New iPhone app wakes you up gently

If blaring alarm clocks leave you cranky and groggy, the LARK Bluetooth-enabled bracelet may rouse you from slumber in a kinder way. The new device syncs with your iPhone to gently wake you, and only you.

Cited in renowned science and technology magazine Popular Science on December 30 as one of the top 2011 gadgets to look for, the LARK delivers pulsing vibrations on a pressure point on your inner wrist to awaken you gradually over three minutes. If the vibrations don't work, a musical backup plays. The device is available for preorder on a waiting list at Ourlark.com. The LARK sells for $100 (€75) and comes equipped with a wristband, a phone-band charging station, and the LARK silent alarm iPhone app.

Other alarm clock apps include the Sleep Cycle app, a futuristic alarm clock that monitors your sleeping patterns and wakes you up when your body is naturally in its lightest sleep phase. Another option is the Alarm Clock Pro, a customizable application that enables you to wake up to your favorite iTunes music.

If you need help getting to sleep, try the Ambiance app, which features more than 600 ambient sounds that can be mixed together into a personalized playlist to help you enter a state of deep relaxation. The AmbiScience Sleep Aid by Tesla Software uses different frequency sound waves and relaxing sound patterns to help you get to sleep. All of the apps mentioned here are available at the iTunes App Store for under €1.

To learn more about the LARK or to preorder, visit http://www.ourlark.com.