alarm: fading up lights over a long period of time

[Junk]

i'm a complete newbie to xtension and x10 (and all the other modules); i
haven't bought any hardware yet.  i'm wondering if it would be possible
for me to make an alarm clock that is computer controlled (obviously) that
will fade a lamp up from zero to full brightness over a period of 45 min
to an hour.  if so, what would be the cheapest and then, if different, the
best equipment to get?  how reliable would such a set up be?  i'm hoping
to use it as an alarm clock (there's research that suggests fading light
up to simulate dawn may help with sleep regularity and setting circadian
rhythms).  what would the costs of said systems be?  i assume the
parts/modules would be extensible to other applications, yes?

thanks in advance,

dustin