Mini Review: Chronos Alarm Clock
There have been a number of Clock/Alarm programs developed over the years, due in part to the very limited functionality of the versions built into the Windows Mobile operating system. All have their own particular strengths and weaknesses and all will find favour with some users and not others.
My two favourites over the last few years have been Spb Time and Activekitten Chronos. Time has always had a great graphical interface, and some useful world time functions; Chronos has had a smaller footprint and more comprehensive alarm options. Chronos was also fully compatible with WM6 when that OS was released, at a time when Spb Time was not.
After a recent revision to V3.9, I've been using Chronos again on my HTC Diamond and Ameo, and am finding its features suit me well.
This is not intended to be a full review- more of an indication of what the program is capable of, and why I like it.
Product Information
Software Developer: Activekitten
Product: Chronos V3.9.6.3
Price: $14.95. Trial Version available
Platform: PocketPC 2003 onwards. Versions available for touchscreen and key entry devices.
Resource Usage: Installed size: 2.7MB; RAM use when open: 1.4MB; Program can be closed without compromising alarm function.
Interface
Recent versions of Chronos have included a small Today plug-in. This is not as graphically involved as the Spb equivalent and does not show the current time. The latest version does however allow running of the main program or to manipulate any installed Alarms or Timers from the Today screen. The Today plug-in can show just one line of information, or can be expanded by tapping the left side icon.
One feature I have longed for in Spb Time, which is now implemented in Chronos is the ability to 'Skip next alarm' which means if I wake early I can quickly skip that day's alarm, but not have to remember to re-enable it later in the day so it sounds at the next schedule. |  |  |
|  | The main program itself now has a much nicer looking default clock face. There are five alternative clocks selectable from the Skins menu.
As with Spb Time, when the main screen is active, a tap on the screen switches it to full screen mode- useful as a clock when the device is docked.
The left soft key cycles through the available functions; alternatively a tabbed menu can be displayed at the base of the screen instead of, or in addition to, the soft keys. |
Alarms
There are an unlimited number of alarms available; each can be programmed to activate on any day at any time. Each can be auto-dismissed or auto snoozed after a selectable time. As is usual, the alarm sound can be of any installed format including .ogg, .mp3, .wav and .wma files.
The standard triggered-alarm notification is a full screen digital clock on a white background with large finger friendly Dismiss and Snooze buttons. Snooze intervals can be configured and set from within the settings menus.
Alarms can be set to ascend over a definable period, vibrate or to 'respect system volume'. A defined Alarm can be saved as a default for new alarms to be based upon. |  |  |
For me, one of the most useful functions within the Alarm module is the ability to have the alarm trigger an action. This may be to turn on or off various device features, or to run a specified application.
Thus, I have my early morning alarm to sound, and at the same time turn the Phone Radio on; likewise I have another alarm set at 10pm every day, which does nothing but turn the Phone Radio off (ie there does not need to be a sound associated with an alarm). If I don't want this to happen I can simply 'Skip next alarm' for any of these from the Today screen. |  |  |
Timers
 |  | Alarms are useful if you want a trigger to occur on set days and set times, but what happens if you want a notification or action to trigger after a specific elapsed time? This is where timers are the best method to use. A timer is activated manually by pressing the start button, from where it counts down from the starting time to zero. The user can define any number of countdown timers, and at the end of the defined period have it trigger any sound.
Additionally, as with Alarms, a Timer can trigger an Event such as running a program or altering the state of the device.
Timers can be set as templates on which to base other timers; in this manner, a timer can trigger another timer to start using the Event dialog. So, for example you could set up a multi stage timer to guide you through a meal preparation, with a sound at the end of each stage, but the next timer then commencing its countdown automatically. |
Stopwatch
| This is a standard stopwatch feature with the usual Start/Stop/Pause and Lap functions. A set of times can be saved as a .csv file for future reference. |  |  |
Miscellaneous Functions
 |  | Configuration
The various settings for the program can be configured from the settings screen. This includes a useful utility to repair the Notification Queue if the alarms start to malfunction, though in two years of using this program I have not experienced any bad behaviour caused by Chronos.
For devices that are blessed with an array of hardware buttons, each button may be configured for its own action within Chronos. |
Screen Saver
The screen saver function can be set to display a screen saver or slide show after a set period of inactivity. The trigger time, whether to display the standard clock or a slide show, power options and exceptions can all be set from the options screen.
The Slide Show options screen allows the selection of which folder to use, transitions, pause times and other settings. |  |  |
 |  | Chime
Chronos can be set to sound a chime on each quarter, half hour or hourly. The chime can be disabled between set hours, and the chime sound can be selected from any of the usual sound formats. The chime can be set to repeat for a set period, or number of repeats and the sound level can respect the system volume or a predefined level. |
Conclusion
I have used Chronos on and off for over two years and have always found it reliable, if a little lacking visually. The current version looks a lot better in my opinion, and the addition of the Today screen functions, especially the ability to skip an alarm, has now elevated this above Spb's alternative for me. Chronos costs $14.95 and there are free upgrades within the same major version. I recommend this to anyone looking for a well featured and reliable Alarm/clock application
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