15 Time Management Gadgets You Never Knew Existed

Time management isn’t anything new.  Since mankind conceptualized the idea of “time”, we have been taking steps towards prioritizing and coordinating our efforts.  Even Stonehenge, a structure used by ancient farmers to track when to plant crops, is basically a huge (and very cool) time management tool.  Ditto for the sundial and for the hour glass. Both were time management tools used by our ancestors to improve their productivity.

To that end, take a look at these 15 Time Management Gadgets You Never Knew Existed:

1. Cost of time – Bring TIM!

It’s a lot easier to waste time than it is to waste money.  But time is money, isn’t it?  That’s a fact that easy to forget… unless we make it visually obvious with a tool like the Bring TIM! time management clock.  Bring TIM! sells for $24.99 and shows you the time (read: money) being wasted (or invested) as the seconds tick away.  Every time you’re stuck in a pointless meeting, the clock will show you how much money you’re losing.  Every minute you spend surfing the Web, the clock will equate to hard cash.  Physically seeing time as money focuses your efforts in a way numbers on a clock simply can’t.

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2. iPad Time Management – Priority Matrix App

One blog gave 9 reasons why the iPad is the perfect time management gadget.  An app that looks interesting is the priority matrix.

The Priority Matrix does one thing – it crystallizes priorities into a visual and easy-to-understand format.  Based on Stephen Covey’s time management matrix, the program separates tasks into one of four quadrants: Urgent or Non-Urgent and then Important or Not Important.  In this way you spend the bulk of your time on Urgent and Important tasks and minimize (or eliminate) time spent on Non-Urgent/Not Important tasks.  It’s a great aid in figuring out what to delegate, what to focus on and what to take off of your To-Do List.

3. iGoogle Activity Tracker

Track all your daily activity and find how you spend your time with this cool little punch-clock gadget. Print cool graph and get a log or timesheet of all your activities. Punch-in when you start and punch-out when done. Let the gadget alert you when you forget to punch-in or punch-out. Use it – for improving productivity, as a recorder, as stopwatch, to jot down all tasks, for project management, for time management, as a counter, timer, simple tracker, to track to do list, to simply track your progress, to find time spent in meeting and appointments, as a graphing tool.

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4. Apple iWatch

Apple’s yet-to-be-released iWatch is blends time management with the latest technology and a sleek design.  It seamlessly connects to two of Apple’s core products (iPhone or iPad) and has a built-in projector to display photos or video clips on any surface.  You can use its RSS feed capability to track breaking news, or monitor changing weather conditions.  Its versatility saves you the time of tinkering with other devices, and it also lets you monitor your time usage throughout the day.

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5. Time Management for Kids – Time Tracker® Visual Timer & Clock

Punctuality is a dying art.  This tool is striving to revive it… by teaching your children a proper respect for time management.  You can choose from 6 different “alarms”, which the parent can set to specific time intervals.  Instead of having the “just 15 more minutes” argument every night, set the alarms and your kids will learn (over time) to adhere to them.

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6. iPhone Time Management – RemindYou App

If you have an iPhone, you no longer have to worry about missing appointments.  Simply install RemindYou, an application that manages your schedule and alerts you when you have an upcoming engagement.  RemindYou currently supports iCal, Outlook or Entourage appointment setting programs.

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7. Biometric Time Management – Pyramid Ethernet Time Clock

The Pyramid Ethernet time clock is a tool for managing employees.  The biometric version, for time sensitive positions, clocks in employees by their fingerprint.  The swipe card version relies on the traditional card but can be duped by “buddy punching”.  When managing employee time (company resources) is paramount, this is one of the most advanced technologies to do it.

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8. Google Desktop Gadget – The Limiter

Google Desktop offers an application known as “Limiter”, which lets you track the time you spend on a given task.  By using the time limit function, you can set strict deadlines for items on your to-do list and manage your workable hours better.  And since Limiter remembers when you start and stop it, you can tally the time you’re spending working, surfing the web or reading email down to the second.

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9. TV Time Management – The BOB Screen Time Manager

T.V. is the biggest time eater in most households. The BOB Screen Time Manager helps you get a handle on it.  BOB can be programmed to track 6 individual users, and is compatible with your computer, television or any video game system.

This is a perfect management tool if you have kids; set a given time limit and BOB will automatically shut the TV off when that limit is met.  You can also set BOB to block usage during a given time period.

BOB also works great for at-home workers.  It can be attached to any electronic item and you can use it to manage the time you spend on anything from TV to the PC.  You never have to think about how much time you’re spending online or in front of the boob tube; you can let BOB budget your time for you.

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10. Time Management Widgets – Time Vault

Time Vault does what other management tools fail to; it shows you exactly what you need to do to maximize your productivity.  As it tracks your time usage and them prioritizes tasks for you on the fly.  You can see exactly where your time is going, and where it is being wasted.Source

11. Computer Time Management for Kids – TimesUpKidz

TimesUpKidz watches the time your children are spending online, and locks down the connection when a given limit is met.  Of course, an adult can also use it in order to reduce time spent surfing the Internet senselessly.

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12. Time Tracking for Loved Ones – The You & Me Wall Clock

The You & Me Wall Clock is a lover’s time tracker. When that special somebody lives in a different time zone, use this clock to know when they’re asleep and when they’re still awake.  There is no better way to know the best times to call just to say hi.  When you check the time as the day progresses, you’ll feel closer to that special somebody… even if only in thought.

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13. Discrete Timekeeping – The Tempo Time Tag

Sometimes you need to know the time… but you can’t make that fact obvious.  Maybe you’re in a boring meeting.  Or maybe you’re class professor is dragging on and on.  Or maybe you have another date right after this one ends.  No matter the situation, if checking your cell phone won’t cut it then use the Tempo Time Tag.  It’s small enough to hug the cuff of your shirt, but large enough to read at a glance.  Perfect for checking the time on the sly; it’s time management for the discreet.

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14. Vibrate Your Self Awake – Shake and Wake Silent Alarm Clock

Having a tough time waking up in the morning?  Give the Shake and Wake Silent Alarm Clock a go. No alarm is actually sounded; the watch vibrates at the specified time.  This makes it ideal for when you don’t want to wake up others (such as a slumbering baby or spouse).  It’s also perfectly suited for the deep sleeper.  Wear it on your wrist or tuck it under your pillow; when you’re awake deactivate it just like a regular alarm clock.

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15. Your Life, One Leaf at a Time – STIHL 2010 Autumn Calendar

This calendar is time management for your entire life.  As the days pass, the date falls like the leaves of a tree… never to be relived.  Below the calendar, a pile of “yesterdays” serve a constant reminder of the importance of today.  It’s just an advertising concept currently, but the point is made – live in the moment before it sinks into Winter.

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Tagged as: gadgets, productivitiy, Time Management