8 ms·

Who would buy an alarm clock that needs an app to set it? As soon as I saw that I needed to install an app (and create an account!?) just to set my alarm clock,

Who would buy an alarm clock that needs an app to set it? As soon as I saw that I needed to install an app (and create an account!?) just to set my alarm clock, I've have sent it back. Though I guess I do have an alarm clock that needs an app to set it since my only alarm clock is my phone. But if I bought a standalone alarm clock, I'd want it to be really stand-alone, not dependent on my phone.

falcolas 7y ago
Dark patterns on the packaging that obscure the need for a cell phone app. I've seen this kind of thing show up all the time.
- vengefulduck 7y ago
  So why not return it?
  - Nition 7y ago
    He did.
- Mountain_Skies 7y ago
  Ran into something similar with a resistance band workout system. To access the how to use videos, you must sign up for an account. To sign up for an account, they must verify your phone number via SMS. Why on Earth does a set of resistance bands need your contact information? I sent the whole thing back. Maybe if companies start hurting due to restocking costs, they'll stop.
- steelframe 7y ago
  > packaging that obscure the need for a cell phone app There have been a handful of posts on this theme. The idea being that food labels disclose the raw facts about things like high-fructose corn syrup and saturated fats. Likewise IoT packaging should do the same. https://www.troyhunt.com/what-would-it-look-like-if-we-put-warnings-on-iot-devices-like-we-do-cigarette-packets/ https://www.troyhunt.com/what-would-it-look-like-if-we-put-w... https://www.symantec.com/blogs/expert-perspectives/why-we-need-security-and-privacy-nutrition-label-iot-devices https://www.symantec.com/blogs/expert-perspectives/why-we-ne...
  - Cub3 7y ago
    This is a brilliant idea that would give consumers at least some idea of whats happening. I wonder if you could great a crowdsourced database of this in a per product way
Bud 7y ago
Never mind that. Who would buy an alarm clock at all? It's 2019. Use your phone. Or your Apple Watch.
- Johnny555 7y ago
  One reason is because they really really need to wake up on time and don't want to rely on their phone. My android phone used to spontaneously reboot once a month or so and since it was encrypted, it wouldn't finish booting until I entered my unlock code, so the alarm would not go off. I haven't had that problem in a year or more plus now I think even an encrypted device will boot up enough to make the alarm work (though I'm not certain). Also, about once a month or so, I either forget to plug my phone in or don't get the cord plugged in all the way and I wake up to a dead phone. A standalone alarm clock (battery operated or with battery backup) is much more reliable. Though nowadays when I need to get up on time (like to catch an early flight), I set an alarm on a second device, either my wife's phone or a tablet but if I didn't have that option, I'd use an alarm block as backup.
  - Phrenzy 7y ago
    Note 3? I'll bet it was a Note 3.
  - MrMid 7y ago
    I was really surprised that modern smartphones are not able to ring an alarm while they are turned off. My daily driver, Sony Ericsson ELM, rings an alarm each morning I need it, for the last ~9 years. Even when it's off, even if the battery is dead (once had a problem with a charger, couldn't even boot the phone, but it rang each morning for a week). My iPhone? If it dies, it dies. Not even talking about Android.
    - gpvos 7y ago
      Yes, that surprised me too. But do you have any idea how your phone's alarm can ring when the battery is dead? Does it have a second battery?
criddell 7y ago
Raymond received it as a gift.
mavhc 7y ago
Because setting alarms on normal clocks is really annoying. Or setting the time in the first place. I assume the clock has wifi to set the time via ntp already, so adding an app was easy, in the eyes of the hardware division, who never think about the complexity of software, or the cost of it.
- welly 7y ago
  It's a job you do once though. Or very, very rarely. It's surely not annoying enough to buy an alarm clock you can only set via and app on your phone which also requires you sign up for an online account. That, to me, sounds far more annoying. I'll stick with my £5 digital alarm clock.
- taco_emoji 7y ago
  I have an alarm clock that sets itself based on some radio broadcast of the current time. You need to set which time zone you're in and there's a single switch to turn DST on or off.
  - jrockway 7y ago
    These don't do too well in the Eastern US. WWVB is too far away. They introduced a phase modulation that has a lower SNR required for recovery, but as far as I can tell no chipsets exist that understand this signal, and only one clock exists that can receive it. (And it's an analog wall clock, so good luck with your alarms.) I use GPS for time transfer. Works great everywhere in the world.
    - cesarb 7y ago
      > I use GPS for time transfer. Works great everywhere in the world. Except on basements. Or on buildings with no view of the sky.
- Marsymars 7y ago
  > Because setting alarms on normal clocks is really annoying. Or setting the time in the first place. Maybe on digital clocks, but on analog clocks you just spin the knob to the correct time. Not annoying at all. I have this nice clock on my bedside table: https://www.marathonwatch.com/collections/clocks/products/analog-desk-alarm-clock-with-auto-night-light https://www.marathonwatch.com/collections/clocks/products/an... This one is also good: https://www.lemnos.jp/en/archives/1367 https://www.lemnos.jp/en/archives/1367

falcolas 7y ago

Dark patterns on the packaging that obscure the need for a cell phone app. I've seen this kind of thing show up all the time.

vengefulduck 7y ago
So why not return it?
- Nition 7y ago
  He did.
Mountain_Skies 7y ago
Ran into something similar with a resistance band workout system. To access the how to use videos, you must sign up for an account. To sign up for an account, they must verify your phone number via SMS. Why on Earth does a set of resistance bands need your contact information? I sent the whole thing back. Maybe if companies start hurting due to restocking costs, they'll stop.
steelframe 7y ago
> packaging that obscure the need for a cell phone app There have been a handful of posts on this theme. The idea being that food labels disclose the raw facts about things like high-fructose corn syrup and saturated fats. Likewise IoT packaging should do the same. https://www.troyhunt.com/what-would-it-look-like-if-we-put-warnings-on-iot-devices-like-we-do-cigarette-packets/ https://www.troyhunt.com/what-would-it-look-like-if-we-put-w... https://www.symantec.com/blogs/expert-perspectives/why-we-need-security-and-privacy-nutrition-label-iot-devices https://www.symantec.com/blogs/expert-perspectives/why-we-ne...
- Cub3 7y ago
  This is a brilliant idea that would give consumers at least some idea of whats happening. I wonder if you could great a crowdsourced database of this in a per product way

Bud 7y ago

Never mind that. Who would buy an alarm clock at all? It's 2019. Use your phone. Or your Apple Watch.

Johnny555 7y ago
One reason is because they really really need to wake up on time and don't want to rely on their phone. My android phone used to spontaneously reboot once a month or so and since it was encrypted, it wouldn't finish booting until I entered my unlock code, so the alarm would not go off. I haven't had that problem in a year or more plus now I think even an encrypted device will boot up enough to make the alarm work (though I'm not certain). Also, about once a month or so, I either forget to plug my phone in or don't get the cord plugged in all the way and I wake up to a dead phone. A standalone alarm clock (battery operated or with battery backup) is much more reliable. Though nowadays when I need to get up on time (like to catch an early flight), I set an alarm on a second device, either my wife's phone or a tablet but if I didn't have that option, I'd use an alarm block as backup.
- Phrenzy 7y ago
  Note 3? I'll bet it was a Note 3.
- MrMid 7y ago
  I was really surprised that modern smartphones are not able to ring an alarm while they are turned off. My daily driver, Sony Ericsson ELM, rings an alarm each morning I need it, for the last ~9 years. Even when it's off, even if the battery is dead (once had a problem with a charger, couldn't even boot the phone, but it rang each morning for a week). My iPhone? If it dies, it dies. Not even talking about Android.
  - gpvos 7y ago
    Yes, that surprised me too. But do you have any idea how your phone's alarm can ring when the battery is dead? Does it have a second battery?

criddell 7y ago

Raymond received it as a gift.

mavhc 7y ago

Because setting alarms on normal clocks is really annoying. Or setting the time in the first place. I assume the clock has wifi to set the time via ntp already, so adding an app was easy, in the eyes of the hardware division, who never think about the complexity of software, or the cost of it.

welly 7y ago
It's a job you do once though. Or very, very rarely. It's surely not annoying enough to buy an alarm clock you can only set via and app on your phone which also requires you sign up for an online account. That, to me, sounds far more annoying. I'll stick with my £5 digital alarm clock.
taco_emoji 7y ago
I have an alarm clock that sets itself based on some radio broadcast of the current time. You need to set which time zone you're in and there's a single switch to turn DST on or off.
- jrockway 7y ago
  These don't do too well in the Eastern US. WWVB is too far away. They introduced a phase modulation that has a lower SNR required for recovery, but as far as I can tell no chipsets exist that understand this signal, and only one clock exists that can receive it. (And it's an analog wall clock, so good luck with your alarms.) I use GPS for time transfer. Works great everywhere in the world.
  - cesarb 7y ago
    > I use GPS for time transfer. Works great everywhere in the world. Except on basements. Or on buildings with no view of the sky.
Marsymars 7y ago
> Because setting alarms on normal clocks is really annoying. Or setting the time in the first place. Maybe on digital clocks, but on analog clocks you just spin the knob to the correct time. Not annoying at all. I have this nice clock on my bedside table: https://www.marathonwatch.com/collections/clocks/products/analog-desk-alarm-clock-with-auto-night-light https://www.marathonwatch.com/collections/clocks/products/an... This one is also good: https://www.lemnos.jp/en/archives/1367 https://www.lemnos.jp/en/archives/1367