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Comment by Daramarak | Hacker News Reader

Whoever invented the snooze button should have to account for all the agony that button has caused. Think of the number of heart attacks.

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See, I've always thought that, when the alarm is going off, every button should snooze. Then, a minute later, the off button actually works. That way you can whack the thing to shut it up, and not worry about turning it off and falling back asleep (happens to me, especially when I'm tired. I turn it off instead of snoozing without even realizing it).

I've always wondered at the UI of alarm clocks. It seems like they gave up after "let's make the snooze button big!"

Now what I'd really like is a programmable alarm clock, allowing me to encode an optimal awakening algorithm. "at volume x, play song y. If snooze button is not pressed yet, double volume and play The Safety Dance."

"The Safety Dance" == lmao

About the only thing I've seen that could do that is a Chumby. I've never used one myself, but I believe it's effectively "fully" programmable: http://www.chumby.com/

The Chumby has no battery backup, which for an alarm clock is just inexcusable.

EDIT: Looks like the new one does. Now I want one :)

I've been using an old mobile as an alarm clock for years. It's UI is much easier than a clock-radio (I was never able to figure those out), you can change the song and volume and it has a builtin battery. It's most well-designed not-alarm-clock alarm I've ever had.

Programmable would be nice. I'd like the "snooze" functionality to change after x presses.

For example, "If snooze has been pressed 2 times today, on next press, double volume instead."

I think it was the Japanese in retaliation for WWII...

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