Clock device with automatic simulation of sunrise or sunset

An apparatus comprising:

• a housing having a front face;
• a clock display occupying at least a portion of the front face;
• a shade positioning control on the housing for activating a shade positioning function;
• a first wireless communications interface within the housing;
• an audio alarm configured to emit an audible alarm sound;
• and
• a processor within the housing, the processor responsive to the shade positioning control for generating at least one shade positioning command to be transmitted to at least one motorized window shade via the first wireless communications interface, so as to cause the motorized window shade to move to one or more positions at one or more corresponding predetermined intervals relative to an alarm time;
• wherein the processor is configured to transmit dimmer commands to a dimmer via the first communications interface to cause the dimmer to set at least one electrical light at a respective level at the one or more corresponding predetermined intervals relative to an alarm time;
• wherein the processor is configured to cause the audio alarm to emit the audible alarm sound at the alarm time or at a predetermined audible-sound interval after the alarm time;
• and
• wherein the audio alarm is configured to gradually increase in volume with respect to time relative to the alarm time.