alarm

If we get one of these alarm clocks for Christmas, we're planning to send our doctor bills to the manufacturer because it'll surely be to blame for higher stress levels and the ill affects associated with them. The reason: The "Neverlate Executive Alarm Clock" not only wakes you up but also delivers Pavlovian reminders for various tasks from its programmable "Daily Reminder" log seven times a day.

The clock has other ways to keep your OCD tendencies in top shape, such as different alarm times for the weekends and his-and-her schedules. We've seen … Read more

Once the madness that is holiday shopping is finally over, what better antidote could there be than an English butler? The lady of the household can now unwrap one of her very own--that is, in the form of an alarm clock that utters gender-specific greetings.

Several months ago we were quite taken with the idea of being awakened in a most civilized manner by the "Jeeves" clock from U.K.-based (naturally) Voco, which featured scores of British quips from the magnificent Stephen Fry. Now a version for m'lady is available as well, with 150 or so … Read more

As a computer nerd, I hold this truth to be self-evident:

All new software contains bugs and design flaws

Thus, from a defensive computing standpoint, the latest is never the greatest. Someone who depends on his or her computer, in a serious way, is always best served by avoiding software that has just been released. With that as a backdrop, here are some thoughts as to what this means to you, in terms of current software choices.

Mac OS X Leopard 10.5

For one thing, it means don't buy a Macintosh computer--at least not now. I have nothing … Read more

While others fret about people breaking into their digital equipment, we often have more immediate concerns. Maybe it's a comment on the Wi-Fi coffee shops we frequent, but we often find ourselves worrying about the computer being stolen altogether--and, in those cases, older tech might be more effective than the newer stuff.

Case in point: an alarm for your laptop. Belkin has developed a USB security device that works kind of like a bicycle chain with a built-in alarm. Basically, you secure the base to a desk or something else too large or heavy to be carried away without … Read more

ZoneAlarm is offering its CNET Editors' Choice-rated Anti-spyware program for free today, until 7 a.m. Wednesday morning.

The $20 program battles spyware from a different approach than most other antimalware apps. Using its extensive knowledge of firewalls, ZoneAlarm Anti-spyware uses firewalls as a basis for providing protection. Unlike most popular antispyware software, ZoneAlarm scans commonly affected system areas rather than your entire computer.

While this method scans faster than other options and is mostly effective for catching intruders, I find a comprehensive system scan to be more desirable. Still, people familiar with the popular ZoneAlarm firewall software will recognize … Read more

Forget "Clocky," the "Sonic Bomb," and the flying alarm clock. The last thing we need in the morning is something that shatters our eardrums or requires us to chase it around the room to shut the damn thing off.

At our advanced age, any of these could easily shorten our lives with coronary issues. A far more civilized way to awaken is the gentle tones of a "Wind Chime Alarm Clock" and, naturally, its continuous snooze functions. (Our definition of the snooze button: Unplug clock, go back to sleep.)

But if you must get … Read more

Upon first viewing, this looked either like a Photoshop job or evidence that our monitor was in desperate need of serious adjustment. But rather than some iPod laboratory experiment gone horribly awry, the "Dr. Light Alarm Clock" is merely what its name indicates.

The distracting design is actually unfortunate because the clock has some interesting features in its own right--namely, according to Gizmodo, several rows of LEDs that light up to reflect the time of day. That, at least, is certainly more useful than other LED products we've seen lately.

We're not sure if we believe all its marketing claims but, if half of them are true, this watch is well worth the $179 it's going for.

As its name implies, the "SleepTracker Pro," monitors your nocturnal patterns so it can sync up with your sleep cycle, according to ProductDose. Then, when you program it to awaken you within a particular 90-minute window (or less), it will gently rouse you with its vibrating mechanism.

This last feature is an important distinction from the previously released standard version, which offered only a rude ringing alarm, as well … Read more

A couple of weeks ago, I gave you some of the top antivirus apps for your PC. The programs I listed were my picks for reliable free and shareware antivirus software that you could use right away.

Though having a good virus program is crucial to online safety, it's not enough to stop all intruders. Another extremely important line of defense is the software firewall. Some believe you need a hardware firewall (like as a function of your router, for example) to keep all intruders away from your system. But for most people (me included), a good software firewall offers plenty of protection against attacks and also against software on your hard drive that might be trying to contact "the mother ship" without your knowledge.… Read more