Gear 4 Alarm Dock Halo 2 for iPod and iPhone Devices

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Product details

Product Dimensions: 15 x 16.3 x 17.5 cm ; 1.1 Kg
Boxed-product Weight: 1.4 Kg
Item model number: PG548US
ASIN: B005WGCN70
Date first available at Amazon.co.uk: 17 Jan 2012

Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews)

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Product Description

The AlarmDock Halo is designed to be incredibly attractive without compromising on sound quality

The elegant design of the AlarmDock Halo 2 makes it the perfect addition to any bedroom. Click here for a larger version.

AlarmDock Halo 2 App-enhanced Alarm Clock for iPod and iPhone

The newly refined AlarmDock Halo 2 is the second generation of the AlarmDock Halo, and part of the second generation of smart, app-enhanced products, from GEAR4. With a new premium fabric, sleek-black design and beautifully enhanced LCD display, Halo 2 looks stylish in any bedroom. Furthermore, its small footprint means the alarm clock sits comfortably on the smallest of bedside tables.

Features for the AlarmDock Halo 2 include a dimmable LCD display designed for visibility, without keeping you awake at night, and a 12 / 24 hour alarm clock with optional wake-up from the classic buzzer sound, FM radio or music from your iPod. The inclusion of an easyreach snooze button means the Halo 2 is the perfect bedside companion.

Auto-Sync Time and Alarms

Dock your iPhone / iPod touch onto the AlarmDock Halo 2 and launch the SmartLink app. The time on the clock radio will automatically sync with that on your device, including synching any alarms already set within the SmartLink app. Set alarms on-the-go, wake with confidence.

Case Friendly Dock

Docking wells are a thing of the past. The AlarmDock Halo 2 comes with a universal dock which means a reinforced flexible connector and no more individual dock adaptors. You can also dock your iOS device with its case on. Hassle free docking: more time playing your music.

The large LCD display is designed for visibility and can be dimmed to aid undisturbed sleep. Click here for a larger version.

Line-in Port for Use with Other Music Players

Use the AlarmDock Halo 2 with any music player with a 3.5mm jack. Enjoy your favourite music, movies or games from a Smartphone, MP3 player, tablet or Laptop by connecting a 3.5mm audio cable into the line-in port.

FM Radio

Tune and save your favourite stations with the Halo 2. Scan for the nearest station with the press of a button and store as a pre-set. Halo 2 can store up to 9 pre-sets so you’ll never forget a station.

Remote Control

The AlarmDock Halo 2 includes a handy remote control that allows you to operate the alarm clock from just about anywhere in the room. As well as playback controls, you'll also be able to adjust the volume, mode settings, repeat or shuffle functions and access iPod menus.

Compatibility

Made for iPod touch (1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th generation), iPod classic (80Gb, 160Gb), iPod with video, iPod nano (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th generation). Made for Made for iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS and iPhone.

The SmartLink app has two display styles and will store all your FM stations. Click here for a larger version.

SmartLink

SmartLink is a free music / radio / alarm clock application for iPhone, iPod touch or iPad. It’s designed to enhance the functionality and usability of your speaker, giving you full control through your iOS device. SmartLink hosts a range of features including, animated weather display, customisable interfaces, auto-tune FM and much more.

App-enhanced with SmartLink:

Complete wireless control – control your speaker over Wi-Fi
Animated weather display – wake-up knowing the weather
Auto-sync time & alarms – set your alarms, dock to sync
Wake-up to FM radio or music
Auto-tune, save & edit FM stations
Dim your speaker display with swipe gestures

App-enhanced Features

Remote Control

Use an iPod touch, iPhone or iPad to control the speaker from anywhere in your room, over Wi-Fi. Dock a 2nd iPod touch or iPhone onto the speaker, launch the SmartLink app, and use the device in your hand as a wireless remote control.

Music Player

SmartLink includes a built-in music player to access your iPod library. You can search for songs, browse playlists and even display album artwork in full screen and without closing the app.

Weather Integration

Wake up knowing the weather. The SmartLink app gives you animated weather based on your geographical location. It displays up-to-date weather information, current temperatures and the high to low temperatures expected for that day. You can also take a glance at forecasted weather for the next five days, allowing you to plan for the week ahead.

Synch the time, set alarms, and view the weather for the week ahead with the SmartLink app. Click here for a larger version.

Auto-Sync Alarms

Create and save alarms within the SmartLink app, whenever you’re on the move. Simply dock your iPod touch or iPhone before getting into bed, launch SmartLink and your saved alarms will be synced with the speaker. There’s no excuse for being late to work.

Clock Display

The SmartLink app offers you a flip clock or digital display, which can be used while playing music or FM radio. Alarm times are shown on the clock display and if your speaker does not include alarm clock functionality, SmartLink adds this feature. Create as many alarms as you need and choose to wake up to your favourite music, FM radio or changeable alarm sound.

Reduce Screen Brightness with a Gesture

Don’t be disturbed by the bright night time glare. Swipe up or down between the alarms and clock display to adjust the brightness on your iOS device. This also adjusts the brightness on your speakers display, simultaneously.

FM Radio

Auto-tune, save and organise your favourite stations. Automatically find all FM stations in your area with the press of a button. Your FM stations are stored within the app and can be reordered at will. You can also rename stations making it easier for you to switch between your preferred stations.

Customisable Interface

The SmartLink app features two display styles: Steel and Digital. Instantly switch from one style to another and personalise the way your speaker looks.

Box Contains

AlarmDock Halo 2

Power Cable

User Manual

Remote Control

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars It Just Works; brilliantly 22 Feb 2012

By Chris Hoare TOP 500 REVIEWER VINE™ VOICE

Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

It's not very often I get something that totally changes my perception of how a product should work and the Halo 2 Alarm Clock is one of them. Gear 4 have made an alarm clock that holds up the Apple Principle of "It just works." Without reading the manual the alarm clock rang at the right time from the first morning and kept track of my random alarm programming for a week; and so far it hasn't gone off at the wrong times.

For the last couple of years I have been using the innovative Philips HF3485 Wake-up Light with Radio Alarm and USB Playback which connected to my iPhone woke me up by slowly brightening the room and playing music. It is a good alarm clock; but suffers from a terrible user interface controlled by levers and rollers - and setting the music alarm basically consisted of pressing pause on the iPhone and hoping it works.

The Gear 4 replaces all the clunkiness of alarm clocks of old with a simple to use iPhone / iPod Touch Application that lets you program the alarm straight from your phone. Docking your phone and running the app synchronises the time and the alarms for the current day of the week. This means you can program it to let you have that lie in you deserve at the weekends without having to remember to set the alarm back on Sunday Night. If you are a multi iPhone household you can program it via another phone when one is docked (not sure how useful that is but its there if you need it.) You can choose to be woken by some relaxing (or not so) sounds (20 minutes of rain followed by an electronic beep if that is how you like to wake up) or you can use a playlist from your music collection.

When docked and running Gear 4 APP the default screen shows the current time in a subdued manner (there are two themes to choose from but both are nice and subdued - no bright lights) along with the weather and some visual confirmation of the alarms that are set ( i have uploaded an image so you can see this.) If you go with listening to your music the inbuilt speakers do a fair job of playing music and there is an infrared bluetooth remote for you to loose in the sheets if you are too lazy to reach over. The sound from the gear 4 is far better than the Logitech AV Stand for iPad I reviewed last month and capable of going louder. The Halo 2 will dock iPod's, iPhone; iPad 2's don't quite fit. Using a classic iPod or nanon you don't get the benefit of the fancy software but you can use the devices in built buttons to program it.

Finally in the morning; your iPhone is fully charged and ready for the day ahead; 5*.

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars High quality sound, links to iPhone well 11 Mar 2012

By R. S. Bacon TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

As soon as I plugged in the iPhone it prompted me to download and install the free app that goes with it.

It next let me scan for radio stations although it didn't know the names of many of them (it recognised Radio 2 but did not know my local radio station name - both are identified using RDS just fine in my car). However, it was child's play to edit the default name.

The quality of the radio was excellent; it certainly surpassed my expectations of a "clock radio". The same can be said for the music that was already in my iPhone and which was displayed using the Menu button.

Once a radio station was playing I could disconnect the iPhone that was charging and the radio kept going.

The small remote controller was quite nifty in being able to change music sources (Aux [3.5mm jack at rear], iPhone music and Radio) and I could navigate to the next/previous track or radio station.

I didn't understand why the DONE button on the radio list wouldn't do anything but pressing MENU got me back to the start just fine.

Certainly using the iPhone as the interface to this unit is a good idea but is not essential just to listen to the radio (or use the radio as an alarm). The unit has obviously been built for the iPod/iPhone and looks great when docked. It even shows the current weather on the iPhone screen!

The manual says you can use a second (!) iPhone as a remote control device for the first using Wi-Fi but I think that's going a step too far when they supply a perfectly good remote.

The time display is average sized, blue and can be dimmed to 3 or so levels of brightness. I haven't yet mastered the swipe-to-dim feature that syncs the iPhone to the AlarmDock but it's early days yet.

Frankly, all I need is the ability to charge up my iPhone, have a couple of alarms (eg weekends and weekdays), play the radio (or downloaded music) as an alarm and show me the time during the night.

This unit does all this and much more, with a sound quality that is great. Can't say fairer than that. I'm now going to actually read the manual to master it properly but it was very intuitive from the outset.

Recommended.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Gear4 alarm dock 2 July 2012

By Bitsof

Amazon Verified Purchase

Excellent, what more is there to say? For me the best things about this radio-alarm dock are: the iPhone sits in the front, not sticking out the top; the LED light can be dimmed so it's not too bright at night, but by far the best feature is the alarm setting. You can set the alarm for just Monday to Friday, just weekends or all seven days. I like not having to switch the alarm off every weekend only to forget ot switch it back on for Monday.

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