Tips, tricks, tools, and techniques for Microsoft Office

Despite its name, Analogue Vista Clock isn’t for Vista users. It’s a neat little alarm clock utility for Windows XP and Windows 2000 only (a Vista is in the works) that sits on your desktop. It’s oblivious to mouse clicks and keyboard input, so it doesn’t get in the way of any of your work, misinterpreting mouse clicks of buttons “underneath” it.

I placed the clock in the upper-right corner of my desktop (you can set the precise pixel position), set the transparency level to a “light” setting so I could see through the clock to buttons and menus underneath it, and I was all set.

Yes, I know, you can get the system time by looking at the display in the system tray, and I’ve tried many programs that place the clock in the title bar of the open window. Neither is satisfactory. The system tray’s clock doesn’t have an alarm, and the title bar clocks sometimes interfere with the display -- causing windows to blink or flash annoyingly.

A system tray icon calls up the settings window, where, in addition to setting the transparency, you can change the size, change the face (you can choose from two skins or download more after you register), add or remove a second hand, and optionally set an on-the-hour chime.

Granted, you can only set one alarm, though you can choose which days of the week the alarm sounds and pick from one of five sounds (or choose a random sound file from the folder you select). The alarm can even be set to wake up your system.

Analogue Vista Clock sells for $14.95. A trial version is available for free download at http://www.4neurons.com/Clock/

-- James E. Powell

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