Someday, there will be wireless induction charging with a high enough throughput to actually be “fast”. Today is not that day. Tomorrow is not looking good either.
That said, a wireless-charging phone stand that can slowly bring the battery up while making the phone desk-accessible is A Good Thing. And so is a wireless charging pad that doesn’t make the phone susceptible to being tossed on the floor by a cat merely stepping on one end, which this appears to be.
@snapster The clock is not necessarily all that redundant. With one eye opened just a little, I can clearly see the time on a clock face like this one. If my phone is laying flat, I have to either prop myself up to see it, or reach out and tilt it. And if I’ve tucked the phone into the nightstand’s drawer so that the cats can’t knock it on to the floor overnight, the alarm clock is even more useful.
That said, us old farts usually still have our ancient, crusty 1980s alarm clock next to the bed anyway. (Mine may actually be late-'70s. It’s one of the earliest affordable ones with the red-LED numerals.)
Hey Side Deal! What’s the big idea trespassing in the meh community forum?? Why don’t you start your own devoted community like Casemates and Mediocritee?? Huh? Why, someone oughta give ya’s a big fat juicy knuckle samwich!! Capeesh??
@werehatrack I try my best but sometimes certain things kinda IRK me!! It’s bad enough they just started putting a banner at the top of the main page and now this. Guess meh is gonna become Woot! 2.0 before long.
/8ball Is meh destined to become another Woot! ? Outlook good
@snapster I’d read your 1st 4 “Project Precipice” posts and just got done reading your latest. It all makes sense now. My bad. Seems like you’ve got a good strategy going forward. Hope it’s successful. I don’t have any input to offer so I’ll just sit back and observe as the transition proceeds. Best wishes for the new initiative you’ve started!
This thread just makes me miss my Sony Dash, another device Sony just couldn’t keep their murdering hands off of, even more.
It was a great alarm clock, plus much more. About the time I decided I was going to start using more of the features, the masters of intrusive DRM unplugged the life support by offering an “update” that deliberately bricked the device.
I got wind of the consequences, didn’t commit to the update, did the Chumby resusce, then lost it in a house fire anyway.
Last Sony product I ever bought (and it will probably stay that way. And I don’t feed them any money through their varied media, either.)
[Hurray for blue octopi. ]
@Kyeh I’d be suspicious of most of those. They show the stock Sony pictures before it all went to hell. (Sony took their Dash servers off-line long ago.) I sent a message for clarification to the seller you linked to, but have gotten no response as of yet.
@phendrick do stock chumbys (chumbies?) still work? I got a little one and a big one a few years back, thought I might do something neat with them but alas, I have not. Might have to dig them out if they aren’t bricks.
@djslack (I’ll be brief, I have to be up early for an appointment.)
Last I heard, the Chumby did still work, after the company was rebooted. But I have not kept up with it. My experience has been with the Sony Dash, a licensed offshoot of the Chumby. They share hardware DNA, but I think the software is different, especially after Sony mucked it.
I think the Dash is now working again, to some extent, but don’t know for sure. While I had one, I was attempting to undo the damned forced update from Sony that deliberately bricked it. But then the house fire…
Wikipedia has articles on both, detailing the history.
Also, here and more here. Note these posts are OLD. But I think there is more current if you dig around on the site, such as this.
Damn, I might talk myself into buying a used Dash and take my chances. (I really liked the thing when it was working as intended.)
Someday, there will be wireless induction charging with a high enough throughput to actually be “fast”. Today is not that day. Tomorrow is not looking good either.
That said, a wireless-charging phone stand that can slowly bring the battery up while making the phone desk-accessible is A Good Thing. And so is a wireless charging pad that doesn’t make the phone susceptible to being tossed on the floor by a cat merely stepping on one end, which this appears to be.
I find it funny how redundant the alarm clock is. Write up is spot on. Too bad it doesn’t have a cordless phone.
@snapster The clock is not necessarily all that redundant. With one eye opened just a little, I can clearly see the time on a clock face like this one. If my phone is laying flat, I have to either prop myself up to see it, or reach out and tilt it. And if I’ve tucked the phone into the nightstand’s drawer so that the cats can’t knock it on to the floor overnight, the alarm clock is even more useful.
That said, us old farts usually still have our ancient, crusty 1980s alarm clock next to the bed anyway. (Mine may actually be late-'70s. It’s one of the earliest affordable ones with the red-LED numerals.)
Specifically, mine is this kind.
@snapster
I love the write-up! If my phone did wireless charging that write-up would convince me to buy this. Most SideDeal write-ups are pretty dull.
@Kyeh @snapster I like the “Dumb things you saw on TV” section, also.
@snapster @stolicat
Me too.
@werehatrack Here’s the one I want to find…
@ybmuG Here you go!! Bid or Buy it now!!
https://www.ebay.com/itm/224886159343
@IndifferentDude Thanks! Though just because I want it doesn’t mean I can justify it right now. But now that it’s right there…
Alright - I’ll think about it…
Hey Side Deal! What’s the big idea trespassing in the meh community forum?? Why don’t you start your own devoted community like Casemates and Mediocritee?? Huh? Why, someone oughta give ya’s a big fat juicy knuckle samwich!!
Capeesh?? 
@IndifferentDude Not terribly indifferent, dude…
@werehatrack I try my best but sometimes certain things kinda IRK me!! It’s bad enough they just started putting a banner at the top of the main page and now this. Guess meh is gonna become Woot! 2.0 before long.
/8ball Is meh destined to become another Woot! ?
Outlook good
@IndifferentDude open to input but also wonder if you’ve been reading the project updates?
@snapster I’d read your 1st 4 “Project Precipice” posts and just got done reading your latest. It all makes sense now. My bad. Seems like you’ve got a good strategy going forward. Hope it’s successful. I don’t have any input to offer so I’ll just sit back and observe as the transition proceeds. Best wishes for the new initiative you’ve started!
This thread just makes me miss my Sony Dash, another device Sony just couldn’t keep their murdering hands off of, even more.
]
It was a great alarm clock, plus much more. About the time I decided I was going to start using more of the features, the masters of intrusive DRM unplugged the life support by offering an “update” that deliberately bricked the device.
I got wind of the consequences, didn’t commit to the update, did the Chumby resusce, then lost it in a house fire anyway.
Last Sony product I ever bought (and it will probably stay that way. And I don’t feed them any money through their varied media, either.)
[Hurray for blue octopi.
@phendrick And evidently those are available on Ebay too:
https://www.ebay.com/p/148817085
@Kyeh I’d be suspicious of most of those. They show the stock Sony pictures before it all went to hell. (Sony took their Dash servers off-line long ago.) I sent a message for clarification to the seller you linked to, but have gotten no response as of yet.
@phendrick Oh. Phooey.
@phendrick do stock chumbys (chumbies?) still work? I got a little one and a big one a few years back, thought I might do something neat with them but alas, I have not. Might have to dig them out if they aren’t bricks.
@djslack (I’ll be brief, I have to be up early for an appointment.)
Last I heard, the Chumby did still work, after the company was rebooted. But I have not kept up with it. My experience has been with the Sony Dash, a licensed offshoot of the Chumby. They share hardware DNA, but I think the software is different, especially after Sony mucked it.
I think the Dash is now working again, to some extent, but don’t know for sure. While I had one, I was attempting to undo the damned forced update from Sony that deliberately bricked it. But then the house fire…
Wikipedia has articles on both, detailing the history.
Also, here and more here. Note these posts are OLD. But I think there is more current if you dig around on the site, such as this.
Damn, I might talk myself into buying a used Dash and take my chances. (I really liked the thing when it was working as intended.)
Hey… you should remove the TOP DEAL banner when it’s sold out.