Topic: The perfect alarm clock app

In the hazy past (and hopefully the not too hazy future; fingers crossed!) there were  a lot of alarm clock apps.

However, I never found one that even approached the functionality of my $25 CD-player alarm clock.

Now part of that is the limited number of physical controls.  UI issues are a problem when you only, really, have a touch screen.  But also, it seems, people just didn't write the right app :-)

So what is it that I want from an alarm clock?

* Simple "on/off" function.  I don't need the ability to program work-day/weekend schedules or stuff like that.  Just "on" or "off".

* Two alarms is nice to have (Alarm A, Alarm B).  Why?  'Cos Alarm B can be used for one-off specials without changing my standard alarm.  Obviously on/off for each alarm.

* Snooze button.

* Music (I've been playing the same CD for 12+ years!).  Either local mp3, or network audio of some form.  (Fallback to BEEP if no audio available).

* And (and this the one hard to find) a "sleep" function; press a button and it'll play music for (programmable) 30 minutes before turning off.  Switching to 'dim' mode at that time would also be good.

* Nice to have: while music playing "forward to next track", "back to previous track".

What is it you would like to see in an alarm clock?

Re: The perfect alarm clock app

the c1/cc/ (maybe i3) devices all have an alarm function that does everything you want, and if you are playing music, and hit the dark button, it asks you to if you want it to go quiet after a set time.

perhaps not one button access for all of it, but close.

Cleaning up any loose bits and bytes.

Re: The perfect alarm clock app

diamaunt wrote:

the c1/cc/ (maybe i3) devices all have an alarm function that does everything you want, and if you are playing music, and hit the dark button, it asks you to if you want it to go quiet after a set time.

perhaps not one button access for all of it, but close.

No, the C1 doesn't.  That's the device I have.

The point _is_ "one button".  The user interface and user experience is key to this.

if I'm laying in bed and finished reading a book for the night (tired; trouble keeping eyes open) and want to go to sleep listening to music then "one button activation" is a core requirement.  Any real alarm clock with a "sleep" function does this.

This thread is titled "perfect" for a reason :-)

Re: The perfect alarm clock app

I see your point.  time to write the perfect alarm clock widget? wink

Cleaning up any loose bits and bytes.

Re: The perfect alarm clock app

Unfortunately I'm not a "Flash" coder, otherwise I'd have written this years ago.  But maybe if we (as a group) can come up with a spec then maybe someone will think it's a nice idea to write it :-)

Re: The perfect alarm clock app

I'm on board, I want a 'nap timer' too...

good things are coming, I can't (quite) say anything... but I'm *VERY* excited about what I can't talk about yet!

Cleaning up any loose bits and bytes.

Re: The perfect alarm clock app

Hello, sweh.  Funny to run into you here. smile

8 (edited by philhu 2015-04-03 07:00:42)

Re: The perfect alarm clock app

diamaunt wrote:

I'm on board, I want a 'nap timer' too...

good things are coming, I can't (quite) say anything... but I'm *VERY* excited about what I can't talk about yet!


OK, a year later, can you spill the beans on this 'yet'?

Re: The perfect alarm clock app

philhu wrote:
diamaunt wrote:

I'm on board, I want a 'nap timer' too...

good things are coming, I can't (quite) say anything... but I'm *VERY* excited about what I can't talk about yet!


OK, a year later, can you spill the beans on this 'yet'?

I most certainly can! big_smile

details are here: http://forum.chumby.com/viewtopic.php?id=9209

that post was made in the very early days of testing the new service.  it might have been when I was the only person besides Duane that had a chumby showing something other than the LCARS clock.

I was practically giddy.

Cleaning up any loose bits and bytes.

Re: The perfect alarm clock app

So two years later, I had a break through idea...

The Chumby doesn't live alone!

It's perfectly possible for a device like a Chumby to present a configuration interface which can be accessed via a web browser (cellphone, PC, tablet, whatver.... when an Amazon Fire can cost $35 then it's an interface).  So the perfect alarm clock doesn't have to present on the Chumby interface all the logic smarts; it just needs to do the "sleep/stop/snooze" functions.  If we don't live within the restrictions of the standard control panel then this becomes quite possible.

Alarm settings, on/off functions can all be exposed via a web interface.  Now all we need is top button, the rotary dial for volume, and anywhere on the touch screen.

After 2 years I'm still nowhere near creating the perfect alarm clock app... but I think I now see a path ;-)

Re: The perfect alarm clock app

In theory, that sounds amazing. Make it so!

Re: The perfect alarm clock app

I like my old granny's alarm clock, lol smile