Binary Geek Clock vs Emerald Observatory for iPad
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Binary Geek Clock
This app displays the current time in binary format, offering standard or real binary options. It can also function as a desk clock and includes a hexadecimal display for a unique time-telling experience.
- Standard and Real binary display
- Desk clock mode
- 12/24 hour time format
- Hexadecimal clock option
- Digital time display
- Power of 2 indicator
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Show off your inner geek with a feature rich binary clock. - Display in Standard or Real binary - Keep your iPhone / iPad from sleeping to use as a desk clock. - 12/24 hour time display. - Hex clock for when you really want to mess with your friends. For the geek in training or anyone just learning to read binary, you can display the time digitally below the LED's. You can also turn on the key that will show you what power of 2 each light represents.
Emerald Observatory for iPad
This app provides a comprehensive astronomical display on a single screen, offering detailed information about celestial bodies and timekeeping. It features a heliocentric orrery, rise and set times, twilight information, and moon phase details. Users can navigate through time and set alarms for astronomical events.
- Astronomical information display
- Heliocentric orrery
- Rise and set times for Sun, Moon, planets
- Twilight times
- Moon phase and orientation
- World map of day/night regions
- Eclipse simulator
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Emerald Observatory displays a wealth of astronomical information all on one screen, in a unique but understandable format. Information includes: - 12- and 24-hour ordinary clock time - Times of rise and set for the Sun, the Moon, and the 5 classical planets - Times of the beginning and ending of twilight - Heliocentric orrery (display of the planets in orbit around the Sun) - Altitude and azimuth for the same bodies (one body at a time) - Current phase and apparent orientation and relative size of the moon - Current regions of day and night on a world map - The Equation of Time, solar time, UTC time, and sidereal time - Month, day, year, and leap-year indicator - Daily alarm (delivered as local notification on iOS 4+ if app is not running) - Eclipse simulator - Displayed times are synchronized via NTP to "atomic clock" standard - Uses iPad location, or the latitude and longitude may be set manually A setting is available to allow the display to stay on continuously. Tap on the display to move forward by a month, day, year, hour, or minute. A detailed manual for the operation of Emerald Observatory can be found at the "Emerald Sequoia LLC Web Site" listed below, at http://emeraldsequoia.com/eo/ If you are having any trouble with the application whatsoever, please see our FAQ on the support page listed below and then contact us through that page if your problem is not resolved. We take pride in responding promptly to all support email requests but we can't fix it if you don't report it (and we have no way to respond to Customer Reviews on iTunes). (NTP requires Internet access. Like all apps Emerald Observatory can not change the device's internal clock.)
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Emerald Observatory for iPad at Free against Binary Geek Clock's $0.99. Emerald Observatory for iPad also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.3) and ratings volume (95 vs 3). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Emerald Observatory for iPad is free to download; Binary Geek Clock costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Emerald Observatory for iPad holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Emerald Observatory for iPad has 95 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of Binary Geek Clock's written reviews are positive against 99% of Emerald Observatory for iPad's.
Binary Geek Clock ships an update every 12 months, Emerald Observatory for iPad every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Binary Geek Clock | Emerald Observatory for iPad |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.3 (3 ratings) | 4.9 (95 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 80.0% of reviews | 98.6% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 3 | 95 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 12 months | Every 5 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPad |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1 MB | 16 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 8 Bit Code | Bjorn Freeman-Benson |
Customer experience
Binary Geek Clock
Emerald Observatory for iPad
Bugs and requests
Binary Geek Clock
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Emerald Observatory for iPad
Requested features
14 requests- Port to screen wallpaper
- Large wall clock version
- Apple TV version
- Support for Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto
- iPhone and Apple Watch versions
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- Alarm functionality
- Screen dimming for night use
- Numeric display of values
- Switch altitude/azimuth by touching planet
- Push notifications for specific events
- Custom chime sounds for events
- Round earth display to match moon display
- iPad version of Chronometer iPhone app
- Tutorial mode or on-screen help
In-app purchases
Binary Geek Clock
No in-app purchases
Emerald Observatory for iPad
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Binary Geek Clock free?
Is Emerald Observatory for iPad free?
Which has better reviews, Binary Geek Clock or Emerald Observatory for iPad?
Do Binary Geek Clock or Emerald Observatory for iPad have ads?
Which is updated more often, Binary Geek Clock or Emerald Observatory for iPad?
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