Emerson CKS3528 SmartSet Projection Clock Radio with Dual Alarms (Silver) (Discontinued by Manufacturer)

After a power outage caused our old alarm clock to skip a wakeup (why would it not just go off when the power came on?), it was time for a new alarm clock. I was not interested in spending $100 on a super sound system - I need something to wake me up, on time, and reliably if the power fluctuates. This clock has an internal battery backup, auto-sets its time, and is generally easy to use. On power-on, you're prompted to set your time zone (have those instructions handy), and that's it. Quick, easy, and no big deal.The projector is new to me. It's not nearly as bright as I feared it would be (I'm a very, very light sleeper who is particularly light-sensitive) and it does have an off switch. It is great to not have to sit up and bug my wife to see what time it is when I wake up, but the numbers are only visible if it's a really dark room, which ours rarely is. Not a big deal either way, but handy when it works.The alarm was a welcome surprise. Before I bought the clock, I had discovered a "smart" alarm mode on my phone that starts off with a very quiet set of whisper-like tones and slowly progresses over a few minutes. It's wonderful for someone like me - I'm up long before it's loud enough to wake anyone else in the room. But, I don't like having my phone there, because it also beeps with email, etc., and I don't want to have to deal with it. Well, it turns out that this clock actually has the same type of alarm, so that it starts off quietly, and works its way to a louder beep. No more being jarred awake by a screaming buzzer. Usually, I'm awakened by the subtle click of the speaker being activated, but on those mornings where I'v eput my pillow over my head, the progression of the alarm is great, rather than using a really quiet radio and hoping I wake up.The radio is the clock's downfall - it's a dial/bar tuner, using the plug wire as an antenna. While our old radio was able to get our local stations in very well, this one can pick up 3 or 4 of the strongest signals, and that's it. I miss my NPR in the morning while I get ready, but for the price, I really can't complain.

This clock is a bit larger than I thought it would be, and the clock face is quite big as well; there really shouldn't be any problems for anyone trying to see it. The dimmer for the clock face, however, does not dim the light very much. It's quite bright still, and as someone who needs to sleep in pitch darkness, I'm going to have to cover it up. I'm having problems with the brightness of the projected time, too; changing to the red coloring reduces the light some, but there's still a box of light around the numerals that is quite bright.A few things to note that I have not seen covered in other reviews:-While this clock says it has a battery backup, you will not be able to see the time when the power is out. The only thing the battery does is keep your alarm active. I was disappointed by this, but it does preserve the lithium battery this way. Also, if the power goes out after you've hit the snooze button, you're done. It does not preserve the snooze and it will not go off.-The projector has a switch to flip the time display upside down. This way if you have your clock on the other side of the room, say facing you, you can flip that switch and the projection won't be the wrong way.Other miscellany:-The clock feels really cheap. It doesn't really look cheap, thankfully (though mine came with some scratches), but the focus knob for the projector feels like total junk. It doesn't seem to focus much, either, the numbers stay pretty fuzzy. People with poor distance vision might have a problem with that.- The radio sounds absolutely awful. This clock is replacing a clock radio I've had for over 20 years, and the radio on my old one sounds worlds better than this one. I did not have any trouble finding my stations, though, and I'm in a rural area surrounded by tall trees. The antennae for the FM band is in the power cord, if you're having tuning issues, move your power cord around and see if that helps.- In a room with all shades closed, during the daytime the projector is not visible; they weren't kidding when they said the room needed to be very dark for it to be seen. If you would be using this during the day in a room without blackout curtains, or if your windows have streetlights or some such outside of them and you don't have blackout curtains, you'll want to pass on this.ETA Aug. 30, 2011: This clock did not weather the power outage from Hurricane Irene. We lost power on Friday night and had it restored Monday afternoon. It kept the memory of when the alarm was set but did not keep the regular time correctly. I am glad I checked it before heading to bed (I keep the bright clock face covered) or I would not have woken up at the correct time for work.

For the price, this is a nice clock. Contrary to the tags on this item, it is not an atomic clock - this one has an internal battery and a time preset from the factory. All things considered, I'm pretty happy with this purchase.Pros:-Setting a clock's time doesn't get any easier when all you have to do is plug it in.-Large number display makes it clear to read even from across the room.-Perfect light level at night. Not too bright, yet easy to see.-Operation is more or less simple - buttons are laid out well and operation is intuitive.-Weekday-only (and weekend-only, for that matter) alarm settings means you don't have to remember to turn off or reset the alarm for the beginning/end of weekends. I haven't had to touch the clock since I set everything up months ago.Cons:-Projection can be flipped 180', but can't be rotated. This means the projected time is on an awkward angle unless you have the clock facing you directly or pointed 90' away.-The radio sound is of the standard poor mono clock-radio variety. If you use the radio to listen to music beyond just an alarm, you might want to consider something else.-Aesthetic design is mediocre, but this is a complaint I have with nearly all clock radios. This one is bulky - it reminds me of a giant SLR camera. Plus, it LOOKS cheap. It would be nice for someone out there to design a clock that didn't look like I got it from inside a cereal box or a dollar store. I'll happily pay a little more for a classier design on something I have to wake up to and look at every day for the next decade or two.-Turning the alarms off and on is awkward, in that the small on/off switches for both alarms are inconveniently placed in the back of the clock.