alarm

This desktop tool has one function and it performs its function well. The simply named Timer does just that, acts as a timer on your desktop.

You won't find any bells and whistles with Timer's user interface. It comes with a digital clock and three buttons to start, stop, and reset the timer. The window comes in three sizes--small, medium, and large. The ToString feature lets you easily copy the timer results to paste in another document. According to the very brief help feature, the Trackbar feature is supposed to let you adjust the speed of the timer, … Read more

This very basic alarm clock claims to offer users a little extra jolt to wake them up in the morning. After putting it to the test, we were left still snoozing at its performance.

Get Up offers an extremely plain and, thanks to a few spelling errors, unprofessionally designed user interface. You have to input the day, month, and year to set the alarm, along with the specific time, which is in military style. There aren't any options to set the alarm for multiple days; you can only set it for one day at a time. You also won'… Read more

This simple little utility lets users schedule various shutdown tasks on their PCs. Though we would have liked to have seen more schedule options, it performed as promised.

Hyper Shutdown features a very simple user interface. The small window displays a list of actions, such as shutdown, restart, log off, hibernate, and set alarm. From there, all you have to do is simply enter the specific time or time frame that you want the program to perform the chosen action, and enter the number of seconds for the countdown warning. You can also select a file to execute before the … Read more

There are more than a few problems with this desktop utility, which had two identities and several features that just didn't work. Desktop Alarm, or Desktop Angel, as the interface states, primarily offers one-stop access to existing Windows tools, but this version fails to deliver.

A slim window is added that floats on your desktop. Most of the text was cut off, and we found ourselves annoyed by the animation on the interface. In one click, though, you can empty the Recycle Bin, access the Control Panel, and erase browsing history. The emphasis is on "can," because … Read more

This free utility has one purpose, and one purpose only--to time any task at hand. It performed its job and it performed it well.

Chronometer has a straightforward and simple user interface. It can be moved to any place on your desktop, and basically consists of a tiny window that displays the start and stop time and the time elapsed. All you have to do is click the Start button and off you go. We will say that the Options menu was a little vague and took us a little time to figure out, but ultimately it allows you to … Read more

Easy to use and reliable, this small alarm clock does its best to make sure you never miss an appointment.

Alarm Bluefive Software's small user interface is accessed through either the desktop or taskbar icons. You can choose to keep the interface on top of whatever you are working on, or let it run in the background. The time displayed on the interface resembles a digital clock, but you can easily adjust the color and size of the numbers. Setting the alarm is extremely easy, and is accomplished by simply entering the time you want the alarm to go … Read more

This completely customizable clock lets you dress up its clock face with your own pictures. Though it took us a little time to load our picture, we found it a fun alternative to the staid system clock.

Custom Skin Clock appears on your desktop as a plain, analog clock with directions to right-click to add an image. Doing so introduces a menu that lets you adjust the clock's size and transparency. You can also choose to keep the clock on top of whatever you're working on at the moment. The Customize Clock option introduces a new interface that … Read more

With so many of us dreaming on a budget these days, it makes sense that Sony's latest Dream Machine clock radio (the ICF-C414) retails for a measly $20.

Granted, there aren't a lot of bells and whistles to inflate the price--no iPod dock, no CD player, no integrated sounds of pastoral splendor to rouse you from restful slumber. Nope, instead Sony's keeping this one lean and mean with an AM/FM radio, buzzer, automatic time set, daylight-saving time adjustment, snooze button, battery backup, and 1.4-inch LED clock.

The Sony Dream Machine ICF-C414 may be short on … Read more

ZoneAlarm Extreme provides a high-end, all-in-one PC security and tune-up utility for users who are looking for a supermarket approach to their computer's ancillary functions. Under the Extreme roof, you'll get an antivirus, antispyware, firewall, and parental control utility. Additional browser, identity theft, and e-mail protection are also rolled in, while extras like the free 2GB of encrypted online backup and the tune-up utilities are accessible but have components that must be downloaded separately.

The interface is smooth and modern, with big labels to draw your eye to the biggest features in each pane. A left sidebar collects … Read more