Cubino 1GB MP3 FM Radio Alarm Clock with OLED Photo Display

We’ll be the first to admit that MP3 alarm clocks are, if not a spectacularly brilliant idea, at least rather a good one (especially for those who can’t quite deal with being woken by the sonic equivalent of a cattle prod and who don’t particularly what to run the risk of waking up to a Spice Girls track being played on Fab-FM) but a combined MP3 player and FM radio complete with an integral digital photo frame?

Perhaps we’re being a little harsh, after all, it’s not that we don’t like this geeky Cubino alarm clock it’s just that we really don’t think that having a mini OLED screen embedded in a device we only see last thing at night and first thing in the morning (and invariably only ever curse at) is something that we can’t image living without.

Sure, if, your partner’s away for the night I suppose it might be nice (even comforting/wholly unnerving) to turn over in bed and see them staring back at you but, apart from that, we really cannot see why it would prove especially useful.

Still, if having a 1.8” 65K OLED 160 x 128 resolution digital picture frame embedded into an alarm clock that is capable of waking you to either the radio or a pre-selected MP3 play list appeals, by all means read on.

The Cubino comes complete with 1 gigabyte of internal memory, which is enough to hold 16 hours of MP3/WAV/WMA based music – if you’re not awake before it has played each track, let’s face it, you’re probably dead – or up to 500 photos in JPEG format, or a mixture of the two. And, if that isn’t enough for you, you’ll be pleased to know that you can further expand the device’s storage capacity to 2GB using the on board MMC/SD card slot.

Transferring your play list to the device is a breeze thanks to a line in socket and a USB connection, allowing you to drag files directly from your PC (Windows or Mac) – curiously, though the manufactures thought an inbuilt digital photo frame was a good idea they obviously didn’t think wireless connectivity was worth including.

Stereo sound is provided courtesy of two built in 1.5W speakers – though with this level of spatial separation don’t expect the stereo effect to be particularly expansive – with the OLED unit serving to display tracks ID tags (song title, artist) as well as the time (and, let’s face it, it’s a fairly reasonable idea to have some means of displaying the time on a device purportedly functioning as an alarm clock.

The Cubino 1GB MP3 FM Radio Alarm Clock with OLED Photo Display, which is available in either black or white, retails for €79.95 (approximately $115) exclusive of shipping – however, by way of an update, you may wish to read one customer’s feedback concerning the Cubino prior to considering a purchase.

Conversely, if this doesn’t quite do it for you, you may find something more to your tastes by browsing our previously featured alarm clocks.