Just not at 4:10am when my alarm goes off.
Three years ago I trashed my alarm clock because it gave off too much light with the numbers glowing AND the loud BEEP, BEEP, BEEP was about to make me check myself into a psyc ward. Could we have come up with something more annoying to startle me from running down a beach with Matthew McConaughey in Hawaii on my honeymoon?!
Therefore, I switched to my trusty little blackberry to sing me a sweet tune in the morn.
BUT, how awesome would it be to have one of these alarm clocks!!!! (some maybe more than others :) )
Clocky
Clocky seems adorable and helpful. At $49.95, Clocky promises to help break your snooze alarm habit by wheeling away from your snooze button hand while singing a chorus of good-morning beeps. But the charm wears of quickly — unsurprising when you consider that Clocky is, after all, an alarm clock; the most evil piece of industrial design ever.
Unlike other mass-produced tools of the modern era, the alarm clock combines form and function to make you miserable — i.e., make you get out of bed. Sometimes the alarm clock isn’t even good at that — though it’s not for lack of effort on the part of intrepid designers.
Flying Alarm ClockLike Clocky, the Flying Alarm Clock ($24.95) seems made for those adults not yet used to the fact that they no longer live at home, where Mom will make absolutely sure you’re going to haul your lazy butt out of bed so you’re not late for school and/or gainful employment.
This annoying piece of ingenuity emits a piercing alarm at the appointed time as it takes to the skies, dropping the silencing pin into a pile of your dirty laundry. Replacing the key will quell the shrieks, but first you’ve got to get out of bed to find it. (Removing the batteries or smashing the thing against the wall may work just as well.)
Carpet Alarm Clock
The Carpet Alarm Clock seems effective in theory — in that you’ve got to get out of bed to make it shut up. No doubt however, there are variables that need to be resolved before this prototype hits the market — at least for those who share their sleeping areas with smaller mammals.What if Kitty finds the Carpet Alarm the perfect surface on which to “make biscuits,” or Mr. Dog chooses it as a sleeping spot late one night after you’ve already set the thing? What if House Bunny needs a handy mat upon which to hone his choppers?
The Carpet Alarm Clock seems effective in theory — in that you’ve got to get out of bed to make it shut up. No doubt however, there are variables that need to be resolved before this prototype hits the market — at least for those who share their sleeping areas with smaller mammals.What if Kitty finds the Carpet Alarm the perfect surface on which to “make biscuits,” or Mr. Dog chooses it as a sleeping spot late one night after you’ve already set the thing? What if House Bunny needs a handy mat upon which to hone his choppers?
The Silent AlarmWinner of the 2008 International Design Excellence Awards, this conceptual device offers an elegant way to wake up in silence. The Silent Alarm prototype would allow you to start your day without a jarring buzz that also may disturb others who don’t have to wake up until later.Here’s how it’s described on designer Johan Brengesjo’s Web site: “Each person wears a wireless rubber ring with an integrated vibration device that generates a tactile alarm.”The Silent Alarm even has a snooze function that requires you to shake your hand more vigorously each time you want it to shut off. It seems the perfect device for those who actually intend to get out of bed. The rest of us: Not so much.
Glo Pillow AlarmNot everybody wants a pillow that multitasks. But if you don’t spend the course of the evening twisting, scrunching, and flipping your pillow to find the cool side, Glo Pillow Alarm may be for you.
Created by designer Eoin McNally, the Glo Pillow Alarm uses light (not sound) to wake a sleeper. “40 minutes before the pre-set alarm time the pillow begins to glow and gently brings the user out of sleep,” McNally says on his site. “This natural waking process helps to set the circadian rhythm or ‘body clock’ and results in more healthy sleep/wake patterns.”Combining with a sleep mask is probably not advisable.
Wake n’ Bacon (this is for my mom!!!)
There are entire cultures that discourage the eating of bacon, what with it being notoriously unclean. And frankly, leaving a piece of bacon next to a bed sounds more like a prank than an innovative alarm design. But designers Matty Sallin, Daniel Bartolini and Hsiao-huh Hsu may be on to something.Here’s how Wake n’ Bacon works: The frozen strip of bacon placed inside the Wake n’ Bacon starts cooking 10 minutes before the alarm goes off. Once it does, you’re welcomed into wakefulness by the smell of bacon fried by halogen lamp that you may, in theory, eat.
Bedol Water Alarm Clock
At first glance, Bedol Water Alarm Clock ($29) seems like that pretentious green thing one might causally brag about to one’s eco-poseur friends: “Yes, not only am I a Super Recycler, my alarm clock runs on the power of my good intentions!”Really, the Bedol Water Alarm Clock (it comes in regular clock form, too), runs on tap water. “No lemon or additives necessary,” the Bedol Web site quips. You may need to change the water every 12 to 16 weeks — it depends on the content of your water system, the site states. What’s more, a microchip retains the time if and when you do refill.And, the droplet-shaped time keeper will look awesome next to your homegrown mung beans!
BirdBox Alarm Clock
The free iPhone App , when paired with the $12 “BirdBox” by Luckybite, offers a sweet, gentle way to wake up — but only if you want a sweet adorable way to wake up. Just set up the App and place it in the BirdBox by your bed before you go to sleep. At the appointed time, chirping baby birds will appear in the circular BirdBox window to sing you awake like you’re Snow White or some crap.
Wake n’ Bacon (this is for my mom!!!)There are entire cultures that discourage the eating of bacon, what with it being notoriously unclean. And frankly, leaving a piece of bacon next to a bed sounds more like a prank than an innovative alarm design. But designers Matty Sallin, Daniel Bartolini and Hsiao-huh Hsu may be on to something.Here’s how Wake n’ Bacon works: The frozen strip of bacon placed inside the Wake n’ Bacon starts cooking 10 minutes before the alarm goes off. Once it does, you’re welcomed into wakefulness by the smell of bacon fried by halogen lamp that you may, in theory, eat.
Bedol Water Alarm ClockAt first glance, Bedol Water Alarm Clock ($29) seems like that pretentious green thing one might causally brag about to one’s eco-poseur friends: “Yes, not only am I a Super Recycler, my alarm clock runs on the power of my good intentions!”Really, the Bedol Water Alarm Clock (it comes in regular clock form, too), runs on tap water. “No lemon or additives necessary,” the Bedol Web site quips. You may need to change the water every 12 to 16 weeks — it depends on the content of your water system, the site states. What’s more, a microchip retains the time if and when you do refill.And, the droplet-shaped time keeper will look awesome next to your homegrown mung beans!
BirdBox Alarm ClockThe free iPhone App , when paired with the $12 “BirdBox” by Luckybite, offers a sweet, gentle way to wake up — but only if you want a sweet adorable way to wake up. Just set up the App and place it in the BirdBox by your bed before you go to sleep. At the appointed time, chirping baby birds will appear in the circular BirdBox window to sing you awake like you’re Snow White or some crap.
Please note, the BirdBox Alarm Clock is not best for grumpy or difficult wakers. If you fall into this category, using the BirdBox Alarm Clock may result in a growing hatred of baby birds — or worse, your iPhone .
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