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Brief bit of [generic] product review here: the current-gen of alarm clocks rule.

Recently, my venerable alarm of fifteen years or so died. Gave up the ghost. Refused to alarm. Retired. About a year ago, I bought what is technically an alarm clock, but what I primarily used as a small radio and CD player when woodworking in the garage. Since I haven’t had the time to do much lately, I moved it up to my bedroom and was forced, in the process of trying to figure out how to set an alarm, all the new-fangled features. After some experimentation, I was table to the set the first alarm at 7:30am, to play track two of Talvin Singh’s _OK_, and a followup alarm to do the garbage-truck-backing-up-noise five minutes later. Considering I’ve never had the capability to specify particular music for an alarm – that’s like being able to pre-program your default mood for the next day – I was thrilled.

I was even more excited the next day when I realized that not only does all this magic take place, but that the alarm ramps the volume up, staring low and gradually increasing until it reached the programmed max. I have to say, even though it takes place in less than a minute, it has the effect of pulling you much more gently from slumber, and you find yourself waking to a simulacrum of natural emersion; much more enjoyable that the abruptness of a piercing bleep or klang. Even beyond that, this gentle tug leaves you waking refreshed even if pulled from deep sleep cycles, while a traditional alarm would be quite jarring and leave you groggy and more tempted to hit the snooze button for a few more minutes of unsatisfying sleep.

In short: get one. They roxor.

Ok, will return to standard programming shortly.