Most of us are guilty of repeatedly hitting the snooze bar on our alarm clocks and going back to sleep, which is why we’ve seen devices that won’t stop ringing (or even electrocuting) until they’re taken to a remotely-located docking station. EzLarm takes a cheaper and simpler approach, utilizing a free app and an inexpensive tag.
The adhesive-backed NFC (near-field communication) tag is applied to a surface in a room where the user plans on starting their day, such as the bathroom or kitchen. The iOS/Android app, meanwhile, is used just like a regular alarm clock app – users indicate the time of day that they wish it to go off, switch it on, then put their smartphone on their bedside table when they hit the hay.
Once the alarm does go off, however, there’s no way of silencing it using the phone’s touchscreen or button controls. Instead, the user has to get out of bed and carry their smartphone to the room where the tag is located, then touch the phone to that tag. No matter how tired they may be, by that point they’re pretty unlikely to just turn around and go back to the bedroom.
Because NFC tags are temporarily powered by magnetic fields generated by smartphones or other devices, the EzLarm “hardware” doesn’t require any batteries or an electrical outlet. It should be noted, however, that it won’t work with Apple phones older than the iPhone 7. All newer Samsung phones should reportedly be good, along with many older ones – a complete list of NFC-enabled Android phones can be accessed via the link at the end of the article.
EzLarm was invented by two Canadian students who’ve had trouble dragging their sorry butts out of bed, and it’s currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign. A pledge of CAD$18 (about US$14) will get you two tags, when and if everything is ready to go. The planned retail price is 18 US dollars.
EzLarm forces you out of bed using an app and a tag [New Atlas]