Glossary

If you’re reading this section, you’re behind the times… time to catch up!

App
It’s a program that runs on a smartphone. We have one on both the App Store (for iOS devices) and Google Play (for Android devices) to set up and control the Sandman Doppler. Yes, even your alarm clock has an app these days. 

Bluetooth
It’s a cool technology that lets you stream audio from another bluetooth device (like your smartphone) to your Sandman Doppler. There are two versions of this. One is called BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) and the other is BT (Bluetooth). We use BLE for the app to control the Doppler (setup, settings, and alarms) and we use BT to play audio/music from your phone through the Doppler’s speakers.

Dashboard
You know that thing in your car above the steering wheel that tells you the speed you’re driving? That’s called a dashboard and we stole that name for the Doppler. The Doppler’s at-a-glance information tells you the time, day-of-the-week, weather forecast, traffic, and many other things all configurable via the Sandman Clocks app.

Stereo Speakers
Since 1958 (when the first group of mass-produced stereo vinyl records were issued), music has been recorded in and distributed in stereo. Stereo, short for stereophonic sound, is audio that is split into two tracks. One goes out the left speaker and into your left ear, while the other goes out the right speaker and into your right ear. This creates the impression of sound heard from various directions, as in how we naturally hear the world around us. We wanted the Doppler to have the best possible sound experience, so we made sure to put two speakers into the Doppler. Sadly, most smart speakers today are mono which means they only have one speaker and lose this additional multi-directional audible perspective and detail in songs (a monolithic mistake!).

USB-C
This is a new version of USB with a new plug that can be plugged in either orientation. Most newer Android phones have it and so the Sandman Doppler is available with USB-C as well. If you have a Doppler that you want to upgrade to USB-C, you can purchase the upgrade here.

Virtual Assistant
Virtual Assistants (also known as Voice Assistants) are a new piece of technology where you control and talk with a digital assistant using just your voice. It’s kinda like a robot, but without a body. Or a head. Don’t be scared. Ask it, “…what are you?” and see what it says. 

Wake Word
This is the word that you use to control your virtual assistant. For Amazon Alexa, the wake word is “Alexa.”

WiFi
These are the magical wireless signals that transmit data from the internet into your Sandman Doppler so that you can use your virtual assistant, keep time, and listen to internet radio just to name a few.