The new alarm clock Wakie for your smartphone lets you start the morning with a conversation with a complete stranger from anywhere in the world. The innovative app is a promising and potentially awkward way to wake up. The concept of the app is simple: You set a time in which someone will call you, much like the kind of wake-up call you get at a hotel. Instead of the usual concierge formalities, the app encourages you to chat with the caller to prove that you’re awake. After a minute, the call will automatically disconnect you so that the conversation doesn’t become drawn out and you can get on with your day. The entire experience is safe and completely anonymous. When you receive the phone call, it will only display the country of origin. If no one is available to call you, one of Wakie’s robocallers will wake you up instead. One limitation of the app is that if your ringtone volume is not turned up, you might sleep through the phone call. Also, there’s no snooze option. If you want to wake someone up, the app will find and call a random user whose alarm is set to go off. If you’re at a loss for something to talk about, Wakie recommends that you speak gently, sing or play music, or ask questions. An iPhone version is under review by the App Store Review Team and promises to be out in the near future.
