Top 10 Best Alarm & Clock Widgets for Windows PCs
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Talking Clock
Let this little clock widget stay on desktop at all times and say the hour out loud every few minutes, so that you do not lose track of time.
Talking Clock is a simple to use tool that allows you to keep a colorful clock on the desktop, that speaks out the time repeatedly, at regular intervals. The tool can be resized and relocated on the screen so that you can view it every time. However, it is useful for users who work long hours on the PC.
Speaking desktop clock
Talking Clock is useful for users who find themselves working long hours on the computer without pause.
The tool can speak the current hour out loud, in English, so that you do not lose track of time. It can tell you when to take a break or if the deadline is getting close, for instance.
The widget can speak the time out loud every 15 minutes, 30 minutes or 1 hour. Moreover, the program allows you to create daily or weekly alarms and set the time at which they are to be triggered. You can specify the days of the week in which the alarm should go off and enter a text that you wish the voice to recite.
Configure the clock layout
Talking Clock’s window can be resized, by changing its resolution by percentages. Alternatively, you can check the Autoscale DPI option to maintain the window at its original size at all times. The color theme can also be changed from the Settings window, each line of text assigned a different color.
The widget allows you to modify the voice that speaks the time out loud, by selecting one of the available Microsoft voices available. You may also change the speed of the speech, the pitch and the volume.
Listen to the time spoken on schedule or on demand
Talking Clock features a small speaker symbol that you can click on to prompt it to speak the time out loud. Otherwise, you can let it say the hour according to the specified interval. In case you only wish to use the gadget for its visual appearance, you can easily disable the voices altogether.
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Binary Clock
Innovative gadget that displays a binary clock on your desktop, making the mundane task of reading the current time a lot more interesting.
There are a multitude of gadgets and widgets available for those who wish to place a stylish clock on their desktops, but, while their appearance is usually different, they all stick to the same basic concept.
It is safe to say that Binary Clock is unique in this regard, as it does away with regular decimal digits and displays the time using the binary number system. Needless to say, those who are not familiar with this representation may find it difficult to read the time, but it is never too late to learn.
Neat clock gadget that displays the time in binary
If you’ve decided that regular clocks are not for you, or if you just think that this concept is very interesting, then install Binary Clock and hit the web for a crash course in binary notation. It is not as difficult as you might expect, but reading the time will probably still take a while before you get the hang of things.
Essentially, the values that represent the number of seconds, minutes, seconds, as well as the day, month and year, are displayed using rows of colored cells or 1s and 0s.
Extensive visual customization options
As you would expect, it is possible to change the opacity and dimensions of the gadget, move it to any position on your desktop and keep it on top of all other windows.
However, you can also specify whether or not binary digits should be displayed, choose between a classic and modern clock format, as well as enable the time text display and set the desired time and date format.
Moreover, you have the option of hiding the title and copyright info that is shown by default, and the color of pretty much every interface element can be customized.
Great clock gadget for binary lovers
There may not be too many people out there who are familiar enough with binary to rely on this gadget, but the few who are should be very pleased with what Binary Clock has to offer. Thanks to the fact that its appearance can be personalized, you should be able to make it match your desktop without too much effort.
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Atomic Clock
A gadget for synchronizing your PC clock with the time of an atomic server, providing options for setting the refresh rate and the time and date format.
Atomic Clock is a small gadget that connects to world time servers and shows you the difference between your system local time and the real time.
A gadget host application is first required
Thanks to its GADGET extension, the lightweight app does not require any installation. This way, you can store Atomic Clock on an external device (like a USB flash drive) and always have it with you when you're on the go.
The interface of the tool is based on a small window where you can check out the local and service time and date, along with the difference between them. Atomic Clock can also guide you if you want to synchronize the local time with the server time.
Tweak colors and sound
From the 'Settings' area you can change the layout size and make the app get the time from the server at a custom interval, as well as change the time and date format.
In addition, you can disable sounds, enable update notifications, hide the title and copyright text, as well as customize colors for the interface (e.g. background, local time, synchronize, error messages). Options provided by the operating system let you move Atomic Clock anywhere on the screen, make it stay on top of other applications and adjust its opacity level between 20% and 100%.
The simplistic app puts little strain on the computer's CPU and system memory and has a good response time. We have not come across any issues during our tests; Atomic Clock did not cause Windows to freeze, crash or pop up error dialogs.
A few last words
To sum it up, Atomic Clock is a simple little desktop gadget which allows you to stay updated with a preferred timezone. It can be tweaked in terms of aesthetics, and can sit in plain sight to display accurate info you need.
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isimSoftware Bell Scheduling Software
Create and play audio lists for school bells and manage classes and attendance with this innovative and straightforward scheduling application.
If a real break bell it's getting old or the personnel is needed for more important activities and tasks, isimSoftware Bell Scheduling Software can take the old ringer to the trash can.
Compact and easy-to-use interface
The interface has only one window split into two main parts. The upper portion is used to set up the attendance program, break time, and alarm type, and the bottom part is a preview of the settings selected from above. At the lowest section, you can notice a bar that contains a clock, the day, the lesson status, and the app's status.
Also, the interface has three tabs that mainly control the music list and the school/work program settings. If you right-click inside the interface a combo menu containing the already mentioned options plus the radio feature, are displayed. A small issue was observed when deleting an inputted lesson, a message in both Turkish and English appears; this won't impact activity but can be somehow confusing for some users.
Main functions and targeted environments
isimSoftware Bell Scheduling Software was created to replace the school's classical bell system. Following a program for lessons and breaks, the app can automatically sound the bell at a given time. Furthermore, the bell can be set up to deliver music, anthems, or even alarm sounds due to customization ability.
Besides schools, the app can also be used in a work environment that uses an alarm for shift status or lunch breaks. During the break time, a music list can be played or a radio broadcast as well. The music/radio broadcast will not be functional while the lessons/work time is active.
Automatized bell system
In conclusion, isimSoftware Bell Scheduling Software is a tool that can help schools and companies to get rid of the classical bell system and use the computer and some speakers to modernize and automatize the breaks and create a cheerful environment by broadcasting radio and music to their attendants.
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HUD Time
A straightforward yet useful, old-school widget for Windows 7 that displays the time heads-up display style on your computer's desktop.
HUD Time is a compact gadget designed to display the current date and time on your desktop in a heads up display style. It is a handy tool for the users who are not satisfied with the default Windows clock.
You can use this widget for displaying a larger version of the Windows clock which can be placed on any area of your desktop. The interface is transparent which makes it blend in with the desktop wallpaper and theme color.
The font and the colors of the HUD display can be changed from the Options menu in order to match your current color theme. You can select the font color from a large list that includes more than one hundred options.
Unfortunately, the size of the font cannot be adjusted which makes it hard to find the right font for your desktop. Basically, you need to try every font from the list until the size of the gadget is appropriate for your screen resolution.
The transparency settings can be adjusted from the Options menu but also from the widget context menu. You can combine the two parameters for creating a HUD display that is almost invisible until you hover it with the mouse cursor.
It is a lightweight tool that requires insignificant resources and provides you with a customizable clock interface. If the Windows clock is too small for your desktop, the HUD Time can help you add a digital clock to your workspace.
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WinlockActive
A compact application keen on offering you enough time off your computer by locking your OS each time the countdown reaches zero.
Spending too much time in front of the computer starts being the norm, nowadays, especially when getting outside is no longer one's free choice. The back and the eyes are the most affected part of our bodies when we get to spend up to half a day or more glued to our screens and chairs. WinlockActive seeks to reduce the amount of time spent in front of the computer by forcibly locking your windows. Of course, you are the one controlling the break intervals.
Not the best-looking UI
The interface might let you think the app is broken or still work-in-progress. In fact, the looks are intended and that's how it is supposed to look like. Because there's not much to work with and no proper documentation, you'll have to figure out how it works all by yourself.
However, the UI appears to offer tooltips, at least for the time selector. If you slide the bar left and right, you choose the minutes until the OS will become unresponsive.
Adding break intervals
Deciding when a break should start is not a big deal. For example, if you wish to take breaks after an hour passes, you should adjust the slider until it displays a value of 59 (minutes). Adding entries can be done without a limit, so you can set up multiple intervals, as per your needs.
Regarding how long the breaks are, or how much time your OS is locked, that's a bit fuzzy. During our tests, a short break of five minutes kept the OS locked for almost an hour. As there is no data or information on how the break time works, except a loading bar that displays nothing but a percentage of the untracked time, that can be pretty annoying, especially for users who don't have too much time on their hands.
Still, in case the break time lingers too much, you can always terminate the app from within the task manager. Furthermore, while the break time is active, it appears that you can select an image to display on your screen.
To conclude
WinlockActive's sole purpose is unsticking users from their screens. Even if a total OS lockdown sounds drastic, some individuals might appreciate that. Regarding the looks, that's not the app's strong point, but the biggest downside is the lack of information about some aspects of its core functionality.
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Dozenal Clock
A simple to use gadget that allows you to view the computer time, in the duodecimal style, also known as the base 12 number system.
Dozenal Clock is a simple time gadget designed to enliven your desktop with a duodecimal system clock. The dozenal system, also known as duodecimal or base 12 is a positional notation numeral system that uses twelve as a base. Dozenal Clock can display the computer time and date in the base twelve system.
Time in the duodecimal system
The decimal numeral system (base 10) that we are used to contains ten digits and allows us to measure time as 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour, 24 hours in a day. The duodecimal system allows you to measure time in a different manner, due to small modifications in the counting method. In this system, the symbols for the numbers ten, eleven and twelve differ than the ones in the decimal system, being assigned new characters.
Thus, the "Ϫ" symbol represents the number 10 in the decimal system, while the reversed “3” is used to depict the number “11”. Given the new counting method, the perception of time division changes and so does the structure of time as we know it. Thus, in the dozenal system, the clock features 72 divisions, meaning a minute has 72 seconds and an hour - 72 minutes. A day has 24 hours.
Perception of time with the duodecimal clock
The duration of a second, respectively a minute or an hour remains the same, however, the seconds/minutes pass by much quicker than if measured in the decimal system. For example, a second in the dozenal system corresponds to 25/36 of a second in the decimal system.
Dozenal Clock allows is set to read the system time and translate it to the duodecimal measuring system. The gadget can be resized and customized, in order to display only the clock string or just hide the title.
Different time measuring system
Dozenal Clock is not designed to alter the passing time perception, only the way it is measured. Since the duodecimal system features more digits than the base 10, there are more seconds in a minute and more minutes in an hour. Their duration however, is shorter than the decimal correspondents.
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Time Info
A simple and straightforward application that can tell you the current time out loud and provides voice reminders regarding the tasks planned.
Time Info is a simple and straightforward utility designed to tell you the current time, as it is set on your system. The program can come in handy for those on a tight schedule that may forget to check the time because they are caught up with their activities.
Add your reminder and the app says it out loud for you
The program comes with a simple and user-friendly interface that is unlikely to give you any troubles. The main window consists of a large clock area that displays the current time as it is set on your system.
From the right panel, you can set up your notifications or reminders to run hourly, every 30 or 15 minutes. Afterward, you can choose the voice option based on your operating system and the packages installed. At the same time, you can set the date, in case you do not need a reminder for the current date.
In the free version, you cannot really tweak the reminders to set a specific title or a message. However, those who make donations can set their reminders more efficiently, as they can get notifications regarding the task they planned along with the details.
You can add more voices, but it requires some configuration
Depending on the Windows version on your PC, you already have several pre installed languages packages and voices. For instance, Windows 8 comes with three voices, namely David, Zira and Hazel. Even though the latter is no longer available with Windows 10, you can add it along with the other voices from previous Windows versions by accessing the Region and Language in your settings and adding a preferred language.
In the eventuality that you are usually caught up with your work or other activities you do on the PC and simply lose track of time, then you can consider using Time Info so that you may stick to your schedule.
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AfterHour
Manage your weekly working schedule, projects, overtime and priorities with the help of this lightweight app that hides in the system tray.
Despite their characteristic flexibility everyone seems to be envious of, freelancers need to be very responsible in regards to the hours they spend working, and a reliable time management system is of critical importance to them.
AfterHour is a software utility that claims to be just that, lending you a hand when trying to keep an eye on how much time you invest into your daily tasks and projects.
User-friendly tool that logs your working times
First of all, you should know that AfterHour features a clutter-free user interface that favors ease of navigation, with the setup steps you need to take being quite straightforward.
Then, you need to list your projects, along with their corresponding tasks, which will be displayed in the app’s main window. The program is capable of recording the time you spend working, with a context menu being integrated so that you can easily activate or pause any of your tasks. Tagging them as complete or deleting them altogether can be done as well.
Lets you monitor projects and tasks
Assigning priority tags ensures that you always focus on urgent tasks, with the possibility of adding comments in order to know what your to-dos imply.
Other than that, you can also set a target in order to constantly assess your performance and make sure you find the time to complete your tasks. Note, however, that you need to refresh the counted time in the "View" menu in order to get updated info.
At the end of the day, you can consider your total working time, with the option to copy and transfer it to third parties. Clearing the times and deleting your tasks can be done at any point.
Easy-to-handle app for any user out there
All in all, AfterHour is a simplistic application whose main purpose is to log the time you invest into your work. It can count the hours and minutes you dedicate to your tasks and projects, and it hides in the systray so that it avoids interfering with your workflow.
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