I have had a clock radio on my bedside table for as long as I can remember. If I awake during the night, I like to have a glimpse at the time to see if it is time to get up or grumble if it is not.
My early clock radios had AM and FM, and the digital numbers would emit a red glow that permeated through the dark bedroom. When digital audio broadcast became available, I quickly adopted a new digital radio, which gave me a whole new radio station list to choose from. Digital radio has excellent sound quality, great for music.
Whatever clock radio I used, there always seemed to be some compromise. Whether it was the digits that were too bright or the lack of a headphone jack, I could never quite find the complete set up that met my needs.
Recently, I adapted an old iPad to be my bedside clock radio. Starting with an app, I now have the best clock radio ever, with my favourite features:
- The clock face will auto-dim at night, radiating just enough light to read the time, without disturbing the darkness.
- It has a headphone jack and allows me to listen to the radio without disturbing others.
- I can stream content, providing me with a broader range of listening, including music, podcasts and overseas radio stations.