Hitting snooze is too easy: just roll over and smack around until you hit a big button.
Yesterday, I hit the snooze button FIVE TIMES before my cat finally jumped on my head to let me know it was time for his breakfast. But a new Android app out of the Microsoft Garage makes you play games as a wake-up call.
Mimicker Alarm starts off like any other alarm app, with scheduled alert times and repeating alarms. But when those alarms go off, you don’t just hit a button; you unlock your phone and play one of three games. Each use the same tech that underlies some other Microsoft Garage blockbusters, like the age-guessing algorithm and the TwinsOrNot site.
The games include finding an object of a certain color, saying a tongue twister or taking a selfie with a certain expression. By using Microsoft’s Project Oxford machine learning APIs, Microsoft Garage was able to build a system that recognizes emotion and speech, and simulates computer vision.
Hopefully, that little bit of thinking forces your mind and body to get up a little faster, meaning you don’t have to set six alarms or worry about counting your snoozes.
The app is free right now on the Google Play store. The app is the latest venture from Microsoft Garage, which creates experimental apps using tech developed throughout Microsoft.
