Messages

76

General Software Discussion / WinPatrol Plus or AnVir Task Manager?

« on: January 17, 2013, 11:06 PM »

I have both WinPatrol Plus and AnVir Task Manager installed on my computers but my right brain dominates and I can easily got lost using what to others is routine software. If you have used one or both, what do you like/dislike about it? Strengths or weaknesses? I did do a search here for both programs, but it has been a while and several updates since there was meaningful discussion about either. Each definitely misses things the other catches, and I haven't yet figured out how to harness the full potential of either program. Any opinions? I think this is a timely topic given the current member discount for WinPatrol Plus - and an opportunity to encourage others to check out the other discounts available.     

77

Living Room / Re: Kaspersky - Clandestine State Sponsored Hacking

« on: January 16, 2013, 07:51 PM »

That would be a bit too cutesy for Kaspersky to "discover" this on behalf of a client and then announce it to the world to cover its own tracks. But stranger things have happened.

78

Post New Requests Here / Re: Another project timer

« on: January 16, 2013, 10:04 AM »

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm familiar with most of these, don't run Linux so Hamster won't work. Toggl is a web service, so there are 3rd party issues. MyPomodoro is a management system, I find opening and running the timer overly complicated. I hadn't seen Admin Assist and I'll give it a try.

Edit: I tried AdminAssist and you were correct, it isn't right for my needs. Still looking.

79

Post New Requests Here / Re: Another project timer

« on: January 15, 2013, 05:28 PM »

Thanks for the mention but it's buggy! It showed exactly 50 seconds elapsed when the actual time was 30 seconds by my clock. It also doesn't have a txt function. It is close to what I'm looking for, and probably worth an extended test if the clock was accurate - I'd have to see how the data is stored for archiving, etc. The closest one for me is Kapow Punch Clock, but it doesn't have a stop/resume function and the text file is restricted to the developer's invoice template, but I'm using it for now as the closest option. Still looking. . .

80

Post New Requests Here / Re: Another project timer

« on: January 07, 2013, 10:36 PM »

Thanks for the recommendation, I installed the downloadable client and gave it a try. It seems worthy, is a bit complicated for my use, but not what I need - the invoice feature would be surplusage, and I need txt files or files easily converted to txt for copying and pasting.

81

Living Room / Re: How Much Do You Trust Wikipedia?

« on: January 05, 2013, 06:57 PM »

Seven years ago at dinner, I mentioned something I had read on wikipedia and my 12-year-old piped up and said, "I edit postings there all the time!" And after dinner he proved to me that he did. He is 19 now and I just asked him if he remembered that incident and he just snickered and walked away. Just sayin'.

82

Post New Requests Here / Re: Another project timer

« on: December 22, 2012, 09:28 PM »

I've been thinking about what I can best use and here are my thoughts:

Clock/timer that shows time running

Functions:
User entry window for project title or ability to open existing title (i.e. “Wilson”)
User entry window for task (i.e. “meeting with client”)
Start button
Pause button
Resume button (or hit start again)
Stop/save button (data automatically saved if computer shut down without hitting stop button)

Data stored:
Project title
Task
Date
Start/stop times
Total elapsed time for task in hours/minutes
Total elapsed time for project in hours/minutes
 
Data retrieval:
Copy paste or printable screen or excel spread sheet or export project summary or?

83

Post New Requests Here / Re: Another project timer

« on: December 22, 2012, 09:22 PM »

My issue with the available project timers is that for the most part they do too much and are difficult to implement if you aren't already well versed in how to configure software. For someone like me, setting up a program to generate reports is a pain, and with some of the programs I've tried, not only can I not find where the data is stored, but it isn't saved as text and I don't want or need xml or other formats. Spending more time to learn the programs isn't the answer when my needs are simple - open the program, select the client, enter the task, start timing, stop timing, data stored, retrieve as needed. I'm probably the typical consumer, not totally computer challenged - I've been invited to beta test through two development cycles one of Adobe's flagship products - but I'm also not very comfortable, or successful, setting up software that has 50 different perimeters, filters or destination folders. Other timers I've tried are simple to use, but don't preserve data as text files, or generate text but don't save it, or don't let me adjust the times/task data, etc. Is this useful info? I can comment on specific programs if that would help.

84

Post New Requests Here / Another project timer

« on: December 21, 2012, 09:53 PM »

After searching for months (a couple of years off and on is more accurate) and not finding what I need I’m posting it here - a simple project timer that tracks project times, does time computations and stores the data as text files. It would be stand-alone and have the capability to run in multiple applications at once. The data stored would include the project, subtask for that project, date, start/stop times, total time for task, with a column for total time for project to date.

Generating a report would be a nice option, but to keep it simple it would not need to generate one. It could save data to an excel spread sheet that can be printed and attached to an invoice or client billing statement, but for my personal use, I send a letter to the client with the billing included in a subparagraph, so I would want the info available as copy/paste text.

A necessary option would be that the text fields can be edited – for instance, if I took a bathroom break and forgot to stop the timer, that could be corrected by changing the start/stop times and the elapsed time gets corrected accordingly. If I ended up combining tasks for that project, the task description field can be edited.

I have tried out about 20 project timers from all over the web, but most are overly complicated to use or don’t create text files or don’t run in multiple applications or only generate reports or only export to google calendar, etc.  Anuran and TaskClerk are useful for telling me what I did, but I need something I trigger to track my work hours. Any thoughts?

85

Skwire Empire / Re: Release: sWeather (tray-based weather app)

« on: December 18, 2012, 11:39 PM »

This program is nothing but fun and informative, very ingenious. 

I am curious about whether different weather sources are available other than Yahoo Weather? For instance, until I downloaded sWeather I kept wunderground running in the background on my desktop because it offers choices of specific weather stations - there are a dozen or so here in Phoenix, and one is within 100 yards of my house, kind of like having my own private weather station. I also have family in rural Virginia, and there are 3 weather stations within 10 miles of their home accessible at wunderground, but Yahoo Weather only offers a single weather source at both locations. It is amazing how much variance there is between the different weather station options, some just miles apart. But don't get me wrong, I'm delighted sWeather and I'm tracking 5 locations daily - nice to follow the weather where my kids live. 

86

Living Room / Re: Question to all new members (10 posts or below)

« on: December 13, 2012, 08:02 PM »

This seems an appropriate place for my first post. To give the basics as suggested elsewhere. . . professional, live in Arizona, not very computer savvy, write for a living, like free stuff but recognize that someone else spent money to make it. I searched for months off and on for a suitable and uncomplicated project timer to use for work, finally went through many posts at sites like portablefreeware, and ended up here. My thought was to post a request but decided to try the forum's search function, which led me off-site to a couple different timers I'm trying now, one of which looks promising. But I donated anyway because I believe in what is going on here. And the forums are a good read so I keep coming back.