timers

XNote Timer is a simple and easy-to-use stopwatch and timer. A few extra features make this program fun, but its best attribute may be that it's so simple to use.

The program's interface is basic and easy to understand. There's nothing fancy, no skins or different display styles. The clock consists of black digital numbers on a gray background. The program's handful of options can be accessed from a drop-down menu. We liked that the program can be resized in any direction by dragging its borders, and a compact feature allows users to minimize the menu … Read more

SwizzTool is a handy utility that includes a variety tools that users may find helpful in the course of normal computer use. Although not all of the features are intuitive, overall we found the program to be useful.

SwizzTool's interface is basic and not entirely obvious, at least not in the beginning. The program is accessed by right-clicking on its icon in the System Tray, which novice users may not realize at first. The program's features are accessed with a slide-out menu, and although most are fairly self-explanatory, there's no Help file for users who need assistance. … Read more

Speaking Clock Deluxe is a customizable clock that can alert users to the time in a variety of ways. The clock's various features and simple interface make it an appealing choice.

The program's interface is fairly intuitive, although some features that seemed like they would be accessible in the Settings menu could actually only be accessed by right-clicking on the program in the system tray. No matter; that's about as complicated as the program got. Although there were some aspects of the text-to-speech features that weren't intuitive, the built-in Help file explained everything clearly. The interface … Read more

Virtual Stopwatch attempts to be the most diverse time-keeping device you computer has ever seen. With an amazing array of options, it certainly reaches for that goal, but most users will probably find it overly-complicated.

The program appears to users as a small rectangular box with red digital numbers representing hours, minutes, seconds, and hundredths of seconds on a black background. Below the stopwatch are buttons for starting and resetting, along with a lap counter. Each button should be intuitive for anyone who has used a stopwatch, virtual or physical. Virtual Stopwatch's simplistic design takes a nosedive once users … Read more

VersaTimer aims to keep users on schedule with a generous clock face and some added features. Users of all skill levels will find it a reliable tool for staying on track of multiple tasks at once.

This free program appears as an enormous digital clock face with red numbers. Below the cycling numbers are large buttons for starting and resetting the clock. The upper left of the clock face has a pull-down menu that lets users select different clock presets. Within the clock's Settings menu, VersaTimer transforms itself from a simple timer into an advanced reminder system. Users can … Read more

When I'm making dinner, I typically have a couple of different dishes cooking--each with a precise amount of time it needs to spend on the stove or in the oven. I usually set a timer for each dish, which previously has translated into multiple timers cluttering my workspace. But the Double Timer allows me to track two different times, which lets me easily handle most meals. The timer has a retro design, available in both mint and red metals, which looks great on my counter. It can easily be wiped down if the kitchen gets a little messy. The … Read more

This powerful wallpaper changer should satisfy the most demanding desktop decorators. The rather unassuming interface belies a bevy of options that give users the utmost in wallpaper control.

Automatic Wallpaper Changer's interface is not much to look at. Extreme novices (say, your great-grandmother) may not find it immediately evident how the program works, but helpful tool tips pop up when users hover over the screen elements. To most users it should be fairly obvious that on the first screen you can select a directory of photos, adjust the speed of the image change, and set the position of the … Read more

A kitchen timer is one of the most indispensable tools a cook can have. Whether you're timing the roast in the oven or working on your FlyLady skills, the timer keeps you on track and keeps things running smoothly.

Sure, you can program the microwave timer, or the one on the oven, but there's something to be said for a standalone kitchen timer. And this digital hourglass timer from Polder is just plain fun.

It comes in red, black, and silver (the cool kids are going with red, fyi) and has a 100-minute timer/stopwatch. It's also … Read more

Note taking is an important aspect to many computer users' lives. A program needs to be quick, efficient, and only visible when needed. Notez claims to be all of those things and more for the modern note maker, but we found its features to be fairly standard.

This freeware embeds itself into your tray for quick access. The note's interface is that of a traditional yellow sticky note with a few buttons and a scrolling bar at the top. The note can quickly and easily be written in the body of the sticky. The buttons are a bit surprising: … Read more