I am disappointed that a device that we all use (and loathe) every day has not progressed much at all in the last 10 or 20 years. I have looked in every store and compared online the options of alarm clocks both cheap and expensive. At best, the alarm clocks out there are basic, at worst they are complex - having too many features that require multiple simultaneous button presses. All seem to suffer from either poor design, poor implementation, or both. The other day I ran into a device powered by Linux called the chumby. At first, the review I read made it seem perfect, but after reading more about it I found that the alarm clock looked more like an after-thought.
So here is what I think a good alarm clock should be able to do:
- Play MP3s, Ogg Vorbis, Shoutcast streaming radio, FM, XM Radio, and possibly HD Radio (if HD Radio turns out to be worth a shit)
- An alarm that will still operate when running on the battery backup (lithium ion?), even if it is a reduced functionality mode (simple buzzer perhaps?)
