Drop Dead Sexy Time Tracking With Klok
April 8th, 2008 (10:00am) Scott Blitstein 11 Comments
Whether you are billing by the hour or verifying your job time estimates, accurate time tracking is critical for most web workers. Despite this importance, it also tends to be one of the most oft ignored functions. While there are a multitude of widgets and services available, I think the issue with most of them is that time tracking is just so terribly unexciting and the tools designed for this purpose typically do nothing to overcome that.
Enter Klok - Personal Time Tracking Made Easy. It has all the capabilities one would look for in such an app including the ability to track your work by client and project as well as a seemingly unlimited level of sub-projects or tasks. It has a built in start - stop timer and capable reporting options.
The killer feature, though, is that it’s drop dead sexy and brilliantly easy to use.
I’m typically not easily dazzled by eye candy but in this instance the Adobe Air platform is a perfect match for Klok. Each project item is color coded and it’s a snap to drag and drop items to the timesheet or to the built in timer to create your entries. Everything is easily moved and resized and you can drag anything to the trash or to the archives to keep things tidy.
When it’s time to export your time sheet just drag it into excel and you’re all set.
It’s appealing to look at, fun to use, and does what it is supposed to do competently. All of those things add up to make this the one time tracking application that I actually enjoy using.
Klok is freeware and requires the Adobe Air Runtime.
11 Comments Post your own comment
Dave Navarro says: April 8th, 2008 11:55am
Niiiiiiice. Just downloaded it and will give it a swing for the rest of the day.
Marvin says: April 8th, 2008 6:54pm
I notice that at the end of any alotted time if you are away from the monitor there is no way to tell if your time is up. To make a long story short it needs sound.
Justin says: April 8th, 2008 6:56pm
This is very pretty, but no Linux support? Out of reach for me. :(
Chris says: April 9th, 2008 12:13am
You should have warned us that the usage is pretty unconventional, e.g. every operation is a “drag” and all active elements look disabled (greyed out). This is probably what makes this tool somewhat more “exciting” than others. I wonder why the mouse does not move in a mirror-inverted way or something. But to be fair, the application is pretty nice and useful if you can bear with the interface.
Dew Drop - April 9, 2008 | Alvin Ashcraft's Morning Dew says: April 9th, 2008 6:04am
[...] Drop Dead Sexy Time Tracking with Klok (Scott Blitstein) [...]
Alan says: April 9th, 2008 6:26am
Chris - I think you are a little over-critical. Many usuability studies have shown that direct manipulation through drag and drop is a superior way to handle interaction in many situations. The iterface is something that I won’t have to “bear with” but rather, it is something that is enjoyable to use.
Mike says: April 9th, 2008 9:34am
Linux support is right around the corner, you can download the AIR runtime for Linux alpha at http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/air/
Stephen says: April 9th, 2008 9:48am
The interface is really nice. Drag-drop project creation is slick (though the expectation in most interfaces like Google Calender is to click in a column to create a new entry). The charts and excel export are clutch, too. Downside: it’s on a desktop and not the web (a challenge with multiple computers), and it’s geared towards solo freelancers so you can’t work with a team.
(full disclosure: I’m on the Tempo team, another product in the time tracking space)
GTD Power Links 04-10-08 « Geeks Guide To Getting Things Done says: April 10th, 2008 7:00am
[...] Web Worker Daily claims that the time tracking application Klok is effective and sexy! I’m typically not easily dazzled by eye candy but in this instance the Adobe Air platform is a perfect match for Klok. Each project item is color coded and it’s a snap to drag and drop items to the timesheet or to the built in timer to create your entries. Everything is easily moved and resized and you can drag anything to the trash or to the archives to keep things tidy. (via web worker daily) [...]
Derek Organ says: April 14th, 2008 5:23am
Nice concept. Seems useful for freelancers. Needs some sort of centralization in order to be used in companies.
Full disclosure: I created 1time a time tracking application for small and medium size companies. ;)
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