New TaskBlaze Freeware: Precise – Outlook Compatible Tracking

One of the advantages of being a regular reader of Achieve-IT! is you just never know when I’m going to surprise you with a useful piece of software. Today is one of those days. TaskBlaze is a small, fast, efficient and easy to use application that keeps accurate track of your time dedicated to your tasks.

There are a couple web timer applications out there I know, but I couldn’t bring myself to launch a web browser, log into a site and then write down my task and start the timer. The only other option I knew of would be using Outlook’s built in Journal, which I can’t stand.

So instead I put together this simple stand-alone application which does much same thing as the others with several added advantages. First, it’s simple. There’s only 3 easy things for you to do and you’re off! Next, it tracks your time precisely and once you end a task it exports the task to your Outlook schedule so you have an exact measurement recorded for time management, billing or general reporting. Finally, it’s a stand alone application, so you don’t need a web connection to use it.

How to use:
First Download TaskBlaze.zip (127.0K) to your desktop computer and unzip it.
Launch the program and at any time hit the green “Start” button
Enter the name of the task you want to work on now
Enter your tags (i.e. categories) with a comma separating each one.
When you have completed your task, hit the red “Stop” button and your task will be automatically entered into your Outlook schedule reflecting the precise amount of time you spent working on it. Pretty cool, no?

It’s in beta so I’d really, really, REALLY appreciate feedback. My systems are running Office 2003, so I am unsure if it’s working with prior versions of Outlook. It should, but I haven’t been able to test it yet – let me know.

Link: Download TaskBlaze.zip (127.0K)