4 ms·

Show HN: A smarter alarm clock.

19 points by alarmclock 15y ago

mitchie_luna 15y ago
You may want to check these out http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/3-unique-android-alarm-clocks-bed-faster/ http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/3-unique-android-alarm-clocks-b... http://www.shakeawake.com/ http://www.shakeawake.com/
- alarmclock 15y ago
  Thanks. Those are the kinds of features we expect to put in our App too. I have even bigger plans for the App in fact, but I don't want to give away all my secrets here, because some of them can be copied. But, I'll just say that it's going to be incredible, amazing, and world-changing! If we make our funding goal and get these things out there in large quantities, and add all the features to the App that we're thinking of, people are never going to go back to traditional alarm clocks again. In fact, we don't even thing they'll be called "alarm clocks" for much longer.
alarmclock 15y ago
Would appreciate ANY feedback from the HN community!
- crawfordcomeaux 15y ago
  Why would I purchase this as opposed to using http://www.sleepcycle.com http://www.sleepcycle.com ?
  - getsat 15y ago
    Sleep Cycle is the best $0.99 I've ever spent.
  - mark13 15y ago
    Interesting app! It seems like a lot to remember to put your phone under the covers and make sure it doesn't fall off in the middle of the night (at least for me). Additionally, I've always loved having the phone in the dock next to my bed, since it doubles as a clock for me in the middle of the night. Do you know if the Sleepcycle app is able to differentiate between your movements and someone else's? It seems like this wouldn't be possible? This is obviously a totally different price point, but it seems like bringing a hardware-based solution here does offer some real and very tangible benefits.
  - lembowski 15y ago
    I downloaded this app and used it for awhile. Although the concept is amazing the execution fell short. I noticed that it frequently woke me up at the wrong time of the sleep cycle. I'm sure that sleeping with my spouse also threw off the sensor since 2 people were moving in the bed. Maybe it's just me, but I believe that a option like this would "catch" the motion much better. Hope this idea makes it to funding.
  - w33ble 15y ago
    That's immediately what I thought too. Being able to keep my phone on a dock instead of on my bed and getting the same functionality sounds nice. Having it not pick up my girlfriends' movement is pretty appealing too. For me personally, the price is a bit out of line, but I might just not be in your target demographic. That said, cool product, best of luck, and I hope you guys get funding!
  - alarmclock 15y ago
    The stand-alone app seems pretty popular, but we really don't like the idea of putting the phone under your pillow or on the corner of your bed every night. The charging cords are never long enough, you may not hear your alarm, and the system may not pick up your movement properly. The iDreamSaver solves all of these problems, and it also provides you with an extra charger and a dock, so you have a place to put your phone every night before bed and you don't have to worry about charging any more.
- huhtenberg 15y ago
  The IR sensor module should really be a standalone unit (as small and as discreet as possible and running off a battery) and it should hook up to the phone via Bluetooth. I don't have a nightstand and even if I did your dock/sensor base wouldn't fit in. That I would buy in a heartbeat. (edit) Looking at your stand design - there's something distinctly un-Apple about it. Apple products have rounded feel to them, but they are squarish in their lines whereby your design is not. Try and imagine this [1] being featured on apple.com - you probably won't be able to, because it is off. [1] http://www.idreamsaver.com/uploads/1/0/1/5/10151350/280100_orig.png http://www.idreamsaver.com/uploads/1/0/1/5/10151350/280100_o...
  - alarmclock 15y ago
    We just got the same comment on the Kickstarter page. Here's my response: Thanks for your comment. Yeah we thought of that too, and thought that it might be necessary to solve the problem of how it detects you and not your partner. But, through testing we found that the partner problem is easily solved by almost any nightstand placement. Also, regarding having an extra module, that adds a lot of complexity to the design and adds cost. Plus, I wouldn't want to have to check to make sure the remote module is charged and make sure it "pairs" with the iPhone each night before bed. Also, we really wanted a nightstand charging dock anyway. That way, your phone has a dedicated place to go home to every night and get charged. We are hoping that people will like it enough just for being a charging dock, and the IR sensor with the smart wake-up is an extra feature that we can expand upon in a number of ways. Well anyway, those were our reasons for doing it this way. But we do appreciate your feedback, because we are always trying to think of ways to make it better.
  - alarmclock 15y ago
    Also, regarding the aesthetics, maybe we can round the corners a bit more on the final design. Do you think that would be enough, or are you suggesting an entirely different shape? We probably don't want to change the whole shape, since our Kickstarter backers are going to want to receive what they saw when they placed their order, but we could probably make a few tweaks here and there. We haven't bought the molds yet. If the "look" of the product ends up being a big concern for everyone (or for Apple), we can easily release multiple styles once we get our funding and get into Production. Thanks again, this is something we didn't expect to hear.
- pault 15y ago
  Does it work with more than one sleeper in the bed?
  - alarmclock 15y ago
    It does -- this was very important to us as well. By adjusting the location of the dock on your nightstand, you can position the sensor so it will only see your body movements. In addition, the App provides a setup screen, which allows you to look at the raw sensor values so you can do your own testing and adjust the sensitivity if needed.
- deleted 15y ago
  [deleted]
deleted 15y ago
[deleted]
burgerbrain 15y ago
If you ask me, alarm clocks should be going more low-tech than high tech. I need an alarm clock with decoy snooze/cancel buttons. All of them would be metal plated, and wired up to whatever circuit those "trick" pens use (the kind that gives you an unpleasant but safe shock). I would attach a hammer to this hypothetical alarm clock too if I could figure out how...
- alarmclock 15y ago
  I don't think we can add the hammer or the electric-shock, but we can certainly add a virtual metal-plate in front of the snooze button, and we can even make it so you have to answer a question or type in a code to release it. We can try to do whatever our user community comes up with, it's all software, so we can add lots of cool features as time progresses.
lnanek 15y ago
Would be neat to see numbers about how many people actually have trouble with alarms. I don't. I actually tend to wake up right before the alarm goes off even. Just saying, we may think it's a large problem because people who have the problem complain a lot, but there may not actually be enough people out there with the problem to support a business...
- mark13 15y ago
  I wish that was the case for me. I get up around 5:30 every morning, and without something to rouse me I'd sleep far longer and miss out on some of the most productive time of my day. The thought of having something to wake me me if I'm stirring between 5:15-5:45, for example, seems like a great concept, as I know at least half of the time my alarm clock goes off I'm in a dead sleep and it really is a lousy way to start the day... Anyway, +1 $79 from my end. Here's hoping there are enough of us!
- random_ind_dude 15y ago
  For me the problem isn't that I have trouble waking up with the help of an alarm. I too tend to wake up right before the alarm goes off. The problem is that I wake up groggy and that's the problem I guess this alarm is trying to solve. It wakes you up while you're in light sleep by monitoring your motion, so that you get up feeling refreshed. I think there are enough people out there who face the same problem and can support the OP's business.
  - abcd_f 15y ago
    > I guess Please don't astroturf.
    - random_ind_dude 15y ago
      Not trying to astroturf. I don't own an iPhone, nor do I plan to buy one. Also $89 for the base model plus $20 for international shipping, is a bit too much for an alarm. I have heard of similar alarms and assumed that they're trying to solve the same problem that I face.
deleted 15y ago
[deleted]
HBee 15y ago
This is great! I've been looking for something like this for awhile but all of the other concepts seemed too cumbersome. I really hope this product reaches its funding goal. Cool idea.

19 points by alarmclock 15y ago

You may want to check these out http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/3-unique-android-alarm-clocks-bed-faster/ http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/3-unique-android-alarm-clocks-b... http://www.shakeawake.com/ http://www.shakeawake.com/

alarmclock 15y ago
Thanks. Those are the kinds of features we expect to put in our App too. I have even bigger plans for the App in fact, but I don't want to give away all my secrets here, because some of them can be copied. But, I'll just say that it's going to be incredible, amazing, and world-changing! If we make our funding goal and get these things out there in large quantities, and add all the features to the App that we're thinking of, people are never going to go back to traditional alarm clocks again. In fact, we don't even thing they'll be called "alarm clocks" for much longer.

alarmclock 15y ago

Would appreciate ANY feedback from the HN community!

crawfordcomeaux 15y ago
Why would I purchase this as opposed to using http://www.sleepcycle.com http://www.sleepcycle.com ?
- getsat 15y ago
  Sleep Cycle is the best $0.99 I've ever spent.
- mark13 15y ago
  Interesting app! It seems like a lot to remember to put your phone under the covers and make sure it doesn't fall off in the middle of the night (at least for me). Additionally, I've always loved having the phone in the dock next to my bed, since it doubles as a clock for me in the middle of the night. Do you know if the Sleepcycle app is able to differentiate between your movements and someone else's? It seems like this wouldn't be possible? This is obviously a totally different price point, but it seems like bringing a hardware-based solution here does offer some real and very tangible benefits.
- lembowski 15y ago
  I downloaded this app and used it for awhile. Although the concept is amazing the execution fell short. I noticed that it frequently woke me up at the wrong time of the sleep cycle. I'm sure that sleeping with my spouse also threw off the sensor since 2 people were moving in the bed. Maybe it's just me, but I believe that a option like this would "catch" the motion much better. Hope this idea makes it to funding.
- w33ble 15y ago
  That's immediately what I thought too. Being able to keep my phone on a dock instead of on my bed and getting the same functionality sounds nice. Having it not pick up my girlfriends' movement is pretty appealing too. For me personally, the price is a bit out of line, but I might just not be in your target demographic. That said, cool product, best of luck, and I hope you guys get funding!
- alarmclock 15y ago
  The stand-alone app seems pretty popular, but we really don't like the idea of putting the phone under your pillow or on the corner of your bed every night. The charging cords are never long enough, you may not hear your alarm, and the system may not pick up your movement properly. The iDreamSaver solves all of these problems, and it also provides you with an extra charger and a dock, so you have a place to put your phone every night before bed and you don't have to worry about charging any more.
huhtenberg 15y ago
The IR sensor module should really be a standalone unit (as small and as discreet as possible and running off a battery) and it should hook up to the phone via Bluetooth. I don't have a nightstand and even if I did your dock/sensor base wouldn't fit in. That I would buy in a heartbeat. (edit) Looking at your stand design - there's something distinctly un-Apple about it. Apple products have rounded feel to them, but they are squarish in their lines whereby your design is not. Try and imagine this [1] being featured on apple.com - you probably won't be able to, because it is off. [1] http://www.idreamsaver.com/uploads/1/0/1/5/10151350/280100_orig.png http://www.idreamsaver.com/uploads/1/0/1/5/10151350/280100_o...
- alarmclock 15y ago
  We just got the same comment on the Kickstarter page. Here's my response: Thanks for your comment. Yeah we thought of that too, and thought that it might be necessary to solve the problem of how it detects you and not your partner. But, through testing we found that the partner problem is easily solved by almost any nightstand placement. Also, regarding having an extra module, that adds a lot of complexity to the design and adds cost. Plus, I wouldn't want to have to check to make sure the remote module is charged and make sure it "pairs" with the iPhone each night before bed. Also, we really wanted a nightstand charging dock anyway. That way, your phone has a dedicated place to go home to every night and get charged. We are hoping that people will like it enough just for being a charging dock, and the IR sensor with the smart wake-up is an extra feature that we can expand upon in a number of ways. Well anyway, those were our reasons for doing it this way. But we do appreciate your feedback, because we are always trying to think of ways to make it better.
- alarmclock 15y ago
  Also, regarding the aesthetics, maybe we can round the corners a bit more on the final design. Do you think that would be enough, or are you suggesting an entirely different shape? We probably don't want to change the whole shape, since our Kickstarter backers are going to want to receive what they saw when they placed their order, but we could probably make a few tweaks here and there. We haven't bought the molds yet. If the "look" of the product ends up being a big concern for everyone (or for Apple), we can easily release multiple styles once we get our funding and get into Production. Thanks again, this is something we didn't expect to hear.
pault 15y ago
Does it work with more than one sleeper in the bed?
- alarmclock 15y ago
  It does -- this was very important to us as well. By adjusting the location of the dock on your nightstand, you can position the sensor so it will only see your body movements. In addition, the App provides a setup screen, which allows you to look at the raw sensor values so you can do your own testing and adjust the sensitivity if needed.
deleted 15y ago
[deleted]

deleted 15y ago

[deleted]

burgerbrain 15y ago

If you ask me, alarm clocks should be going more low-tech than high tech. I need an alarm clock with decoy snooze/cancel buttons. All of them would be metal plated, and wired up to whatever circuit those "trick" pens use (the kind that gives you an unpleasant but safe shock). I would attach a hammer to this hypothetical alarm clock too if I could figure out how...

alarmclock 15y ago
I don't think we can add the hammer or the electric-shock, but we can certainly add a virtual metal-plate in front of the snooze button, and we can even make it so you have to answer a question or type in a code to release it. We can try to do whatever our user community comes up with, it's all software, so we can add lots of cool features as time progresses.

lnanek 15y ago

Would be neat to see numbers about how many people actually have trouble with alarms. I don't. I actually tend to wake up right before the alarm goes off even. Just saying, we may think it's a large problem because people who have the problem complain a lot, but there may not actually be enough people out there with the problem to support a business...

mark13 15y ago
I wish that was the case for me. I get up around 5:30 every morning, and without something to rouse me I'd sleep far longer and miss out on some of the most productive time of my day. The thought of having something to wake me me if I'm stirring between 5:15-5:45, for example, seems like a great concept, as I know at least half of the time my alarm clock goes off I'm in a dead sleep and it really is a lousy way to start the day... Anyway, +1 $79 from my end. Here's hoping there are enough of us!
random_ind_dude 15y ago
For me the problem isn't that I have trouble waking up with the help of an alarm. I too tend to wake up right before the alarm goes off. The problem is that I wake up groggy and that's the problem I guess this alarm is trying to solve. It wakes you up while you're in light sleep by monitoring your motion, so that you get up feeling refreshed. I think there are enough people out there who face the same problem and can support the OP's business.
- abcd_f 15y ago
  > I guess Please don't astroturf.
  - random_ind_dude 15y ago
    Not trying to astroturf. I don't own an iPhone, nor do I plan to buy one. Also $89 for the base model plus $20 for international shipping, is a bit too much for an alarm. I have heard of similar alarms and assumed that they're trying to solve the same problem that I face.

deleted 15y ago

[deleted]

HBee 15y ago

This is great! I've been looking for something like this for awhile but all of the other concepts seemed too cumbersome. I really hope this product reaches its funding goal. Cool idea.