Sneak peek at our new timer

Since we launched Freckle, the number one request from our customers has been:

I want a timer!

Now, there’s a reason Freckle didn’t come with a timer to start with. We didn’t want to build a timer into Freckle for all sorts of reasons: we never manage to use them properly, and even when we remember to start them, we always forget them afterwards. This results in not just a lack of data, but the presence of bad data.

We believed that timers “solve” a problem that is created by bad software to begin with.

But because of your many emails, we’ve come to the conclusion that we were wrong.

Many of you use timers quite effectively, and you’re less forgetful than us. We hear you.

So we’re going to give you, our dearest customer, the best damn timer ever.

Our Plan

We designed a timer that’s just as awesome as our friction-free Quick Entry Box (you know, the thing where you enter your time currently). A timer where you never have to touch your mouse, if you don’t want to; a timer that trusts you to know what you’re doing, and supports you in good habits.

Here are some of the design features of our new timer:

• totally keyboard navigable: to start, stop, pause, and log
• select or switch projects by typing the start of the project name—just like in the QE box (but without a field)
• as few as 2 keystrokes to switch projects
• in-app use or bookmarklet on the go
• resume your timer, in case your browser crashes, you quit your browser accidentally, or you want to switch computers
• auto increment rounding on finish, according to your billing practices
• easy editable time on finish, for those times when you remember that mid-morning coffee break

And there are a few others we’re keeping under wraps.

The Sneak Preview

Keep in mind: it’s not done yet. We know many of you want it yesterday, and so do we, and we’re working our tails off. Unfortunately we can’t give you an exact date yet.

A screenshot:

A quickie video: