Nintendo Alarmo looks like the delightfully fun smart alarm clock I didn't know I needed

Date:
Thu, 10 Oct 2024 11:36:48 +0000

Description:
Nintendo Alarmo sound clock looks like a delightfully fun smart home gadget.

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Yesterday Nintendo announced a brand new piece of hardware, but it wasnt the Nintendo Switch 2 ; instead it was a Sound Clock called Alarmo which costs $99.99 / 89.99 (pricing and availability in some regions to be announced).
No, Im not kidding, and yes, I desperately want one.

Alarmo is a round alarm clock with a 2.8-inch LCD screen that shows you the date, time, and features a playful Nintendo character who reacts to things like the time, or how well youve responded to the alarm. When its time to
wake up the clock will ring out with iconic Nintendo music like Jump up,
Super Star! from Mario Odyssey .

Where Alarmo seriously up its game over a regular alarm clock, however, is
its in-built motion sensor. Alarmo can track your sleep movements during the night to help monitor your habits, and also respond to how quickly you wake up.

If you wave your hand towards Alarmo too many times to snooze your alarm, or delay getting up by just ignoring it, the music it plays will get louder and more intense with the trailer showing it playing Bowsers boss tune and displaying the Koopa King himself on-screen to persuade you to wake up.

When Alarmo detects youve actually got out of bed the Alarm will end, and Mario will celebrate with a quick fanfare and explosion of confetti. Alternatively, when youre trying to fall asleep you and Mario can relax to Alarmos Sleepy Sounds Not just Alar-Mario

While the red clocks border invokes Nintendos iconic mascot Mario, the alarm clock can take musical and visual cues from across the companys whole catalog including The Legend of Zelda , Splatoon , Animal Crossing , and Ring Fit Adventure (a fitness title you absolutely hadnt forgotten about until just now). Pikmin can get in on the Alarmo fun (Image credit: Nintendo)

And now I simultaneously want Alarmo to play that dread-inducing Guardian activation music cue from Breath of the Wild , and desperately hope it
doesnt.

Itll for sure scare you out of bed if youre feeling lazy, but starting everyday with a heart spike to over 100 bpm might not be great for anyones health. Alternatively Im imagining the intimidating sound of Timmy and Tommy Nook knocking at your door asking where Tom Nooks money is, though Im not expecting Nintendo will actually use this one.

Regardless, Ive fallen in love with Alarmo, not just as a smart alarm clock that looks set to bring some joy to your morning routine, but because it
feels so delightfully silly. When were all desperately waiting for a Switch 2 announcement its kind of hilarious that Nintendo would instead release a
smart alarm clock.

Its not entirely out of nowhere though, with developers Yosuke Tamori and Tetsuya Akama explaining in an interview that it was inspired by the research Nintendo had done when developing the motion sensor tech it deploys in its less unorthodox gaming inventions like its Joy-Cons. The Joy-Can sensors helped inspire Alarmo (Image credit: Enrique Vidal Flores via Unsplash)
Alarmo might not be for everyone

Unfortunately, this technology does have a few limitations. Its compatible with Twin to King-sized beds, so smaller or larger beds may mean Alarmo
doesnt function correctly. Plus, youll need to be able to place Alarmo somewhere thats within arms reach, no higher than eight inches above the bed, and make sure its facing the beds center and that placement will need to be in reach of a power socket.

Additionally, if you share a bed with your partner or a pet, Nintendo recommends swapping Alarmo to Button Mode for the best experience which will turn off all motion-sensing features.

Lastly, to actually purchase Alarmo right now youll need a Nintendo Account and paid Nintendo Switch Online membership though this restriction is just for a limited time. Alarmo will go on sale to the general public sometime in January 2025. You might also like Read our PS5 Pro pre-order guide One of the best Nintendo Switch OLED bundles is back just in time for the holidays Nintendo Switch emulator Ryujinx goes offline



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/home/smart-home/nintendo-alarmo-looks-like-the-delig htfully-fun-smart-alarm-clock-i-didnt-know-i-needed


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