A company called Kube Systems recently reached out to promote one of their new alarm clock/charging stations called the Kurrent. It recently went up on Indiegogo and is around halfway through being fully funded. They offered us a sample of the clock, and since our policy is “we don’t turn anything down,” we accepted. Here’s our thoughts.
For one, it’s a nice clock. It’s got big ol’ digits so you can see them even if you wake up in the middle of the night. In other words, you won’t need to rub your eyes or squint to see them. And as it says in the title, it doubles as an alarm, but I’m not sure whether many people would use this over, say, their smartphone.
The design of the Kurrent isn’t too shabby, but it’s definitely not the best. It looks slick and minimal with its glossy black finish, but a matte white design may accentuate different bedrooms a bit better. Unfortunately, that model doesn’t exist. It would’ve also been nicer to see the overall size of the clock shrunken down just a bit, but I guess you need room to pack everything this puppy does.
Rather being your average alarm clock, the Kurrent clock doubles as a complete charging station. There’s integrated Lightning and microUSB cables that come braided for extra durability and tuck away nicely underneath the main display with magnets. There’s two USB-A ports on the top and a full-on wall socket to the left which, they tell me, can be used to charge your laptop. I fully charged my Yoga Book and 13-inch laptop with the port, and I found nothing but convenience from it.
Seriously, having a full wall outlet on the top of an alarm clock is like a God sent. Rather reaching behind your nightstand or bending over trying to plug something in, you have a port directly on top of your alarm clock for all of your needs. Most of the time, though, you’ll be able to strictly use it for a laptop since there’s an array of ports meant to charge your phone and tablet. And if you do the math, you can charge up to five devices at once. Unless your a technology reviewer or like to balance two or three phones on the daily, this should suffice anyone’s needs.
But that’s not all. For an added cost, Kube can even throw in a wireless charging pad that attaches to the back of the alarm clock and lets you place your phone down to begin charging. The Kurrent system utilizes the Qi standard which means devices like the iPhone 8, Samsung Galaxy Note 8, LG V30, and even the Moto Z2 with wireless charging Mod are all compatible. Mind you, charging isn’t all that fast, but the convenience of not having to worry about cables makes up for it.
By spending the extra cash on the wireless charging add-on, you’ll be able to charge six devices at once. That’s the sound of convenience. Add on the fact that this thing is also an alarm clock and you’ll realize you’ve spent your money well. And yes, I know I sound extremely biased right now, but I’m legitimately praising this gadget. It’s just that good.
If you wanna get the same setup I have here, you can currently back the Kurrent on Indiegogo for $115 as an early bird special. Kube says shipments begin in January 2018.
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