Falling asleep to podcasts / Iplayer

[malakoffee]

For the last n years I have poked a single "bedtime" button on my analogue radio so that I can go to bed semi-listening to the radio. It switches itself OFF after 1 hour.

I would like to do the same whilst listening to Iplayer or podcasts, but that means digital processing with a properly controlled shutdown or "hibernate" ( rather than just cutting the power ).

I'm a digital dinosaur. I have no idea if there is equipment around that can achieve this.

I have a desktop PC running Ubuntu, but I suspect it would use a non-trivial amount of electricity even if it started to power-save after a set period ( or whatever it does ).

[swill453]

I can't help with specifics, but it's certainly possible for, say, a PC programme or application to completely shut down the system at a set time.

I don't suppose you have a smart phone do you? A sleep timer is a very typical feature of podcast apps.

Scott.

[UncleEbenezer]

I have a desktop PC running Ubuntu, but I suspect it would use a non-trivial amount of electricity even if it started to power-save after a set period ( or whatever it does ).

By default that'll suspend after a period of inactivity from you. Unless of course you've changed your system's defaults.

You'd have to check with your player app whether it being on counts as activity for the purposes of sleeping, and (assuming it does), how it behaves when your podcast ends. If all is sensible, it should work as you want it to. How much have you tried?

[malakoffee]

You have rumbled me. I have not really tried anything yet. . .. but now that you encourage me to make an effort.

With the Ubuntu desktop PC I don't even need to CRON schedule a clock-timed shutdown.

I can simply add a - SHUTDOWN 23:30 - into a STARTUP script. The scheduling is implicit in the shutdown command.

After powerdown, this still leaves some small amount of power flowing into the computer Power Supply Unit and various other components, but the fans will be stopped.

That is a pretty good start. Thanks

. . . . Then maybe a standard timer on the wall socket to kill the power, five minutes afterwards.

[EverybodyKnows]

If you are feeling flush you could buy an Apple Ipod. You can set it up to play for a certain period of time and then it will stop. I doubt it will turn off but the battery life is sufficient that it'll be fine in the morning.

(I know Apple are a terrible in many ways but the Ipod is a good device. I wouldn't recommend Apple normally but the MP3 market has really been killed off by mobile phones).