iOS, Android: I’m pretty sure Alarmy is evil, but perfect, because a good alarm clock should be two-parts irritating, one-part useful. You don’t want to hate your alarm clock whenever it wakes you up each morning, but a great alarm app shouldn’t be very easy to turn off (tempting you to you go back to bed).

I've got a lot of love for the humble LP. This very simple hack turns a cheap IKEA clock into a nifty bit of musical wall art.

Windows: Last month we suggested that you synchronise your Windows clock with an alternative time server to increase accuracy. In order to make your Windows clock as accurate as possible you should also consider tweaking your settings so the clock updates daily instead of weekly. This option is not available in Date/Time settings, but you can do it by setting a daily update as a task.

The clock on many Windows PCs in homes and small businesses can be off by a few minutes; by default it only updates intermittently on the time.windows.com server. To digitally record TV shows, not miss meeting times, or help with other situations that involve precise timing, you should consider pointing your clock an alternate time server.

Linux users with a GNOME-based desktop can modify how their time is displayed just about any way they want, and in any order. The Tips4Linux blog explains how, although the exact location of your custom_format setting may vary depending on your panel setup. Once you've found it, you can use any of the standard formatting symbols to arrange your time display.

Inspired by Nathan Barry's iPhone alarm clock stand, do-it-yourselfer gbzphoto also used the plastic mold his iPhone shipped in to mount the phone horizontally, and installed the Alarm Clock app to display the time. Using the 2G clear plastic mold that shipped in the box, a stray piece of wood molding, and a furniture sticky, this version is a nice alternative (though it doesn't have room for the charging plug, like this version). Finally, for more iPhone stand goodness, the Voltage Blog runs down in photos how to turn a paperclip holder into an iPhone charger—the end result can still hold clips, too. Thanks, Wade!

gbzphoto DIY iPhone clock

Tech blogger Amit Agarwal loves Vista's new system tray clock and calendar, but prefers not to move to his mouse whenever he wants to take a closer look. To remedy this, he's set up a simple shortcut to display the clock at the stroke of his keyboard. If you don't want to take the shortcut route, the post also details a few other methods for getting a quick look at the date and time. Got a favourite method of your own to get a quick glance at the calendar and clock? Share it in the comments. Display Windows Clock On Your Desktop With a Keyboard Shortcut

You've cleared out some time, you're itching to tackle that cluttered and messy closet, and ... 20 minutes later, you're reminiscing over some old photos you found. Staying on track while tackling organisation projects can be tough, as your ideas and findings pull you in many directions at once. Real Simple's suggestion: Put an alarm clock in the room where you're working and set the buzzer to go off 10 minutes after you start.When it beeps, assess what you've done and then hit the snooze button. When it goes off again, see if you've accomplished more in the next chunk of time. Keep hitting the snooze button until you're finished with your project. People who can hyper-focus will find this method really annoying and won't want to use it. But, if your mind frequently wanders, this could be a great tool for you.

The How-To Geek gives us yet another handy command prompt trick that saves you some mouse-hunting and clicking to synchronise a Windows clock to a more accurate internet time server. Given how quick it runs, it might not be a bad addition to the automated "Startup" folder, or to a folder of quick shortcuts (like I've created on my desktop). To quickly sync your clock, open a command prompt as an administrator and type the following command:w32tm /resyncQuick and simple, works in Vista and XP, and definitely helpful when a dying battery clock starts leaving you a few minutes behind every day. For a background application that does much the same, check out DS Clock.
Sync Your Clock With Internet Time Servers from the Vista Command Prompt

Mac and Windows only: Spruce up the functionality and aesthetics of your screeensaver with Fliqlo. Fliqlo mimics an old school clock with flipping digits. The time can be customised to display in 12-hour or 24-hour formats. Additionally, you can customise the zoom using the up and down arrow keys. Fliqlo is a free screensaver that has been around for ages but never made an appearance on Lifehacker. Not into the clock? We've posted a few other screensavers you might like. Fliqlo is a free download for Mac and Windows only.
Fliqlo Screensaver