it around 2011, though I do still have it. Wonder if it still works...
freeone3000 7y ago
I've got one that does WWVA/WWVB (useless, as they don't reach Montreal), a DST on/off slider, and a sequence of buttons to set the time, both with +/- buttons and a numpad. It cost me $20, I think.
chapium 7y ago
How about a dst toggle switch too so you can just flip the hour with a binary switch.
- matt_the_bass 7y ago
  My bedside table clock has that.

Johnny555 7y ago

I saw an alarm clock like that in a hotel once -- it had a cheap 10 digit keyboard and poorly debounced keys, setting the time was harder than using the backward/forward button style, because typing "12:00" ended up as "11:11" more often than not, it took many tries and a firm press to get the time set correctly.

cardiffspaceman 7y ago

I have the most awesome alarm clock. It has an LED display, a radio, and it plugs into the wall for power. It has a knob for tuning the radio and a small slide switch for adjusting its band. It has assorted other affordances on its outside that I will skip over. The best features are the following: It has a battery-backed time-keeping chip which means it has never needed to have the time reset due to any loss of power to its main power supply. It has a piezo alarm that will sound if the main power is out and the alarm is on and triggered. It also has a slide switch labeled "DST -on DST -off" so in theory I would never have to +/- the time EVER once it was on the right time zone. I found it in a outlet-style store when I was looking for a WWV clock and this clock answers all my clock needs without needing WiFi, Bluetooth, any other antenna (for AM/FM radio it might be using the power cord, but I don't need that). It doesn't need to be told a password and I don't need to set up an account. I think it was marked down to $10 when I bought it.

scohesc 7y ago
But you can connect to it via NFC to change what kind of tune the piezo buzzer makes on an alarm, right? /s
- cardiffspaceman 7y ago
  You purchase the tunes in a store /s
CharlesColeman 7y ago
> I have the most awesome alarm clock. It's cruel to describe such a thing without providing a link or at least a brand name/model number.
icebraining 7y ago
> piezo alarm Yeah, that's why I don't own one. Since I'm not ready to invest in one with a bell/gong, at least my smartphone has a proper speaker. Piezos are good for smoke alarms and such, but waking up to one is awful.
- elaus 7y ago
  To be fair that piezo alarm seems to be the fallback for an power outage only. I think it's acceptable to be waken by a piezo instead of having no alarm at all.
  - icebraining 7y ago
    Fair enough!
Izkata 7y ago
I have one from around 2005 that sounds basically the same, except with an additional feature that shows its age: It can play a music CD as an alarm. Also bought at a physical store, though I don't remember how much it cost. I think I last used it around 2011, though I do still have it. Wonder if it still works...

freeone3000 7y ago

I've got one that does WWVA/WWVB (useless, as they don't reach Montreal), a DST on/off slider, and a sequence of buttons to set the time, both with +/- buttons and a numpad. It cost me $20, I think.

chapium 7y ago

How about a dst toggle switch too so you can just flip the hour with a binary switch.

matt_the_bass 7y ago
My bedside table clock has that.