iPhone question, alarm clock?

[Virgil-TB2]

I am thinking of getting an iPhone and have a quick question:

One of the things I have always used my cell phone for is a time piece, and specifically an alarm clock. It's been about 10 years all told since I have had to buy an alarm clock since I always have my phone with me whether I am at home in bed or in a sleeping bag, or, well... anywhere. It's damn handy.

It seems like with an iPhone, unless you have your computer in your bedroom, this is just not going to be possible because the sync cradle it sits in to charge up is connected to the computer.

Is it not possible to get around this somehow? Are there cradles that I can plug into my home network either wirelessly or through ethernet?

This seems like a big net loss to me, to have to buy some clunky old single purpose "alarm clock" as if it was still 1975 or something. The sheer dumbness of it is disturbing.

Anyone have any other options? How do other people deal with this?
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[kornyboy]

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There are not any cables or anything that will do what you ask, but the phone does come with a wall adapter that you can plug the iPhone directly into the wall with. I am like you and have used my cell phone as an alarm clock for years and thought that this may be a problem but after getting my iPhone and realizing that I don't really need to sync every day tHis option works great for me.

 

[soberbrain]

The new iPhone does not come with a cradle, but it comes with a USB cable for your computer and a small AC adapter that connects to the USB cable.

My iPhone charges in my bedroom and I use it as an alarm clock. I sync it to my computer after I wake up.

The alarm clock is great from other cell phones I've used since you can customize it (I've got a couple for weekdays and 1 weekend). Also, you just set the alarm once, when you turn it off the alarm noise in the morning, it's still active so you don't have to remember to turn on the alarm at night.

 

[Virgil-TB2]

wacky sh*t

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There are not any cables or anything that will do what you ask, but the phone does come with a wall adapter that you can plug the iPhone directly into the wall with. I am like you and have used my cell phone as an alarm clock for years and thought that this may be a problem but after getting my iPhone and realizing that I don't really need to sync every day tHis option works great for me.

I was afraid of this.

From the two comments it seems like I have to walk the thing downstairs each morning and sync it with the computer before I leave. I also have to buy two docks I guess, so that's another hundred on top of the price. Bleh.

This is bad for me given that I am used to getting up, getting dressed and just grabbing my iPod as I leave without worrying about the sync. Kind of a step backwards as they say.

Isn't it ironic however, that as I sleep, the iPhone will sync my email with a distant mail server in another country, but it won't sync my playlists and Podcasts from the computer downstairs? Especially since all we are usually talking about here is a couple of Rocketboom episodes.

I'm also a bit surprised that no-one seems to make an ethernet enabled dock. I have a jack right by the bedside, but to use it I have to drag my MacPro upstairs simply because Apple only makes USB docks?

Wacky, wacky stuff.

 

[Ntombi]

Is there any particular reason you have to sync overnight?

I also sleep with my iPhone plugged in next to my bed, and I sync whenever I think about it, as I'm bound to be on my computer for the requisite five to ten minutes at some point during my day.

 

[Virgil-TB2]

Is there any particular reason you have to sync overnight?

I also sleep with my iPhone plugged in next to my bed, and I sync whenever I think about it, as I'm bound to be on my computer for the requisite five to ten minutes at some point during my day.

Podcasts is the main reason I guess.

Also MobileMe mail sync is really pretty "iffy" and seems to work better with the phone plugged into the computer.

I guess I might just give up on podcasts. Even the best of them are again, kind of "iffy" and rarely do I get five days in a row when they sync properly anyway. I just like to watch my daily podcasts on the train on the way to work. Right now I grab my iPod and go. With the iPhone I'll have to go downstairs and plug it in and I just don't think I'll have the time to sync it before I have to go.

One I watch daily in particular, Al Jazeera, is pretty informative, but it's 20 minutes long and takes almost as long to download and sync.

 

[Ntombi]

I understand now. All of my daily news podcasts are audio only, so it's not a big deal to get them in in a hurry.

I guess you'll have to set up some kind of system, like wake up, go downstairs and plug in the phone, and then perform your morning rituals. Why not try something for a week and see how it goes?

 

[Knowlege Bomb]

I, personally, find it weird that there isn't 20 minutes between the time you wake up and the time you leave for work...

I'm guessing the people you work with agree.

That's just me.

 

[koobcamuk]

You need to click "sync" to get the podcasts on anyway, so you may as well plug it in at that time...

 

[schenk]

podcast

Podcasts is the main reason I guess.

Also MobileMe mail sync is really pretty "iffy" and seems to work better with the phone plugged into the computer.

I guess I might just give up on podcasts. Even the best of them are again, kind of "iffy" and rarely do I get five days in a row when they sync properly anyway. I just like to watch my daily podcasts on the train on the way to work. Right now I grab my iPod and go. With the iPhone I'll have to go downstairs and plug it in and I just don't think I'll have the time to sync it before I have to go.

One I watch daily in particular, Al Jazeera, is pretty informative, but it's 20 minutes long and takes almost as long to download and sync.

apple has released an update witch enables you to download podcast over the air so you dont have to sync with your computer every day. also if you have all the music you want on your iphone/ipod you realy never have to sync again unless you want more music, but if you have the iphone you can just download music over the air, wifi for the ipod touch.

to answer your question Virgil-TB2, you dont have to sync with iTines at all after activation, unless you want to update you iphone/ipod.

 

[dunna005]

Using Ethernet USB Shareport to Sync Devices

Not sure how helpful this is, but it's something I'm working on right now along these same lines.

I'm testing different usb devices plugged into a usb hub that is plugged into a usb shareport on my d-link wireless modem (dir-628), connected to my laptop by ethernet (or wireless, just slower). My iTunes library is on an external drive plugged into the usb hub > router shareport. I am able to sync an iPod 5G through iTunes in this manner.

You could have some type of ethernet usb shareport device to sync overnight, just picking up and leaving in the morning.

Strangely enough (help me out tech guys), the iPhone is the only device that WILL NOT sync in this fashion. I get a recognition of the iPhone in my shareport utility, I get iPhoto popping up asking to import pictures from iPhone (listed in sources), but I don't get a recognition in Finder or iTunes devices. I'm so close to having it, but then another obstacle always seems to come up!

First post, suggestions always welcome.

OSX 10.5.7 MBP 15" 2.33GHz