PaymoPlus Beta
For the Napoleon in you*
When it comes to time tracking, some of us are lucky enough to work on 2-10 tasks a day. In cases like that, the Paymo Desktop Widget is a perfect fit, you just change the task and click the start button.
What happens if you have to switch between tasks every couple of minutes? Time tracking in this case becomes a pain and however conscious you may be, you will stop tracking time.
If you find yourself in this situation we think we can help out!
For this purpose we’ve designed PaymoPlus:
PaymoPlus - Time Tracker
This is a typical usage scenario for the app:
After you start PaymoPlus, it will record the title of all windows that are in foreground. At the end of the day you will have a list of all the windows you opened during the day, grouped by application (or grouped by hour – section #2) in the section #3.
To tell PaymoPlus that the ammount of time you spent in Firefox is related to “Paymo > Development > Import/Backup” you just drag “Firefox” from section #3 over the task (Import/Backup) in section #2. Of course you can be more detailed and “expand” the Firefox node and drag over only the specific entries that relate to a particular task.
Once you do that, the entries that were show in section #2 will be uploaded to the Paymo server (backend) as entries and they will move to section #4 (Entries linked with Paymo)
While testing PaymoPlus in our daily routine we noticed that you go through a lot of unique window titles (which is the basic unit when tracking time this way) during a day, some times more then a hundred. It would be very difficult to link each window with a particular task. To solve this we added the “Filter” box in section #2.
Suppose you worked today on the Import/Backup feature for Paymo and you want to filter out the entries that were related to that activity in Notepad++. You would enter “notepad paymo import”, click “Apply” and the #3 section will show only the window titles that contain all those words. In most of the cases all i have to do is “select all” items from section #3 and drag them over to section #1
Most of the time this procedure will help you make the links between items in section #3 and tasks in section #1 for over 90% of your time in just a few minutes.
When using PaymoPlus, all you have to do to track your time is spend 5 minutes at the end of the day and match window titles to your project/task structure.
Even when you forget to do that, you can always come back to it later the next day (or week) and you’ll still be able to do it. To remind you that you missed some steps, the calendar in section #2 will underline the dates that have items in section #3 that are not linked to tasks.
- If you want to add a description to a particular entry, hold Ctrl while dragging the items, this will display a popup that will let you enter the description.
- You can also link entries by right clicking on an entry and select Link Time With Task
- To add a tasklist or task, you right click it’s parent element and select “Add Tasklist” or “Add Task”
- You can add specific Applications (like Winamp) to the ignore list, right click and select “Exclude Application”
- If the Project/Task structure has changed on the server, you can click View > Refresh Projects
We hope you find this application useful and we’d love to get your feedback!
You can Download PaymoPlus here: http://www.paymo.biz/paymoplus/
Update: To better understand how PaymoPlus posts time to Paymo please read this thread.
* Napoleon was believed to be brilliant at multi-tasking. While emperor, he would often arrange a dozen secretaries around him and dictate a dozen letters simultaneously.
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April 6, 2011 at 3:27 pm
WOW! This is so exciting! This sounds like exactly what I need – but I’m a Mac. So I was so deflated to hear this is only for pcs. PLEASE let me know when the Mac version comes out! WOW – will this help my life!
Thank you for your excellent product!
peace,
karin
April 6, 2011 at 4:06 pm
Put me in the list of Mac version too! Can’t wait to test drive…
April 6, 2011 at 4:14 pm
Tracking time is becoming even easier this way – the new tracking method is definitely a big Plus to your product. I already tested PaymoPlus and I can say that it’s really helpful.
Keep it slick!
Great job.
April 6, 2011 at 4:29 pm
Great news. Eagerly awaiting the Mac version here as well.
April 6, 2011 at 5:28 pm
Love it. I have a Napoleon doll on my key chain and proud of it! Thanks for helping us multi task-ers Paymo.
April 6, 2011 at 6:44 pm
Seems like something I could use. I’m on Mac though and will patiently be waiting. Please develop something for us too.
April 6, 2011 at 7:16 pm
- Love it
- Need it
- Mac user
Eagerly awaiting for Mac version as well!
April 6, 2011 at 7:22 pm
Sounds good. Could you do a little screen capture video so we could see it in action.
April 6, 2011 at 8:00 pm
Ubuntu Linux pls!
April 6, 2011 at 8:03 pm
We were looking for such a software for quite sometime now. Previously a lot of time was spent on the details of spent time, now we are quite exited that it will be done automagicaly !
We would really like to have Paymo plus for Mac.
Thank you!
Ivan S.
April 6, 2011 at 9:33 pm
Cant wait for the Mac Version!
April 6, 2011 at 9:54 pm
Sounds very cool team, looking forward to the Mac version too (along with the rest of the comment section it seems). Might consider moving to my virtual box to try it out… Maybe do some of my wordpress work in there…
April 6, 2011 at 10:17 pm
Looks great. Can’t wait for the mac version.
April 7, 2011 at 1:31 am
Coooooool.
I’m a Mac and can’t wait to use it!
April 7, 2011 at 6:52 am
I just downloaded and install it. Will give you proper feedback after a week. You guys just made my tracking a lot more easier.
Keep up the good work.
April 7, 2011 at 7:15 am
Finally a Chrometa alternative without annoying bugs of Chrometa!
Very, very nice!
April 7, 2011 at 7:30 am
Very nice! But please speed up the development of the mac-version, we cant wait
April 7, 2011 at 7:50 am
Wonderful!
Mac user… waiting for mac version..
April 7, 2011 at 1:25 pm
Awesome! Mac version please!!
April 7, 2011 at 2:26 pm
Looks great! Need a Mac version.
April 7, 2011 at 5:34 pm
What about Linux version? Don’t forget us!
April 8, 2011 at 7:00 am
Just downloaded this… Please make this “multi-company” compatible! I love paymo but I run 3 companies and would love this software to bridge the gap between my accounts.
April 8, 2011 at 9:33 am
This sounds like a full blown time- and financial registration program now. I’ll download it on my pc, but I’ll replace it soon for a brand new iMac. Please, hurry with the Mac-version!
April 8, 2011 at 10:51 am
Where do we get the licence key that is requested in the beta install?
April 8, 2011 at 11:46 am
@Benoit it’s the API key from your Company Settings page.
April 8, 2011 at 2:21 pm
Mac Version too! And iPhone and iPad PLEASE!
April 8, 2011 at 2:27 pm
Thanks for the reponse re: the licence key
I installed it but it isn’t working since i’m behind a firewall. It would be nice to be able to specify the proxy parms.
April 8, 2011 at 2:42 pm
I’d love to try it. Look forward to the mac version.
April 8, 2011 at 6:18 pm
Mac version will be awesom!
April 9, 2011 at 6:27 am
I got a strange glitch. When I open paymoplus it asks me to enter password and login. After I enter them it asks me again. Then I close this dialog box and everything is working. What a mess. Can you do something with that.
April 9, 2011 at 6:32 am
Please skip my above comment, I just entered the wrong password, sorry. But when I want to link the time spent with project I do not see tasks and projects in dropdown menu. Actually there is nothing there. Does it mean than paymoplus is not connected with my projects and tasks?
April 9, 2011 at 6:38 am
I am sorry for embarassing you. Everything works just absolutely fine. It took some time for projects being imported into paymoplus. Thank you for excellent job!
April 10, 2011 at 6:19 am
There seems to be a recurrent thread here – looks like you have a lot of Mac users (myself included) that are keen to try this new version. Are you able to provide a rough indication of when a Mac version might be available?
April 10, 2011 at 8:24 am
I have been trying it out for 4 days now. It would not remember my password. I have to enter my details every time I restart my computer.
April 10, 2011 at 4:33 pm
Can I get added to the Mac Beta list too?
April 12, 2011 at 1:29 am
Yes, been waiting for this!! Excellent! Mac user as well, looking forward to being able to use it.
April 12, 2011 at 1:43 am
This is a great idea. I’m on a Mac as well, so if you need another volunteer to help test the Mac version, count me in.
April 12, 2011 at 2:49 pm
Brilliant.
I’m a Mac user, waiting for mac version.
Please add me to the beta list.
April 12, 2011 at 5:50 pm
After intensively using PaymoPlus for 6 days by now, I can say, again, that this is a great tool. Of course there are a couple of glitches (as Azizur Rahman said earlier – it seems that the module doesn’t remember one credentials), but hey, this is a beta version, right?
What I came upon as being an opportunity for improvement is the following:
why not allowing the app to to transfer the names of the already recorded active applications to the Paymo system? Some of us might find it helpfull to have the option of feeding the system with the already recorded application / file name that we used on a certain project.
The information is already processed by the PaymoPlus app as it is now and in my opinion, it will be a hard proof to provide a client with a detailed time-track-sheet-per-application, especially if some of our projects are payed by worked hour.
Keep up the good work…
.
April 12, 2011 at 10:36 pm
Ok – this is awesome. I love not having to pick a project, but instead can just work. I’ve used it all day today – and my primary concern is the amount of time sorting the results is going to take. If pane 1 (task list) had a filter search to it, that would speed things up, or the same as the application window filter..
also, Adrian – nice idea – I was thinking have an option to remember a window name associated with a task – possibly?
anyway – either way – this is awesome! – thank you thank you thank you
April 12, 2011 at 10:39 pm
ok, I just discovered the right-click – link time with task option .. that’s much quicker
April 13, 2011 at 6:57 am
Maggi, Eurika to you!
All this time I thought that the right click optionn – link time with task option – does exactly what the Drag (+CTR) + Drop action does. Well, after reading your last comment I tested the function again and actually it does the same thing, but with a twist: it automatically feeds in the system the names of the applications and files you worked, along with the time spent. Just the thing I was asking for…
This is awesome!!!
April 14, 2011 at 12:41 am
Mac user as well!
April 14, 2011 at 7:49 am
We are using paymo mainly because you support Linux (ok, with xulrunner). I really hope you will make an ubuntu version of this. Nobody has done it before and it might be a good sales point for you!
April 14, 2011 at 9:20 am
Mac version please
April 15, 2011 at 4:34 pm
I too am on a Mac – can’t wait to try it.
April 17, 2011 at 9:35 am
You probably know by now there’s a great need for a mac version.
Even though, i’ll add another mac version request.
Pleeeease!
April 18, 2011 at 3:18 am
And another vote for Mac goodness….please!
April 18, 2011 at 8:07 am
Thanks! we hear you loud and clear!
April 18, 2011 at 10:40 am
that looks promising
April 18, 2011 at 7:01 pm
As Benoit said, please add the to support a proxy. I’m also behind a proxy and it do not works.
April 19, 2011 at 6:04 pm
Looking forward to the Mac version. Love the time tracker, and the “Plus” options are of great interest. Thanks!
May 6, 2011 at 11:32 am
Leaked:
PaymoPlus for Mac, almost there: http://tinyurl.com/6kln3nq http://tinyurl.com/5rgo747
May 12, 2011 at 2:34 pm
PaymoPlus Beta – new release & Mac version available. Details here: http://tinyurl.com/4532dhq
May 13, 2011 at 6:40 pm
I have been using Paymo for a pretty long time and it’s great for what I do. I’m often using the same application or website doing tasks for several clients in that app, one after another. After spending countless hours reviewing time tracking apps Paymo came out on top and has been great. I can’t seem to figure out how to go back and link time to tasks in Paymo Plus. I don’t have the line under any of the dates in the calendar and when I choose a past date there is no data there at all. The only entries that show up are those from the current day. Originally I thought it might be because the app wasn’t running, but I have made sure that it is running and active and still can’t go back to any data from the past. Any thoughts??
May 13, 2011 at 7:31 pm
@Wenda: the time in PaymoPlus is only “there” if the app was running and recording. If this is not the case send us more details via email. thanks!
May 16, 2011 at 2:22 pm
@Wenda
Did you by any chance upgrade from 1.0.3 to 1.0.5?
If that is the case then chances are you did not follow the upgrade procedure
The core of the issue is PaymoPlus keeps all the logs in a file paymoplus.sqlit. The location of that file is different between the two versions. After you upgraded you forgot to move the file to the new location so the version 1.0.5 started out as a clean install because the file with the old logs was not moved to the new location.
If this is the case for you i would suggest this.
1. stop the application.
2. copy the old sqlite file to the new location (while preserving the current one)
3. start the app, you should start seeing some of the dates underlined, go back and link all the entries
4. stop the application
5. put back the original file
June 17, 2011 at 1:38 am
LOVE IT! Thank you so much!! As a VA, I work on multiple client projects at the same time & this new tool has just saved me SO much time in manually entering time / not tracking time that overlaps etc
Thank you again!
March 19, 2012 at 2:48 pm
And nothig for Ubuntu yet?