How many ways can our overloaded brains be reminded of things we need to do? If it’s not Post-It Notes on the refrigerator door, it’s the mini-white board and marker. If it’s not Stickies on the Mac, it’s Reminders on the iPhone.
We have alerts, alarms, notifications, notices, pop ups, and flashing signs– all telling us we need to do something we’ve scheduled to do. Enough already. I’ve seen the future of time tracking and attention management.
It’s not Siri on the Mac, but it’s free.
Prepare To Be Bothered
The iPhone’s Siri might be the future way we communicate to our iDevices and Macs. We talk, Siri does. But there’s a free Mac app that does something that interacts in a different direction.
Last5 is a time tracking app. And an attention management too. What it does is rather unique.
Instead of you telling it what you’re doing, Last5 asks you first. There’s a nice pop up box that displays all those things you could be doing, or anything you want to do, or will be doing.
Every five minutes, Last5 asks you what you’ve been doing. Simply click on one of the pre-set work items.
So, you get asked a question, you respond by clicking on a category. Last5 keeps monitoring what you’re doing but adds up all that incoming data, day after day, and you get a pretty accurate report of what you did and when.
Looks nifty neato, right? It is. Almost.
Last5′s Mac app actually tracks what you do but shoves the data to the Last5 site so you can view the details on your tasks and projects online in a browser window.
The app is free and so is the Free account which gives you unlimited time reporting and reports.
The professional level of Last5 has a price tag, and gives you more options, including the ability to group tasks into projects, and move data into Excel.
It’s all month to month and not expensive, but what it does is unique and I see more of this on the way. Interaction. And not just interaction whereby we give Siri commands and she executes. But talk back interaction.
In the future, your Mac will be getting nosey and start questioning what you do. After that, it’s just a hop, skip, and a jump to SkyNet and Siri as Terminator.
About Alexis Kayhill
Hmmm. This sounds intriguing. Though wouldn’t that be horrendous having a computer ask you something every 5 minutes? I already get annoyed by the bouncing icons of the OS X dock. Though I am still looking for that perfect, yet simple time tracker. I wish DayLite had a web front end as it’s amazing, but the app is too large for many and too intimidating. I’ve had years of trouble trying to get my coworkers use it and have mostly given up and turned to OS X server wikis. I use Billings for my freelance and consulting work. I use Filemaker (in the office)too for tracking time for employees, but you have that can be cumbersome, you need a developer, and it’s just not very good to look at. I wouldn’t mind IGG Software making a time tracker app.
I like the ida of Last 5 and maybe i should demo it first. Though I’d want to host it on my own office server. These days, if a time and/or product management software doesn’t have a web front end, I don’t consider unless it is truly stellar – hence the move from iPhoto to JetPhoto Studio and Server (not a time tracking app).
As always, thanks for bringing attention to new apps Mac 360. Keeps me on my toes!
I see where this is going and find it interesting, yet flawed. So far. Having my Mac talk to me, either in Siri’s voice, or with a pop up, every five minutes must get annoying. We have enough distracting pop up messages already. Now, with that said, Siri on my iPhone is mostly a quick, straightforward communication. Me to Siri. Siri back to me. In the future we might see more interaction whereby Siri interrupts what we’re doing with a notification or message. That would be cool. And maybe a little disconcerting.
OK, trying it myself, i realized that I read a little too much into this articles statement, “Every five minutes, Last5 asks you what you’ve been doing. Simply click on one of the pre-set work items.”
Last 5 does in fact let you set the interval that it asks.
Great article Alexis, however I find this tool annoying if it will pop up every 5 minutes just to check what I am doing. I may not be working as a freelancer or getting paid hourly but I also use a time tracking tool for a year now. I personally use Time Doctor at work, which allows me to eliminate less productive activities and improve productivity. It is easy to use with user friendly interface. Another good thing about this tool, it allows me to take a regular break that helps me relax a bit and regain sanity. At the end of the day I feel the fulfillment at work each time I finish task on time.