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iPhone Alarm Bug Still Causing Issues for Some Users

Hilarious!

baryon said:
How the clock app is coded (in pseudocode because I can't really code):

If (alarmTime == currentTime and currentYear != 2011){
activateAlarm()
}​

After some more digging around in the source code, this is what I found:

If (girlfriendBirthday == currentDay and random(10)>8){
activateReminder()
}​

...and some more:

If (importantMeetingDay == currentDay){
deleteAllAlarms()
currentDay = Tomorrow
setNewHour = random(12)
setNewMinutes = random(60)
trace("haha you suck!")
}​
Click to expand...

Fortunately, I wasn't affected by this and was aware of the problem, but I expect that the vast majority of iPhone users don't hang out on tech sites, particularly over a holiday weekend. It's shameful that Apple continues to have problems with what should be the most basic application on the phone and one that dumbphones have been getting right for decades. It's inexcusable they didn't send an email or text message to users, many of whom discovered this bug this morning on their first day back to work and school of the year.
 
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Besides all comments about 'you shouldn't use an iPhone as an alarm clock), this is still a serious bug. An iPhone is offering an alarm service in the iOS, so it should work. Like like mail is Mailing and Messages for texting.

But this is getting worse in combination with the clock as timekeeper in general! This clock gets off one second a day (iPhone 4, 4.2.1). You can check that with a free app called 'Time' by Emerald. This should be fixed as well, with or without the use of the setting 'Set time Automatically'.

So there is some work to do for Clock in general an the Clock App. And yes, it would be nice to see how much time is left before an alarm goes off...
 
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9v Battery

dpierre said:
I guess some people are so blind, that when a product doesn't work as intended they say it's your fault :rolleyes:
Why should I waste $10 on an alarm clock if my phone can do it? Can that alarm clock wake me up if the power is out?
Click to expand...

Have you every tried installing a 9v battery into your alarm clock?
 
Wow, people actually complaining they missed flights or were late for work?? because their iPhone alarms failed to work properly.

I feel for them. I crapped my pants and failed to take my heart medicine on time because of this bug.
 
BigTRQ said:
If folks only rely on a PHONE for their PRIMARY alarm, and then miss flights/work/etc., that's on them. People should know that an electronic device that does more than be an alarm clock might mess up that feature. Why people don't just spring for a $10 travel clock that works perfectly 100% of the time (save for battery death/changing) is beyond me.
Click to expand...
I missed part of my entry exam to university because the battery in my $10 travel clock decided to die that night. So, if something is really important, add some redundancy.
 
Funny...

It's funny how something so goofy as an alarm bug sends out the droves of anti-apple comments. Sad.

Yeah, stupid bug. But many bugs are stupid and most obvious after they're found. Anyway, if this was a Nokia phone doing this, it wouldn't even had made the 6pm news in Sweden, but because it's the news magnet iPhone, here we are.
 
Count me among the people that didn't have their alarm go off on the 3rd. Fortunately I'm a Software Engineer, so the need for me to be at work at any particular time is loose :D

It helps that I can't really sleep past 8 without waking up a few times :(
 
tlevier said:
Nevermind the fact that if you add a birthday for a contact that was born prior to 1932, no matter what birthday they have, it will populate in the Calendar app as December 13th.
Click to expand...

Tries it.
Confirms it.
Laughs.
Sighs.
 
I think it's humorous people think it's OUTRAGEOUS to use a smartphone as an alarm clock. I charge my phone every night (which you should be doing too). If the power happens to go out, I am covered. I wake up without hassle.

What about the alarm clock I used before I got my smartphone? That fails without power. I have missed mid-terms because of it.

If you're going to mock people for anything, it's them using a "single" alarm to wake them. To prevent catastrophe, have multiple devices to wake you up. Problem solved. Technology isn't perfect, we know this, if it's important to you, have a backup.
 
I use my iPod Touch as my primary alarm clock.. prior to that my DS (never had an issue with the DS, maybe Nintendo should talk with Apple about how to make an alarm clock?).. I love not having a visible clock in my bedroom. The iPod failed on the 1st and 2nd.. didn't need to get up so I just took in a few extra hours of sleep till my 3 year old got me up. The iPod worked fine today.
 
wow

Now a faulty app is worthy of world wide coverage by news media? Maybe we have all jumped the shark.:D
 
No one is moronic for trusting a smart phone to wake them up. Provided you're into charging your phone overnight, it's a more sensible choice than a mains-powered alarm clock.

Plenty of people, evidently, are moronic for trying to defend Apple over this horrendous bug.

It may be the third day in a row that the alarm has failed - but how many people have a weekend alarm? I know I don't. Were it not for this site, today would've been the first I'd heard of it, too.

This is utterly unforgivable of Apple. What on earth changed in the clock app to cause these problems? Why was the alarm system rewritten? Most importantly, what the hell happened to Quality Assurance?
 
BigTRQ said:
If folks only rely on a PHONE for their PRIMARY alarm, and then miss flights/work/etc., that's on them. People should know that an electronic device that does more than be an alarm clock might mess up that feature. Why people don't just spring for a $10 travel clock that works perfectly 100% of the time (save for battery death/changing) is beyond me.
Click to expand...

For some of us that travel alot, we use the iphone as an alarm.
Some hotels don't have clocks in the room and wake up call can be sketchy.
I spend 200+ nights in hotels and I have been using my iphone as my primary alarm for almost 3 yrs now. I use the iphone as an alarm because I don't want to carry yet another device in my bag, something about limited space and weight. Yes, the iphone failed me this morning because I have a recurring alarm.
 
I , my wife and our daughter all use our iPhones as alarm clocks. As someone else pointed out, one-time alarms set yesterday don't function. But I just set a test alarm on my iPhone and it does work fine now.

Even so, I agree that this is a fairly serious oversight by Apple's team. If something as simple as the clock is malfunctioning, I'd hate to think what else might end up going wrong.
 
akb said:
No one is moronic for trusting a smart phone to wake them up. Provided you're into charging your phone overnight, it's a more sensible choice than a mains-powered alarm clock.

Plenty of people, evidently, are moronic for trying to defend Apple over this horrendous bug.

It may be the third day in a row that the alarm has failed - but how many people have a weekend alarm? I know I don't. Were it not for this site, today would've been the first I'd heard of it, too.

This is utterly unforgivable of Apple. What on earth changed in the clock app to cause these problems? Why was the alarm system rewritten? Most importantly, what the hell happened to Quality Assurance?
Click to expand...


It's obvious.... Apple did this on purpose just so they could have a good laugh at the end of the decade. Or, hummmm.... maybe it's just part of the risk in software engineering? Bugs happen no matter how simple something may seem, one bad assumption can screw many things up.

I assume you agree with the first option since if you knew anything about software engineering you'd know that bugs - no matter how simple or complex - happen in software. And I doubt there was a test scheme that said test the code as if it's 2020 either.

Sorry... I just cant' stand it when people say things like "utterly unforgivable" for something they don't appear to know anything about.
 
WiiDSmoker said:
Is this what you've become on trying to defend Apple? Pathetic.
Click to expand...

What is pathetic are all the people 'claiming' to be affected by this, they have the responsibility to make sure they get up in the morning. Get real!
 
Has anyone seen Steve Jobs's latest tweet?
"Until Apple issues an official fix for the iPhone alarm glitch, please do not open your iPhone's clock app. Doing so may void your warranty."
WHAT?:eek:
 
Inexcusable

For the third day in a row, Apple has screwed me over with this bug. I was late for work today and that was the last straw.

So, I took off after lunch, returned my iPhone at the Apple store, and told the sales guy, Apple sucks...never buying anything from them again.

I walked over to the Verizon store and got me a Windows 7 phone. Now the world is right again.;)
 
it was a simple test
set it 1 minute ahead and if it goes off your fine
if it doesn't use a different alarm clock
 
My three daughters and myself all have Iphones. Two Iphone 4 and two 3GS. We all had are alarms set and none went off this morning. I don't really need it anymore but just in case I am having a great dream and don't wanna get up.
All the alarm times that I have preset in my phone I have used for the last year. I will clear them all and set new ones to see if that fixes it...
 
Bosunsfate said:
For the third day in a row, Apple has screwed me over with this bug. I was late for work today and that was the last straw.

So, I took off after lunch, returned my iPhone at the Apple store, and told the sales guy, Apple sucks...never buying anything from them again.

I walked over to the Verizon store and got me a Windows 7 phone. Now the world is right again.;)
Click to expand...

MMMMMMMM somehow I think not.
 
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