Scirocco Take a Break

Everyone knows too much time spent in front of the computer is harmless on multiple levels, and everyone knows it’s good to take a break every now and then. However, chances are you’re so committed to your activity that you forget to do so, but this is where applications like Scirocco Take a Break come in handy.

On launch, the application starts the counter automatically, with a work time configured for an hour, and ten minutes of break. Needless to say it’s best to stop the timer to take a look over the set of features to configure timer, and alert settings.

Configuring the time only requires you to specify values accordingly, and whether or not to start on launch, or show balloon tips. An additional snooze time can be set, with a corresponding limit, in case you want to abuse break time.

The application can be configured to acoustically alert you when it’s time to take it easy, with a list of preset sound samples, but also the option to load external sound. Audio alerts can be disabled, whereas visual alerts are mandatory, with options to have a dialog box show up, or flash the tray icon continuously, and whether or not to display the splash screen.

When the countdown timer starts, the application hides to the tray area, only showing up at your command, or when the timer runs out. There’s the possibility to have your computer locked when in break time, but you have to confirm before this is done, with no option to force you, in case you stubbornly refuse to rest.

Both work, and break time can be initiated at the press of a button, in case you’ve had enough of one. Moreover, you can review statistics in a pie chart, to get an idea how efficient your activity is, or how much time you spent on the Internet in break time.

All things considered, we can state that Scirocco Take a Break is a powerful day-to-day assistant, especially if your work involves spending countless hours in front of the PC. It quietly sits in the tray area, only showing up to let you know it’s time to rest. It comes in a lightweight package, and is definitely worth a try, especially since it doesn’t mean any harm.