Android docks are finally coming into their own in a big way. As someone who has a love/hate relationship with alarm clocks (doesn’t everybody?), a dock that can double as an alarm clock, completely controlled by the phone…that’s the future. The phone is the center of our world, and everything else plays around it. The bedroom clock may be the first serious step in that direction, and the Philips Fidelio AS111 Android Dock is a brilliant  step forward.

The AS111 is a very succinct, simple device. It has a MicroUSB connector for Android smartphones, though will charge any device with a MicroUSB port. It connects to devices via Bluetooth, and only Bluetooth. Android does not currently support audio out through USB, but all Philips Android docks do, so when Android does support it, the AS111 will be ready (after a firmware update to the hardware).

It has a round base with a clock on the front, speakers on the top, and little else. On the back there’s an AUX-in port for wired audio playback. When connected to a device via Bluetooth, the media buttons on the top can control music playback (play, pause, next and previous track). There’s also a button to turn on and off phone charging, which some users will find very attractive for conserving energy. Finally, there’s a night light on the underbelly of the dock. It has a slight orange hue and is very calm and pleasant. The brightness of the clock LED can also be adjusted.

Setup and installation is very easy. The dock works off of the software, so once the Fidelio app is downloaded, just connect the dock to your phone and the rest happens automatically. The clock will set its time based on your phone’s time.

I’ve used the AS111 for over a month and it is an exceptional device. I’m very satisfied with using it day in and day out. The stereo speakers aren’t all that powerful, but as a clock they don’t need to be. If I listen to music in the bedroom, it’s quiet anyways. Even with just 4W of power, I am satisfied with the quality of audio. Obviously bass is lacking, so you psychopaths who listen to Skrillex before clocking out won’t find this dock too appealing. Everyone else will.

All clock features are controlled through the free Fidelio app. As I discussed in the Philips Fidelio DS8550 Speaker Dock review, the software is okay and improving, though on Android compared to iPhone there are some major differences that both improve and can be a bit of a nuisance. Because it isn’t limited by Apple’s restrictions, alarms set will automatically enable when connecting to the dock (by activating the Fidelio app). This sounds great, but unfortunately it does this any time the phone is connected to any charger. If you only charge with this dock, the then’s fine, but if like most Android users you charge either more than once a day or connect to a computer, the Fidelio app starting every time the phone gets power is annoying. This feature can be turned off, but even after I turned it off it kept starting the app when connecting to a power source. Turning it off would also require starting the app every night if you want to use the dock as an alarm clock.

Otherwise the software is good, but messier than the iOS version. It’s slower than it should be and a little clunkier. While writing this review, I found another firmware update, which does speed up the app and clean some of the minor nags I found. It’s better, but still not as good as the iOS version.

The Fidelio AS111 dock on its own is excellent, the best I’ve seen to date. It has a proper balance of size, build quality, looks, and power. The software may need a little work, and perhaps some adjustments from Google, but all in all I highly recommend the AS111.

Editor’s Rating:

4.5 out of 5 stars

Excellent

Bottom Line: A great Android dock that replaces typical alarm clocks and clock radios.

Pros:

• Solid audio quality
• Simple, intuitive, and sleek design
• The hardware has everything users can desire from a clock

To a large degree iHome’s success has largely been built upon Apple’s iOS devices.  And it doesn’t look like the company is about to change their strategy any time soon since they just announced plans for a slew of new iPod and iPad ready devices.  Taking the cake, at least so far this year, is the iW4.

Much like the iW1, the iW4 includes Airplay connectivity to wirelessly stream your tunes from any Apple device over your home’s WiFi connection.  You’ll of course need to set it up using their Connect app, which isn’t exactly painless (we’re testing the iW1 right now), but is manageable nonetheless.  But unlike the iW1, the iW4 boasts a dock as well as a form factor that is bedside friendly.  In fact, the iW4 is a bedside companion to the max, boasting dual alarms with a weekday and weekend function. Heck, you can even wake to tunes on your iPad via Airplay, or if you’re a traditionalist you can opt for the swiveling dock which all but ensures that you can see your iOS device’s screen from just about any angle you lay, along with providing power and the best possible audio quality. And if for some reason you don’t want to hassle with adding the iW4 to your home’s network, iHome has included an Ethernet port, though that feature will serve little to no one, with the exception of those living in studio apartments.

Other features include iHome’s patented Reson8 speaker system, which adds more oomph to the audio, 6 FM presets, an adjustable EQ, programmable snooze time, gradual wake and sleep, a USB port for firmware updates, battery backup and an AUX input for all things not iOS.

No word on a release date, but it expect to cost just north of $250.

iW4
AirPlay Wireless Bedside Speaker
System for iPad/iPhone/iPod®

The iW4 is an amazing app-enhanced, AirPlay enabled wireless speaker system alarm clock radio for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. Stream wireless digital audio via AirPlay through your WiFi network. Dual alarms let you wake to separate alarm sources at separate times. Impressive technology and an exceptional audio experi- ence.
FEATURES
• Wake or sleep to iPad, iPhone, iPod, app alarms, or iTunes via AirPlay Start or end your day just the way you want it to sound
• Works with AirPlay wireless audio
Send digital audio wirelessly to iW4 from your iTunes library or iPad, iPhone, iPod touch
• Reson8® speaker chambers
Specially designed sealed speaker enclosures deliver astounding clarity, depth and power
• Pivoting universal dock for iPad, iPod or iPhone charging and music playback
Enjoy your music while keeping your iPad, iPhone or iPod fully charged
• iOS App-enhanced device
Works with iHome Sleep alarm clock, iHome Radio internet radio, and iHome Connect network setup and iHome Set apps
• Dual Alarm with Weekday/weekend alarm settings
2 independent alarms let you wake to any combination of Airplay device,
docked iPhone, iPod, iPad, FM radio, alarm tones, iHome Sleep app or buzzer with alarm settings for full week, work week or weekend with separate wake times/ alarm sources
• Wi-Fi certified
Tested to ensure interoperability and the latest in Wi-Fi compatibility
• Ethernet connectivity
Connect to a local network
• Works with free iHome Connect app
Download the free iHome Connect app for easy network configuration
• FM radio with 6 presets
Tune in and memorize up to 6 favorite FM stations
• Adjustable EQ
Bass, mid range, treble, 3D sound and SRS TruBass sound processing controls let you customize your sound
• Programmable snooze time
Lets you sleep in a little or a lot with snooze time between 1 and 29 minutes
• Gradual Wake and Gradual Sleep
Gently increased/decreased alarm/sleep volume eases waking and sleep, duration can be programmed with the app
GENERAL INFORMATION
Product
Color(s): Black
Dimensions: WHD Inches: 10.80 4.41 7.17 mm: 274 112 182
Weight: 4.62 lbs
Power 100V-240V universal
voltage adapter
Batteries 1 CR2450 for clock backup (included)
Packaging
Type: Five-Color Gift Box
Dimensions: WHD Inches: 15.55 9.06 5.91 mm: 395 230 150
Cube: 0.48 cubic feet 0.014 cubic meters
Weight: 7.04lbs 3.20 kgs
Master Carton
confidential ∙ preliminary
ADDITIONAL FEATURES
• 100V-240V universal voltage AC adaptor • Remote control
• Aux-in jack
• USB port (firmware upgrade)
• Battery Backup
Package contents:
• iW4 System
• 100-240V universal voltage adapter
• Remote control
SDI Technologies Inc.
1299 Main Street
Rahway, NJ 07065 www.ihomeaudio.com
732 574-9000 · Fax 732 574-1631
iPad, iPhone and iPod are trademarks of Apple, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.
SRS TruBass is a registered trademark of SRS Labs, Inc. TruBass technology is incorporated under license from SRS Labs, Inc.
©2011 SDI Technologies® All rights reserved
IMPORTANT: All products and packaging include a toll free consumer hotline number (800-288-2792) to provide assistance, answer questions and minimize unnecessary customer returns.
Specifications subject to change without notice to incorporate improvements in design. Printed in USA.
Revised: 12/19/11
Quantity
Dimensions: Inches
mm:
Cube: Weight:
Shipping
Country
40 Ft. Cont. 20 Ft. Cont.
Harm. Code 2011 Duty
iW4 UPC
1
WHD 16.18 10.24 6.54 411 260 166
0.63 cubic feet 0.02 cubic meters
7.85 lbs. 3.57 kg
China
3,167 1,500
0%


The traditional alarm clocks emits a loud and annoying sound at a selected time.  Functional, but not always effective.  As a result we’ve seen alarms clocks which range from an amalgamation of helicopters and speakers to bombs you have to defuse in order to stop the ear brutalizing noise.  And while the vibration alarm clocks are anything but new, none might not be so effective as the Little Rooster.

Figure it out yet?  No.  Like an every day alarm clock you set your wake time before heading to sleep.  But instead of placing it bedside and waiting for the proverbial bell to ring, the Little Rooster will vibrate…in your pants.  And by pants we mean your underwear.  Yeah, pretty damn unorthodox, but since they’re sold out we can only assume that those who bought it think it will be an effective, and pleasurable mind you, method to wake up.  That or they’re looking for a vibrator and appreciate the guise of an “alarm clock.”

What we find a bit perplexing is that you can return it within 30-days without any questions asked.  Even if you’ve used it.  So does that mean you could possibly receive a refurbished Little Rooster, or are they just counting on the odds that no one will be willing to return this $100 device.

Operation is pretty obvious.  To charge this handy device you’ll need to plug it into a USB port.

New York City is chock full of noise.  People yelling at all hours of the days, garbage trucks dispensing with the city’s trash and taxi cab drivers who all but have their hand glued to the horn.  And no matter what city you live in you probably wish you could shoot that dang car whose alarm goes off every morning at 5am.  Well, now you can…sort of.

This alarm clock includes a plastic black gun that looks real enough it might actually get you shot the next time the SWAT team kicks down your door for a drug raid. To turn the alarm clock off, which is signified by some sort of car noise (we assume a horn), you simply just to point the gun at the taxi – sorry, no trigger pull required.  It would have been way cooler if you had to shoot a sequence, which surely would facilitate the whole waking up process and justify its $40 price tag.

For the sake of full disclosure this is by no means a new or innovative idea.  We first saw a gun clock 3 years ago, though that one was a fair bit bulkier, and required you to shoot the bulls eye in order to shut it off.

3.5 out of 5 stars

Sleep is as vital as eating food.  Without, you’ll go insane, get physically sick and all together won’t be able to function.  So if you sleep poorly, your performance will diminish, hence why you’re told to get a good night’s sleep prior to an encumbering day.  However, unlike the other every day activities that we perform, where we can self monitor our performance, it’s impossible to do so while sleeping since your brain is for all intents and purposes in standby mode.

Enter the Lark.  It’s a wrist mounted device that tracks your sleeping habits and sends the data to an iOS device.

Design

The Lark includes a charging base (it doubles as an iOS stand), a wrist strap with a micromovement sensor and accompanying iOS application.

The micromovement sensor is composed of plastic and plugs into the charging base using a micro-USB port.  A small LED light changes from red to green to let you know when it’s fully charged. Lark recommends you charge it every night to ensure the battery doesn’t die mid sleep cycle.  Since the Lark is inserted into the charging dock in a horizontal like fashion, opposite to any iPhone dock, I found it particularly fiddly.  Furthermore, the wristband, if not completely unwrapped gets into the way.

Despite the dock’s aforementioned short coming, it’s hefty, won’t slip around on your night stand thanks to a rubber bottom and can hold any iOS device at a comfortable viewing angle in its rubber clutches.  An AC wall plug transfers power to a built-in USB port, which is designed to be used with your iPhone’s 30-pin cable, allowing you to charge your handset while you sleep.

Plugging everything in couldn’t be more simple, but setting the Lark’s vibrating alarm takes a bit more finesse.  First you must leave the Lark in the charging dock.  Next, pair your iPhone’s Bluetooth with the device and then download the accompanying app.  If you don’t leave the Lark in the charging dock it won’t connect with your iPhone since it automatically goes to sleep once you remove it.  So to set the alarm you must follow the same procedure.  Fire up the app, enter your wake up time(s) and then strap on the Lark.  In in the morning, turn off the Lark’s alarm when you wake, plug it back in and the data from the night will be sent to your iOS device, provided you’ve left the Bluetooth engaged on the handset.  A bit laborious for an evening or morning task, but for the latter time it’s perhaps a good way to wake up since your brain will have to kick into think mode.

The Lark is designed to wake you using vibrations.  In the event that the Lark’s battery dies or that the vibrations don’t wake you from your slumber, you can setup a back up audible alarm within the app or use the iPhone’s native alarm clock.  In addition to waking you with slight vibrations, the Lark can track your sleeping habits.  I’m not entirely sure how it works, but it will display, per the picture above, how much time it took you to fall asleep, how many times you woke up during the night and the quality of your sleep from 1-10, with 10 being the best.  The quality scores seems to be calculated based on how many times you woke up during the evening and how many hours of sleep you attained.  I believe that it is also compared against a database of sleep data.  You can review your results directly on the handset, within the Lark app, or login to the website, as shown in the above screenshot.

Performance

I’ve never been one to sleep through audible alarms unless I’m dead tired, but nor am I a light sleeper.  Despite that, the Lark’s vibrations, while not any more soothing or jarring than an audible alarm, woke me without fail for the 10+ days that I tested it.   Who knows, perhaps it is THE answer for partners who squabble about being woke early as a result of keeping different hours. As to whether the gentle vibration will awake more refreshed, keep dreaming (pun intended).

Lark failed to hook me up with a Pro account, which provides you with detailed feedback about how to improve your sleep based on your score.  As a result I was left to my own devices as to why I slept the way I did.  Nonetheless, I can’t help but wonder what kind of improvements they could suggest based on my movements throughout the night.   However, at first I had a hard time believing that on average I woke up 20-30 times during my night’s sleep.  But despite my skepticism this seemed to be accurately reflected, especially on the days I thought I had gotten more sleep but soon found myself dragging.  So Lark is definitely onto something, it’s just a question of how you apply the collected data, which is why the Pro account, which costs $59 a year, is so pertinent.

Conclusion

In the end the Lark proved a bit too intrusive a device on my wrist to enable me to get a good night’s sleep.  Furthermore, whose to say that the Lark didn’t cause me to wake up more times through out the night than I normally do as a result of having a foreign device strapped onto my wrist.  But alas, a 14 day test may not be an appropriate amount of time for me to adjust to the device.   So with that said it’s a question of tolerance and your willingness to not only be patient, but adjust to a device that isn’t any more encumbering than a watch.

Bottom line: The Lark would be a fair more attractive, and useful device if they didn’t charge a yearly subscription fee.  Without the Pro account, which provides a Sleep Coach, it’s little more than going to the dentist with a toothache, only to be told by your dentist that you have, what else, a toothache.

Pros:

• Silent alarm is a God send for partners with different sleeping hours
• Relatively easy to use free app
• Looks neat and seems to be very well made

Cons:

• App doesn’t provide enough insight into your sleeping habit; you’ll need to invest in the Pro version for more info ($59/year)
• Micro-USB port is at an awkward angle; difficult to dock the device

123►

GadgetReview is giving away one Stem Innovation TimeCommand iPhone Alarm Clock ($100 value), to ONE lucky winner!

The TimeCommand isn’t your ordinary iPhone alarm clock, though it will play and charge the handset.  It features an outlet that allows you to plug in any lamp of your choosing and can be controlled with the touch of a button.  But that’s not all.  Set an alarm, and the TimeCommand will turn the lamp on when it’s time to wake up.  On the converse it will turn the lamp off when your ready to head into slumber land.  There is also a speaker, a 5-band equalizer and the always necessary battery back up in case of a power outage.  Did we mention it also functions as a dimmer switch so you can set the mood right after you flip on some love making music.

We’re giving away one of these to one person for FREE. To enter just LIKE our Facebook Fan Page and then leave a comment on the associated FB post telling us what you HATE most about Facebook.  Again, you’ll need to head to our Facebook page and leave your comment on the post (one Facebook) announcing this contest.

Will pick one winner at random from the comments, but in order to WIN you’ll have to Like Us and comment on Facebook. If you’d like a double entry, follow us on Twitter and retweet this contest.

This contest ends 9/21/2011 at 11:59 PST

It’s open to US residents in the continental US of A only.

Call us haters, but we’re gonna go ahead and assume that the KRadio from Roth AV is an overpriced speaker.  Why?  Well, we’ve used other devices of a similar ilk and determined that the 10 line, text dot matrix, monochrome display is just too much of a shortcoming to overlook all of its other positive features.  However, those products that we’re alluding to didn’t have an iPhone dock, so that significantly changes the game of this device. But in that same stroke is sort of defeats some of its feature set since in theory the iPhone can do just about everything it lays claim to.  So what are those things?

There is a built-in FM radio and DAB tuner.  The latter won’t work here in the US, but the FM radio can be a nice back up in the event your WiFi or wired (it’s compatible with both) connection goes down.  For quick access to your fave Internet radio stations – there are 1000′s – there are 10 preset buttons.  And no set top box is complete without the addition of an alarm clock, which in this case there is two.  Roth AV also tosses in a remote, an AUX input and a rather disappointing 10 watts of total power (2x5w RMS).

Expect the KRadio to go on sale in the UK this September for about £200 ($330 US).  They’ll initially sell a black gloss version, and a Ferrari red version sometime later in the year.

GadgetReview is giving away an XtremeMac: Luna SST Alarm Clock, to ONE lucky winner!

Not only does the XtremeMac: Luna SST Alarm Clock sport an iPhone dock, but it includes a detachable speaker for placement on an opposite nightstand for a companion alarm and full stereo sound.  The easy to read LED display can be dimmed for sleeping and there is a line-in jack for all things not Apple.  Not too shabby for $129.99.

We’re giving away one of these to one person for FREE. To enter just LIKE our Facebook Fan Page and then leave a comment below telling us about your current alarm. You must register your comment with an email address so we can contact you. Comments are moderated so please be patient and enter only one.

Will pick one winner at random from the comments, but in order to WIN you’ll have to Like Us on Facebook. If you’d like a double entry, follow us on Twitter and tweet “@gadgetreview @Xtrememac #contest #free #iphone”.

This contest ends 8/19/2011 at 11:59 PST

It’s open to US residents in the continental US of A only.

4 out of 5 stars

iHome’s iA63 is a stereo speakered alarm clock with a 30-pin dock.  It’s compatible with the iPhone and iPod Touch (it is not compatible with the iPad), and includes a motorized dock that rotates from portrait to landscape mode at the touch of a button.  It sports a dedicated alarm, clock, the ability to sync with your iPhone’s time, an FM radio and stereo speakers.  Installing iHome’s compatible alarm clock ($0) app brings a few more alarms and the ability to tweak settings such as the snooze and sleep timer.

FEATURES

Like any good alarm clock, the top of the device includes a dedicated snooze button.  It also doubles as a dimmer switch for the clock and the iPhone’s display, that is assuming you’ve got the app installed and running.  We’ve looked at the app in a previous review, so head there to get the deets.  However, I will note that the app’s feature set is slightly increased in portrait mode.  Why?  I don’t know, but you can access more alarms and tweak more features.

On the rear of the iA63 is a switch to sync it with the iPhone’s time.  Handy, since setting any clock after a power outage is a nuisance.  There is also a rope antenna for the FM radio, an AUX input for adding a computer or another portable player, and a credit card sized remote.

The remote works just dandy.  They’ve included a battery, which is always nice to see, and I’d imagine that it will probably last a good chunk of time.  However, it is one of those pesky watch batteries, so replacing it will take a bit more effort. What I particularly liked was that it features a snooze button.  That means you can setup up the second alarm for your mate, who is presumably out of arm’s reach, and they too can snooze without depending on you to move, or hopefully wake up.

The built-in radio can function on its own without an iPhone or iPod Touch docked.  However, downloading the $1.99 iHome Radio app will slightly enhance this feature.  I didn’t feel like plunking down $2, so I didn’t test this aspect of the device.

Setting the device’s alarm is intuitive; you just hold down the alarm button and use the “+/-” keys to increase or decrease the time.  Unlike other alarm clocks, the iHome iA63 will slow down at the half past and hour marks, which is a nice touch and prevents you from flying by the typical wake times.  Though, at times it made it a bit frustrating to set the alarm.  There is no AM/PM function, so you’ll need to cycle every 12 hours to cycle between the night or day setting.

The motorized rotating dock is without a doubt a neat feature.  Necessary?  No.  The chances of you using your iPhone to watch a movie, or interact beyond setting the alarm is pretty slim.  Also, accessing the touchscreen when the iPhone is docked is a bit difficult since you can’t grasp it.  I tested the iA63 with an iPhone 3Gs and it fit snuggly in the dock.  I’d expect the same for the iPhone 4 since it doesn’t require any inserts.  However, placing my iPhone into the dock proved a bit challenging, especially when I was tired.

SOUND QUALITY

As found in all of iHome’s products is their patented Reson8 speaker chamber system.  But unlike some of iHome’s other products, the iA63 isn’t quite up to snuff.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s loud for a bedside alarm clock, it’s just lacks the oomph that I’ve come to expect from iHome.  Fidelity wise, it does leave something to be desired, but given its rather small size and intended purpose, it suffices.

The volume level ranges from 0-40.  While most will see this as a moot feature I did not.  It’s nice to have such a large gray area when it comes to volume control, especially when you’re waking up to it.  The sweet spot for me was around 18, which is almost 50% of the iA63′s amplitude.  It’s worth noting that the iA63′s alarm has a gradual volume increase, which is a more natural and comfortable way to wake up.

SIZE

The footprint of the iA63, you know, the amount of space it takes up, is about on par with most alarm clocks.  It’s a consideration worth making, especially since my bedside table is rather limited in size.  To put it in perspective, it doesn’t take up any more space than your average sized picture frame.

CONCLUSION

$100 for a bedside alarm clock is pushing the top end of the category.  But not too many of them, regardless of price, can output stereo tunes and includes a motorized rotating dock.  And let’s not over look iHome’s alarm app which provides additional features and tweaking.  Don’t expect amazing sound to pump from the speakers, but considering its diminutive size, and all things relative, it’s on par with some of the other speaker systems in a comparable category.  I could have done without the motorized rotating dock, which is just one more thing to break and probably bumps up the price.  On the other hand it is fun, albeit gimmicky feature.

Pros:

• Full featured alarm clock
• 30-pin dock for iPhone and iPod Touch
• Remote control with snooze and sleep features

Cons:

• Expensive for an alarm clock; $100
• Motorized dock is gimmicky
• Removing and inserting the iPhone takes some effort

We’ve seen our fair share of iPod/iPhone bedside alarm clocks, and by most accounts that’s an understatement.  However, the iLive ICP391B Clock Radio stands alone in the often over saturated category by incorporating a design that calls for the iPhone to become the 12th number in the clock, thus making it a complete clock.  Of course you’ll need to download the accompanying application, which also provides an alarm and radio.  The hardware itself includes a set of speakers, an FM antenna, 3.5mm headphone input, a full remote and gradual wake function.

You can buy the iLive ICP391B alarm clock radio for $49.99.

Read

3.5 out of 5 stars

Pros:

• Available apps are often tremendous and ridiculous, like Hulu+ and Netflix
• Build quality is superb, should stand the test of time against raging wakers
• App customization and installation through Sony’s Dash website is excellent

Cons:

• Expensive, even at the discounted $150
• Touchscreen lacks sensitivity, isn’t nearly responsive enough
• Organization of apps is awful on the device

It almost feels like a little piece of Star Trek. Sony’s Dash is just a simple alarm clock, running off of Chumby’s UI and apps, and it’s a remarkably simple little device, but it still feels like the future. But does this expensive piece of tech really survive in the bedroom?

The Sony Dash is the sort of thing I’d expect some well-to-do aristocrat to have. It’s shamelessly gadget-like in an 80’s sort of way, with that large 7” screen and thick, rubbery build. And it’s got just one main function: waking you up.

For some background, I haven’t had a standalone alarm clock in about four years. With the proliferation of cellphone alarms, a move and giving my last clock to my kid brother, I never replaced the 10-year old CD player/alarm. Why bother when you can just check your phone? As I quickly learned, thanks in part to Chinese businesspeople and wrong numbers, who have no concept of time, keeping a cellphone near the bed is never a good idea. For a short trip, maybe. Otherwise, you’re just asking for trouble.

Sony’s Dash has most of the same timewasters as any of today’s smartphones, but without the ability to receive calls from that uncle seeking bail. Thanks to Chumby’s UI, the Dash not only plays the clock, it can check email, play videos, show RSS and Twitter feeds, play games, etc. Meaning like your smartphone, it has apps. The available apps are limited, but you can be sure that anyone looking to buy this smartclock will be satisfied when they see Dilbert comics and Philosoraptor on the Dash.

The Dash is a perplexing piece of hardware. It’s thick and big, which is the complete opposite of what most manufacturers, Sony included, strive for.  A thick base seats the Dash firmly in place, and like a pyramid it thins towards the top. The capacitive touchscreen is only single-touch, and is not very sensitive. This isn’t a serious downside, though mostly because it is, after all, an alarm clock.

More tech-savvy users who want to get the most out of the Dash may be disappointed. As a piece of hardware, the Dash seems like nothing special. Chumby was great, but only in a very geeky way. It lacks a long list of apps that so many of us rely on these days, though the small community does churn out useful and fun apps regularly. The most important ones are there: Gmail, Twitter, Facebook, news feeds and more.

The Dash beside a Blu-ray case. The Dash uses a pyramid base that gets thinner at the top

In some ways, the limited functionality of Chumby does keep the Dash from being all it could be. That, and a few of the odd features. Features like an accelerometer, which makes no sense to be in the Dash. Why does it need to know which way is up? There is no built-in application for it, besides tipping the Dash over when the alarm goes off. Even then, really? Similarly, I think Sony could have done better than relied on Chumby, possibly using Android, though it’s understandable that Chumby was their ultimate choice. The hardware requirement is much less stringent, and after all, the Dash isn’t meant to be a tablet.

Some of the best features of the Dash are, frankly, the same you could get with any modern alarm clock. The sound of birds or the ocean instead of an annoying ringing, multiple alarms on separate days…there are analog clocks that can do that! But no analog clock can show you the daily pictures from NASA or Confucious saying, nor can they wake you up and show emails or your daily calendar first thing in the morning.

With USB and headphone ports, plus the surrounding rubber frame, the Dash can take a beating and keep you in bed longer! Why leave the warm confines of your warm blanket? Snuggle up and watch TV or read comics!

I’m of the impression that these functions are all niceties, and for someone with less self-control, it’s far too easy to sit on the Dash and play around with it. That is to say, sit and play with an alarm clock. The idea is ridiculous, stupid and cool at the same time…geeky for the sake of being geeky.

My bigger concern was that the Dash uses an LCD screen, and one reason I never replaced my analog alarm clock was because I hated the light on it. It always was too bright, even after making it as dim as possible. At first, the LCD on the Dash looked like it would be a nightmare, but it really isn’t. The Dash has a sleep setting where it just acts like a clock, and the brightness can be set so dim that in a pitch-black room, the numbers are just barely visible. Light sleepers who are sensitive to light when sleeping can rejoice with the Dash. It won’t make you lose a wink of sleep.

Not surprisingly, the biggest actual flaws from the Dash stem from the software which Sony worked on. Everything with Chumby runs fine, albeit slow at times. Updates however take 5-15 minutes, though in the month of testing I only needed to update the Dash once. The combination of the insensitive touchscreen and the slow software is a harsh reality, one that could easily have been remedied with a multi-touch screen instead of the projected capacitive touchscreen technology currently used.

Philosoraptor, just one of the many Chumby apps available on the Dash

Then again, hating on an alarm clock which can actually play 1080p video (even though the Dash has an 800×480 screen resolution) is pretty hard. Why it needs that ability is beyond me. The fact that I can stream content from Hulu, Amazon, several major TV networks, a slew of online radio stations and far, far more is almost beyond ludicrous. It’s almost as if Sony just got a room of engineers together and said “you have 90 days, put whatever you want into this box and we’ll ship it.”

Sony’s Dash really is a piece of the future. Being able to have all that power – in an alarm clock – is downright insanity. It’s irresponsible. And there is no reason why every electronic device can’t be so jam-packed with features that we have to rely on an alarm clock to show everyone else how it’s done. The only stumbling blocks are the lack of organization, slowness of the UI and the touchscreen, but even then its so easy to see why this makes an amazing gift. Just remember, in the wrong hands, anyone you give it to could suddenly disappear for days at a time, so be careful. Especially if that person is you.

You can buy the Sony Dash from Amazon for $129.  Alternatively, you can choose from one of the retailers below.

Stem Innovation seems to be a completely new company, whose sole purpose is making Apple compatible devices, of which they are currently only selling two: a pair of speakers and the TimeCommand – an alarm clock dock for the iPhone/iPod/iPad.

You could probably put it anywhere, but it’s meant to be placed at your bedside, as its round shape was designed to elicit responses of love, mercy and cuddliness when it wakes you up in the morning. I obviously made that part up, but only because it’s so nice to see a round iPod dock – or a round clock – for a change.

In case waking up through means of sound seems barbaric to you, which it is, the TimeCommand can also command your bedside lamp, and turn it on in hopes of waking you up. If morning doesn’t do the job, what are the chances a lamp will? Try it and find out, I guess.

Or you could let TimeCommand combine light and music in a sort of morning alarm torture show synesthesia. It comes with an app that customizes the whole sleep/wake cycle, with dual alarms for waking and snooze controls.

TimeCommand can be found in Apple Retail Stores for $99.95, and when you see it, it would be wise to remember my loosely constructed description of it – morning alarm torture show synesthesia – before any purchasing decision is made.

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1.5 out of 5 stars

Pros:

• Small form factor
• Built-in WiFi
• SD card slot

Cons:

• More often than not unable to locate WiFi networks
• Slightly buggy operation
• Low rez screen, not capacitive
• Poor battery life

Unremarkable. That’s probably best how to describe Atlaz’s AZICR101 Touchscreen Internet Clock Radio. In a day and age of touchscreen phones and tablets, Altaz’s touchscreen alarm clock struck me as ‘too late to the party’.

So where to begin? Perhaps a brief explanation of the device is in order. It’s an alarm clock, you already know that, and it sports a 3.5-inch 320×240 touchscreen. There’s WiFi (it’s only WPA compatible), JPG viewer (photo frame), MP3 player, SD card slot, 128MB of built-in storage, calendar, a 1w built-in speaker and a mini USB input for charging and powering the device.

Play/pause, volume and power buttons

Power on the device at anytime, even after initial setup and you’ll be greeted with glaringly loud music and a slide show of stock photos. A few taps of the ‘snooze’ button and it cancels the process.

The home screen contains 6 icons: clock, files, network, i-radio, weather and settings. Until the WiFi is setup weather, i-radio and network are useless. Network strangely enough provides you access to photo applications – the only one I recognized was Picasa.

The settings menu is relatively straight forward and really doesn’t warrant much explanation. There you can set the two alarm clocks (standard noises included – rooster, 80s digital alarm, etc) with your choice of MP3, what kind of clock type you’d like to display (analog or digital) and setup the WiFi.

SD card slot

And this is where things went a bit south. Putting aside the fact that more often than not I was unable to detect any wireless networks – I’m surrounded by about 10 of them – I was unable to join mine. But the pain didn’t stop there. Assuming you can find your WiFi, if you make a mistake entering your WPA key, you’ll be forced to delete the entire string, not just the character. Furthermore you can’t view the password in plain text, so you’ll never know if you’ve entered it correctly; it appears as asterisks only. According to Altaz they’re working on a firmware update to address this, but from what I understand it will only fix the deleting issue.

Since I was unable to connect to the Net the majority of the functionality of the clock was rendered useless. What I was able to test was the alarm clock, the MP3 player and the photo viewer.

Speakers and mini USB port for charging/powering the device

The speaker on the device is loud, but fidelity, I think not. Don’t expect to rock out with this device, though it might serve as a suitable last second love making soundtrack.

It’s nice they’ve included an SD card, though I’m not sure what capacity it’s compatible with. It’s probably safe to assume 16GB, which should suffice for those looking to display pics and play a little music.

There is a built-in battery, which is good for about 2 hours of use. With some tinkering I discovered that you can set the display to power off after just 30 seconds, which extended the battery life enough to last 5 hours, hardly enough for a full night’s rest . I would have liked to see a dimmer setting for the screen while it’s plugged in, but for now it’s full brightness or not at all.

Snooze/Function button

The accuracy of the touchscreen, while not horrendous is questionable. It’s not capacitive, so you’ll need to use a bit more heft than you’re accustom to, assuming you’ve got an Android or iPhone. Entering my WPA password took painstaking effort to insure I didn’t make a misstep. Be warned that the screen might turn off during entry, which happened to me a few times. I assume this was a result of setting the display to turn off after 3 seconds, which should have been negated by use, but at this point it is anyone’s guess. A resolution of 320×240 isn’t terrible, but once you’ve laid eyes on today’s smartphones I guarantee you’ll be disappointed. Pictures looked grainy and videos, well I didn’t test it since it requires them to be encoded in M-JPEG, a process that wasn’t worth going through given the already lack luster experience.

At $100 your money is better invested in an iPod Touch, which sports a higher rez screen and much greater functionality. It will lack the bedside form factor, but that’s nothing an aftermarket device can’t quell. If that’s a bit too rich for your blood there is also the Chumby device, which we haven’t tested, but given its feature set and despite sporting a slightly higher cost it seems like a far more solid buy. It really is unfortunate since I had higher expectations for Altraz’s touchscreen alarm clock and didn’t expect it to be plagued by a set of bugs that could have been avoided with a bit more QA testing.

You can, if you so dare, buy it from Amazon for $99.99

I’ve never wanted to have a relationship with my alarm clock, but upon discovering that using my mobile phone to wake up is slowly cooking my brain into a cancerous mass makes me long for closeness with less dangerous devices.

Such is (one hopes, for it is not exactly analog) the Altaz Internet Clock radio, which tries so hard to be your best friend you may find yourself feeling guilty upon leaving it at home. It pulls pictures from Picasa and Flickr and displays them on its 3.5 inch touchscreen. Gives you the weather forecast. Plays music, videos, and accesses “all the Internet has to offer”.

Great, morning porn to go with my morning coffee.

It does all this through Wi-Fi, and it has an SD card reader, though I have no clue what someone would want to put into or take out of an alarm clock. The best part is it costs a measly $99, for a gender confused morning appliance that tries to be an iPad instead of sticking to playing cuckoo.

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In what seems like a brilliant touch that is sure to both wake up and permanently scar the souls of those among us who are late sleepers, Aphelion is a LED  alarm clock that comes with a very special feature.

When it’s time to wake up, it launches a ball into the room, and will not stop ringing until you fetch the ball and place it back into its receptacle. One wonders how far and with how much power the ball is launched, and also how random its trajectory is – it looks like it’s metal and pretty heavy, so it could brake things.

And while that is sure to wake you, do you want to sacrifice your possessions for being at work on time? In case it does break something, Aphelion will try to soothe you by playing a library of MP3 songs or the AM radio of your choice.

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Having already reviewed the Moshi Voice Controlled Alarm Clock some months back, I knew what I was getting into.  This time around I found myself annoyed by Moshi’s inadequacies even though I like some of the core features more than the first iteration.  The whole clock radio aspect really appealed to me and controlling the clock without the voice control ended up being easier than trying to speak to the clock in a variety of stern tones.

First off, the size and visual aesthetic of the clock has bedside written all over it, and fit it nicely with my lamp and other random strewn abouts.  The LCD illuminated at 3 levels of “off-blue” brightness but I found myself desiring the in between.  The low was either too dim and hardly visible where as the brightest setting scorched the cornea and was hard to set morning eyes against.  The buttons had a mildly sticky matte adhesive feel and reacted promptly during times of snooze and other operation.

The IVR006 let you set two alarms using either the alarm or the radio.  Both require only a few button presses and are generally more pleasant than trying to set them using only the voice commands.  When trying to set up the Alarm Clock using voice commands the whole sequence must be spot for the action to actually set.  For example, saying “Hello Moshi” will prompt the clock to ask you another command inquiry and depending on the action itself it can take up to 3-4 accurate phrases to complete.  This can often be a trying task.  Anytime Moshi doesn’t recognize what you say or if she misunderstands completely you have to start the whole sequence from the beginning.  Boo.

Sometimes she simply refuses to hear you.  Other times, I’ll say my dog’s name and Moshi will think I’m talking to her.  No matter how forceful or bold you make your voice  she will shut you down.  Now believe me, If I was hard of seeing I’d be pretty disappointed in this product because the thing is, is that the clock has this ancillary voice recognition meter that is hardly discerning.  I think the idea behind the meter is to keep you aware of the accuracy of your diction but you’re never going to remember that exact pitch that made Moshi listen that one time.  Maybe future iterations will make this feature a bit more useful?

For a clock of this size, the sound wasn’t all that bad given that the positioning of the speakers isn’t of the standard variety.  There’s an AUX input for any MP3 player and I enjoyed the bedside Podcast as I laid down to rest.  The radio also sounded pretty good and was more than I expected.  You can have three radio presets and set any alarm to any one of them.  What I might not of mentioned before is that anytime to set something manually on Moshi you will get a verbal confirmation letting you know that you did it the right way.  I liked that very much considering I couldn’t depend on the actual voice control.

When rounding up this review, I can honestly say that I’m not as impressed with the Moshi IVR006 this time around.  The overall package has more to offer, but the Voice Control just seemed weak and despondent.  It was fun to show visitors’ what Moshi was capable of (when it worked of course) but I found myself totally abandoning the voice controls during my weekly regimes.  The price point is a bit high right now ($70) for me to recommend this clock because it can’t quite perform to it’s true selling point.  Other than that it does have some cool stuff going for it, but right now it’s not a complete product.

Pros:

• Attractive and small
• Radio sounds decent
• Aux in

Cons:

• Poor voice controls
• Weak LCD brightness settings
• Pricey

Buy the Moshi Voice Controlled IVR006 Digital Clock Radio here for $70!

Of all the crazy whacked out clocks we usually post on, the Verilux Rise And Shine Natural Sleep System is a nice change of pace.  The alarm clock gently awakens you using a combination of dimming and brightening lights while also simultaneously raising and lowering the sound levels.  Looking sort of like a mini-stadium light, I’m interested to see just how well this thing works.

The clock also has an AUX input jack for your MP3 player, an FM tuner, and about 800 songs worth of internal memory.  It also looks like it has some sort of SD card slot.  Get one now for the beefy price of $249.95.

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