Time is the most naked manifestation of our irrelevance and perhaps that is why I am fascinated by all means of time-telling. Sundials, hour glasses, watches, clocks and now in the age of iPhone (s aapl), time-watching apps. In the past I have written about the Nooka app for the iPhone. Today, I got a handful of new apps that are worth checking out:
1. Time in words — Qlocktwo
It is a very minimal clock for iPhone and iPad. It costs 99 cents but I like the idea of the simple black screen telling me what time it is. Built by creative design agency Biegert & Funk, who have also created similar watches and clocks. Download from the iTunes store. (via Ultralink)
2. Uniqlo Wake Up
It is so wonderful and delightful and meets my very simple requirement from an app: high emotional quotient. It is bright, cheery and it comes with alarm tones that mimic the weather, time and day of the week. It is intelligent and fun. It works both on Android and iOS and is free, thanks to Uniqlo, a Japanese clothing brand, whose clothes I will never fit into. As an aside, this is a perfect brand extension vehicle and what brand-advertising should be in the future.
The alarm music, which is automatically created based on the weather, time, and day of the week, was co-written by 51st annual Grammy nominee Cornelius (Keigo Oyamada) and Yoko Kanno, who is active in songwriting across a wide range of genres including video games and anime (COWBOY BEBOP, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Macross). The app allows users to share a record of their awakening – specifically, the time, weather, and temperature at the moment they stopped the alarm – via social media (Facebook, Twitter, RenRen, Weibo). In addition, the “wake up records” shared by users around the world are displayed in a part of the app entitled WORLD WAKE UP.
3. Doubletwist Alarm Clock
Doubletwist Alarm Clock has to be by far the most stunning of all time-watching apps on the market. In fact it is so good that I would consider switching to Android just for this app, for it is not available on iOS. The details on this app are meticulous and the design is what Steve Jobs himself would have approved. Not a surprise, considering its creator Sebastiaan de With once worked for Apple. The app which displays time in two modes – flip and analog comes with features such as recurring alarms, multiple alarms and using library to set songs for wake-up sounds. The app costs $0.99 but is worth every penny! (Also, check out this interview with him to better understand his design philosophy.)
And as a bonus, check out this Habitco Day Maker project on Kickstarter.
With Day Maker, a bedside morning station/iPhone charger, you can add a little extra ‘Pop’ to your day when it’s time to rise and shine. And if you’re not quite ready to face the day, snooze on effortlessly by pushing your iPhone back into its slot. With Day Maker, waking on a schedule has never been easier or more fun. Or relaxing. Using Day Maker is a pleasure because it works exactly as you would imagine, just like a toaster. Once you set your iPhone’s timer, simply load it into an open slot, press down gently, and you’re ready to go. And for a little added fun, we’ve even added a pull tab on the back, so you can set and pop multiple iPhones all at once.
I like DoubleTwist Alrm clock. It is crisp and cool. I use a calendar app on my Kindle Fire called My Tags – Analog Clock w/Reminders and has your events, reminders embedded into the clock. Good for keeping track of your time, events, todos and reminders.
I’d rather have the iOS clock app on Android. It’s silly that alarms, timers, stopwatch, and world time aren’t all bundled into the OS, much less grouped into a single logical app.