Can the iPhone 4S multitask?? Need an alarm app that works!

[SJ2571]

I bought iHandy's Alarm Clock for $0.99, so let's check your requests:

* Must show time on display in large easy to read letters (preferably not ugly font) - TICK!
* Must be completely dimmable, and put out very little light (this is the only advantage over a standard clock, so its important) - TICK!
* Must be smart enough to avoid being blacked out by the iPhones lock screen! - TICK!
* Must be free! - Nope. But is 99 cents close enough to free for you?
* Must not have ads that stay on the clock display screen all night! - TICK!

Other great features of iHandy's Alarm Clock:

Snooze time changeable from 2, 5, 10, 15 or 30 minutes.
Shake to snooze, or shake to turn on the flashlight.
Music fade in with selectable duration.
Vibrate on or off (mine's off because it makes my bedside table rumble).
Select which days to repeat.
Weather updated and shown above the time.
Different colors for the time display.
Show next alarm, so you know if it's set correctly.
Swipe to adjust screen brightness (not just display brightness, but SCREEN brightness).
Sleep to music with selectable timer (up to 2 hours).

I heartily recommend it.

 

[zphone]

LOL. Didn't take long for the second half of what my memory blended to be asked. The policy enforcement system was added recently ...

I would be more than happy to pay for the app zphone, so you can test it and report the result back. For me personally, I would like to know if I got it partially right. Even though it doesn't change the fact I was still dead wrong for the original question asked.

I downloaded and intend to test it. I was pretty sure you were initially right when there is a policy in place which is why I brought up the question.

No company that I know of allows the user to set that timeout to never if they require a password on their email.

 

[Skull One]

I downloaded and intend to test it. I was pretty sure you were initially right when there is a policy in place which is why I brought up the question.

No company that I know of allows the user to set that timeout to never if they require a password on their email.

I didn't go into this last night because I didn't want to come off as making an excuse. But you are bringing up EXACTLY what my memory blended for the final answer on how things were going to work from now on.

Keep this in mind, Apple's SDK for

@property(nonatomic, getter=isIdleTimerDisabled) BOOL idleTimerDisabled

specifically states that the programmer can override that feature if need be and I operated under that condition until the new SDK additions came out.

You and I are in agreement that the new policy editor and push system should be the master control, but the current SDK doesn't document that interaction at all. I literally sat there for 20 minutes thinking "I confused A and B to make C. It didn't specifically state that on both sides, it stated it on only one. I screwed up".

Trust me, I am not happy that I made that blending mistake. My memory simply assumed. And it was a damn bad assumption upon review. What I should have stated is that there was three conditions. And if I had, there wouldn't have been a debate at all.

But now I want to know what really happens since I can not test it myself.

 

[SJ2571]

Yocto Clock has a setting I hadn't noticed before, that allows you to disable Auto-Lock (or even set it to disable in x minutes); including a separate setting for both battery power and while charged! Can't recall seeing this option in any other app I tested.

As I said, iHandy Alarm Clock also has two such settings -- one for when on battery, one for when on AC.

 

[zphone]

I downloaded and intend to test it. I was pretty sure you were initially right when there is a policy in place which is why I brought up the question.

No company that I know of allows the user to set that timeout to never if they require a password on their email.

Well, the result is strange to me. My lock when idle timeout is indeed set to the max 5 minutes allowed by our policy. However the app never timed out in my small test last night. As long as you leave it in the foreground it seems the app fails to tell the OS that it is idle and keeps the screen on. This goes completely against the intent of our security policy. The only way we wanted the phone to not lock was if the user has it in their hands and is using it. . I have not tested with the setting that allows the screen to go off and have to see if it still prevents the phone from locking?

It indeed works as advertised not that I really care as I like the built in alarm. When I want to see the time I push the home button.

 

[Skull One]

Thank you. The new policy enforcement is a joke then based on that test. And the SDK is correct but the supplement is 100% wrong.

Hopefully I will be able to remember that fact next week.

 

[mdmcatee]

I would be a little worried leaving my display on all night, night after night. Retina displays...even smaller ones have had some burn in issues.

While Apple has addressed the issue here..Avoiding image persistence on Apple LCD displays..this is not really for those who continually get a burn in image or persistence as Apple calls if by continually doing this. This is for a occasional instance of this issue arising. From my perspective what you are doing is bypassing a built in safe guard of the screen by having static images on the screen with it on,regardless of the brightness of the images showing.

While I understand you wanting to utilize your phone instead of buying a actual alarm clock that would meet your requirements,some times it is best to follow the sage old advise of "using the correct tool for the job" instead of what you want to do.

I've worked swing shifts ( all 3 shifts in the same week ) most of my adult life,and in doing so, I understand your needs as to what you want your clock to do and how you want it to operate,but, as too taking any chance of shortening the life of my screen or damaging it on my I Phone is something I would not do,regardless of how convenient it is to use it for a alarm clock when there are actual alarm clocks that can meet and exceed your usability requirements for functionality for a small amount.

I know this may not make any sense to you since you are of the mind of using what you have on hand already,but,IMHO buying a actual alarm clock like a holographic type or projector type that not only can you set up for what ever brightness level and color you want, but if you choose to can also can give you other useful data as well like the actual weather info in your location. This to me is a much more logical thing to do.

This is just a suggestion nothing more since you are free to do whatever you want with your phone.

Best of Luck

Mac