Filed under: Software
Awaken digital alarm clock utilizes iTunes
My iMac lives in my bedroom, so it makes sense that I'd want to use it as an alarm clock. I know there are several ways to get this done, and today I discoverd one more: Embraceware's Awaken.Awaken will wake you up by launching iTunes and playing a user-selected track or playlist at a designated time. Set up recurring alarms or individual, date-specific occurrences. Other features include a sleep timer for drifting off to your favorite music, podcast support (be awakend by your favorite podcast) and a wake-from-sleep feature that rouses your Mac from sleep mode if need be (why should you be the only one inconvenienced?).
Awake requires Mac OS 10.3 or later and iTunes 3.0 or later (note that iTunes v.4.0 or later is required to display album art with alarm notifications). There is a 14 day trial version available, and a single license will run you $8.95US.
Just don't select your Enya catalog, or you'll never get up.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Justin said 1:22PM on 7-29-2005
You can also just set a recurring alarm in iCal to open a three-line applescript...might save yourself the $8.95
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Dave said 1:28PM on 7-29-2005
True, Justin, but not all our readers are into writing Applescripts (even ittty, bitty ones). Plus this guy made a nice piece of software I was happy to check out.
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Drew said 1:30PM on 7-29-2005
Any good freeware apps that do the same thing? I know I could use iCal/Applescript, but I'm lazy and need that snooze button.
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Justin said 1:34PM on 7-29-2005
true...i've been using macs for 20 years and this was my first applescript...now i feel the need to evangelize.
tell application "iTunes"
play playlist "Wake Up"
end tell
so simple!
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Andre said 1:41PM on 7-29-2005
I'm using iTaf Free Alarm Clock.
Do check it out at http://itaf.sourceforge.net/
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Vishal Goklani said 2:04PM on 7-29-2005
Awaken also wakes your laptop up from sleep mode, and version 2.01 will put your laptop to sleep if you use the SLEEP function (ie: it plays music for a predetermined time, while you are trying to go to sleep)......but just of curosity, is there an applescript that puts your computer to sleep? wakes it up? turns it on and off? can you tell me what these are, I am still a beginner with applescript.
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Vishal Goklani said 2:15PM on 7-29-2005
Awaken also wakes your laptop up from sleep mode, and version 2.01 will put your laptop to sleep if you use the SLEEP function (ie: it plays music for a predetermined time, while you are trying to go to sleep)......but just of curosity, is there an applescript that puts your computer to sleep? wakes it up? turns it on and off? can you tell me what these are, I am still a beginner with applescript.
Reply
Vishal Goklani said 2:15PM on 7-29-2005
Awaken also wakes your laptop up from sleep mode, and version 2.01 will put your laptop to sleep if you use the SLEEP function (ie: it plays music for a predetermined time, while you are trying to go to sleep)......but just of curosity, is there an applescript that puts your computer to sleep? wakes it up? turns it on and off? can you tell me what these are, I am still a beginner with applescript.
Reply
Chris Sharp said 3:02PM on 7-29-2005
I use an airport express to stream iTunes to my bedroom. Can you tell me if the alarm clock supports airport express? It would be great to be able to go to sleep to a playlist and wake up to one....Enya to sleep, Rob Zombie to wake :-)
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Eric J said 5:39PM on 7-29-2005
PowerController is also very nice, and runs from a menu icon.
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turnerm5 said 7:16PM on 7-29-2005
I made an iCal plugin with Automator set to play my Wake Up playlist. The great part about this is that it will open iTunes if it is closed, and because I put my work schedule in iCal, it goes off 30 min before I have to leave for work in the morning only on the days I have work.
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Jerry Brace said 8:05PM on 7-29-2005
Hey guys - it was great reading your comments on Awaken. Just to clarify the core differences between Awaken and AppleScript. Awaken actually uses embedded AppleScript for everything that AppleScript can take care of (tell iTunes to play this playlist, get information on the currently playing song). With Awaken anyone can create an alarm in just a couple of clicks. It handles wake/sleep notifications allowing it to wake the computer before alarm time, sleep timer and other things that are not possible with AppleScript. The complete feature list is on the website. Try out the 14-day trial :)
Cheers,
Jerry
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nicholaspacheco said 8:31PM on 7-29-2005
I open iCal, set it to open an mp3 file at a specific time, leave ical and itunes open and it works fine.
this app is kind of useless.
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hg said 8:59PM on 7-29-2005
I use my ipod as an alarm clock and I use the sleep timer to listen to quiet music before I go to sleep. It's under extras. If you have an ipod you don't need applescript or anything else.
I have my ipod hooked up to my stereo.
You don't have an ipod?
Another reason to get one.
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Steven said 8:49AM on 8-01-2005
A friend (who runs windows) wanted a program like this, so I wrote one: http://ita.progoth.com If you run windows and have a need for something like this, give it a try, I haven't found any others that I like better...and it's Free.
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Seth Delackner said 11:42PM on 8-04-2005
I don't want to take away from your steam, but some users may prefer the simplicity of my own (free) app, iWake that provides basically the same feature set, but is aimed to be run right before you decide to sleep, rather than mucking around with scheduling when to wake up next tuesday. It also allows the user to decide how long to play music before fading to sleep, or to simply leave the computer awake.
http://lenin.net/~seth/iWake/
Only runs on Tiger for now. Could run on Panther, but it is FREE and I don't have enough time.
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Eric said 1:22AM on 8-28-2005
All these apps and methods are great, but they only work if you are actually logged in to your account. I don't like to leave my computer on (even if it's asleep) at night, and for security reasons I can't have it auto-logon when it turns on. I've been racking my brain trying to figure out how to get an alarm to sound from the login screen...any ideas?
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Eric said 11:14PM on 8-28-2005
Aha! I figured it out. Using a cron job with user set to system (I used Cronnix to make it easier) I called an applescript that opened an iTunes playlist. That makes iTunes open up behind the login window, which is pretty cool.
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kolydart said 1:47AM on 9-13-2005
Dear Eric,
can you share with us the cron tab command for waking up the computer? is it just 'wake'?
thanks a lot
kolydart
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