Reviews related to : Alarm/Radios
Looking like an old fashioned alarm clock the sort with bells on the top this is a digital clock with FM radio. However you can place an iPod in the dock in front and play content out of some quite good quality speakers.
The clock itself looks like the clockwork alarm clock I grew up with just after the war. It is 13x13x7cm, However the face is digital (no hands) and at the back where you would have the winder you have the DC power input and below this a semi circle of five items four buttons and a 3.5mm Auxiliary input. There is no external FM aerial. So plug in your clock and let the fun begin, I say fun because the manual only describes what these four buttons Mode, Set, Down and Up do.
DAB radios come in all shapes and sizes including the ET appearance of the BUG. While the Pure Twilight model does not quite fall into the BUG category, its shape does help it stand out from the pack.
My first thoughts on seeing this DAB/FM radio were “was it modelled on the Kilroy graffiti of old or maybe the top half of Humpty Dumpty”. The Twilight is a domed shaped unit with a translucent lamp module perched on top of the main radio component and is certainly eye-catching with its modern day styling. Measuring 360 x 180 x 120mm (W x H x D), the Twilight is a fairly sturdy piece of kit that weighs in at 1.65kg.
Not as yet a single product, the first an analogue clock that looks like it is a phone, the second a device that is likely to more required as global warming increases even in the UK for removing the discomfort of insect and mosquito bites.
This looks like a rather shinny telephone of around 60 years ago, the dial is an analogue clock controlled by batteries in its base it has a sweep second hand and an alarm (however remember being analogue it’s a 12 hour clock). It is 20cm wide (the length of the receiver), 15cm deep at the base and 14cm tall, the clock dial is round at 6cm.
I am told there is an earlier model that did not have the DAB radio. This has it all and just for good measure an external speaker and bed shaker for those who never seem to hear the alarm go off, this you will not be able to ignore.
The iLuv iMM178 main unit is oval measuring 25x10x9cm, the bed shaker unit is also oval at 11x6.5x2.5cm. The lead that connects the shaker to the main unit is 2metres long and this I found was adequate. The mains lead ending in the power adapter plug is 1.7metres and this to me is a tab short unless the electric socket is the same side of the bed as the table/stand. The extra 30cm that the shaker unit has just gives that extra amount to allow easy placement.
Calling this an alarm clock is a vast understatement both in abilities and indeed in size. It has sat by my bed for several days and roused me in the morning even before the buzzer/sounds/radio has sounded simply by its built in light.
A little different to the normal iPod dock in that the clock which can be battery operated is in the dock and does not rely on the iPod in fact the dock can support Auxiliary input (MP3 player) and it has inbuilt FM radio.
I wake up slow is a song written and performed by Dory Previn. I was reminded of this recording when setting up a new device from Logic 3.
How do you wake up in the morning? Are you the type that prefers to do it naturally without any outside interference? Maybe you opt for some form of assistance such as sometimes happens in my case when my cat decides it is time for me to perform the important task of providing him with food. For many the preferred method is to rely on an alarm clock. Joining the range of possible alarm clock models available is the i-Station TimeCube from Logic3.
For those of you who need to get up before dawn during these winter months, the Lumie Bodyclock will wake you up gently with a simulated dawn experience and an alarm.
The Lumie Bodyclock is a stylish bedside light which comes on slowly to simulate a dawn experience at a time determined by you. Especially useful in these winter months, you can wake up gently without harsh ringing noises and without having to turn on a bright light in your bedroom. The set up for the Bodyclock is simple to use, with a select button for functions and an up and down button to make the settings.
My early morning slumbers have been interrupted recently as I have been testing a radio alarm clock with iPod and bed shaker features.
This is one of those big red bus occasions when two products with similar functionality turn up in close proximity. The functionality concerns a bed-shaking alarm facility. Following the arrival of Doro’s vibrating amplified alarm clock, it is the turn of the bed shaker alarm clock from iLuv.
Better known for its mobile phones, DECT handsets and walkie talkies, Doro has developed an alarm clock with a choice of wake-up methods
The first a cube to sit by your bed no excuse for not charging the iPod/iPhone and it has alarm and sleep timer. The second when you do forget to charge your iPod a tiny device that can sit on your key ring will do so.
As far as bed side units go this 9cm cube is tiny but still allows you to use and charge your iPod or iPhone as well as have FM radio and even an auxiliary input all of these are choices to wake you from your slumbers or lull you to sleep. The front has a 6.5x6cm orange alpha numeric screen this is divided into three horizon strips the top one is a line of graphics to say which mode you are, the middle one is day, date and month and finally the bottom line is time.
This is triangular in shape and ideal for beside the bed, not only DAB, FM but also CD and an Auxilery input. It has two small internal speakers so decent stereo (considering its size) can be achieved from this Pure unit.
The Pure Chronos CD II measures 19cm wide at the front, 7cm wide at the back, 19cm deep and 12cm tall. The front of the unit has two columns of four buttons with a wheel set between the columns. Above this is a four line (green on black) display. Below the columns of buttons are two 3.5mm sockets, headset and Auxiliary In. The top of the unit has two buttons on each of the front corners to control any CD you might play.
Sometimes a products title can give you a clear indication as to its purpose and functionality but this is not always the case as this next product illustrates.
The KRG-D50 gives nothing in the way of evidence to explain what is in the box. You could easily indulge in flights of fancy as you come up with numerous suggestions as to what the KRG-D50 actually is and still not come anywhere near the fact that this is a radio-alarm with iPod docking and charging capabilities. Even then there is one important feature still to be revealed.
This is version two of the Wake Up Light. I reviewed the first one nearly two years ago (26-3-08) and this one is smaller and does extra things so it is certainly not only a lovely peaceful way to be roused from your slumbers.
The most important part is the light. I have tested Philips Wakeup Light extensively through the darkest days of the years. You can set the maximum intensity of the light but whatever power you set it at 30 minutes before the set alarm time it starts glowing at a very low level slowly building up (like a very fine light dimmer switch) to the maximum level you have set that coincides with whatever alarm you have set.
Not just another DAB radio for many reasons firstly it also has Internet Radio as well as DAB and FM but perhaps most interesting is the fact that ten buttons on top most controls are by touch on the front of the Pure Siesta Flow.
This is a mains only unit and probably it will sit by your bed a la the powerful clock radio as it has alarm and sleep functions. It is 18x15x6cm maximum, the sides move inwards and the 18cm front width is only 8cm by the back.
A clear Perspex face (black letters on a clear background) and either a white of black surround. This is an alarm clock but an alarm clock that only wakes you at the required time should your sleep pattern not allow a gentle wake, up to 30 minutes earlier.
The clock is 12x12x4cm with the display area the central 5x5cm portion. The left side has the speaker while the right top corner has a wheel and two push buttons that make up the controls. Being of mature years (old) means I do not tend to sleep well and despite weeks of trying I was always awake when the alarm was due so although I was probably dozing my movements were too much for the early wake up to work. You can set two different alarms so this clock can wake two people at different times.
Either of these items would make a great Christmas gift, but give some thought to the receiptant as the first one runs backwards. The second is a more conventional al la Wallace and Gromit conventional both are great fun.
At first look this may seem bizarre, however it works exactly like a normal Quartz clock with the twelve at the top and the six at the bottom but there the similarity ends as to the right of twelve is eleven and the sweep second hand goes anti clockwise (as do the hour and minute hands) if you are still confused look at the clock in a mirror and all will make sense. This is great talking point and during my tests it kept perfect time.
An iPod can keep you entertained during the day and help you awake from a restful nights sleep.
The success of a product can sometimes be judged by the state of the add-on industry that it creates. An obvious example of this is the third-party products that have been developed to add functionality to the ubiquitous iPod device in all its incarnations. Numerous companies have taken advantage of this Apple phenomena to rack up sales for the various peripheral devices designed to enhance the user’s experience whether in-car, in-home or where ever they might be located.
The Gemini 33 is an attractive bedroom radio/alarm system, but it wouldn't be out of place anywhere in the home.
First of all the most striking aspect of the Gemini 33 is the clock face. For those of you that miss a traditional 'clock' to tell you the time you'll love this product - although of course without the need to wind up a clockwork mechanism. In fact all you have to do is switch on and the time is automatically extracted from the radio signal. As soon as the time is established the hands start to turn - which does look very impressive.
This is a DAB/FM stereo radio, an alarm clock and it also has a CD player. It has a creamy white rubberised material covering the front and top.
Certainly not a tiny unit and perhaps not the easiest to move around. It is mains operated and has a wire aerial that in some cases I found was not really that great. It is 19cm deep, 15.5cm wide and 15cm tall, while it is not that heavy there are no hand holds so you need to hold it in the palm of your hand, still it's not designed to be moved.
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