Software Review: Workrave
This peice of software is just the most needed thing you have ever laid your eyes on! I discovered it while watching downloaded (legal) copies of the Go_Open TV program, which is the first Television program in the world to promote Open Source software. Anyway, Mark Shuttleworth (the South African billionare) has a segment in this show called “Doin’ it”, in which he tells us more about an Open Source software peice, and this one I found particularly useful.
Workrave is an Open Source software that runs on Linux, Windows and Mac, which helps you to stay healthy while using your computer. It informes you when it is time to take a break for 30 seconds, and then you just stand up, stretch, and you get on with your work. Every 30 minutres, you are forced to take a 10 minute break from your PC. Your PC shows you some exercises for you to do while you wait for the break to end. You are then encouraged to walk around a bit while the ten minutes come to an end.
You can of course set this to your preferences. Once you download this software, and you run it for a day or so, you will be tempted to switch it off, but try and convince yourself it is for the greater good!
Something I noticed which immediatly stood out, is the smallness of this application. It uses barely any system resources, and yet it performs such a wonderful task! (Ok this whole statement is just me trying to say more wonderful things about it, but failing terribly).
There are a few bugs here and there, but I am sure they will be staightened out, though. Stupid things, like if I right clikc on the icon, I cannot leave the menu by simply clicking somewhere else.
Anyway, you can download it by going to the official website: Workrave.org
Enjoy!
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