*Recommend using "flite" (FestivalLite) for text-to-speech: cat blah.reminder | flite
** Could get really over-the-top and do something like this: http://gizmodo.com/5522802/twitter-chumby-and-a-cuckoo-bird-walk-into-a-clock?tag=chumby --you could use the Twitter API and send OrgMode Tweets (complete with reminders) to your personalized Chumby Cuckoo Clock!! ;-) P.S. I've used calendar/*Fancy Diary Entries* and appt.el for many years--works great--I just have it pop up a big blank emacs screen with the alarm reminder--I usually set it for 15 minutes ahead of the important reminder: ;;; appt.el --- appointment notification functions. ;; Copyright (C) 1989, 1990, 1994 Free Software Foundation, Inc. ;; Author: Neil Mager <ne...@juliet.ll.mit.edu> ... (setq appt-message-warning-time 15) (setq appt-display-interval 5) On Wed, Sep 7, 2011 at 11:10 PM, Jude DaShiell <jdash...@shellworld.net> wrote: > In debian, there's a cowsay package you can use to make the computer > speak. Also packages that produce different types of beeps are > available. So far as I now know, they would need to be run as part of > a bash script or the equivalent within emacs in order to work though. > > On Wed, 7 Sep 2011, Martyn Jago wrote: > >> Hi >> >> Stephen Nelson-Smith <sanel...@gmail.com> writes: >> >> > Hi there, >> > >> > I'm just starting to explore orgmode. I'm an experienced GTD-er (6 >> > yrs) and have looked with interest at a few articles on using orgmode >> > for this. The one area I can't seem to work out is how to set a >> > reminder with an alarm and attach it to an entry. >> > >> > Suppose I have an entry like: >> > >> > ** My project >> > *** My action 1 :home: >> > *** My action 2 :follow up: >> > >> > I would like to be able to set a reminder that makes a visible (and >> > maybe audible) alert - in say 4 hrs, 2 days, at 1530 next wednesday >> > etc. I see that I can set schedules for when to start work, but I've >> > been unable to get it to remind me at all. >> > >> > Any suggestions? >> > >> > S. >> >> I use the growl notification system (on MAC) along with todochiku.el for >> simple timer notification out of Emacs. Growl can be set to 'speak' the >> notification (not sure about other sounds). >> >> todochiku also works with (snarl/libnotify) on other OSs. >> >> The command todochiku-message allows you to add a notification to a hook >> such as org-timer-done-hook (in your init file)... >> >> --8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8--- >> (defun mj-notify-timer-done () >> (todochiku-message "Title here" "Further text here" >> (todochiku-icon 'bell))) >> (add-hook 'org-timer-done-hook 'mj-notify-timer-done)) >> --8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8--- >> >> Regards >> >> Martyn >> >> >> > > Jude <jdash...@shellworld.net> > "I love the Pope, I love seeing him in his Pope-Mobile, his three feet > of bullet proof plexi-glass. That's faith in action folks! You know he's > got God on his side." > ~ Bill Hicks > >