How many hours do you spend on your computer a day? I spend around 80% of my time on the computer, excluding sleeping time. Although it’s bad for health, but sometimes it is just hard to control yourself. Especially when you are gaming, time pass even faster. While reading my feeds a while ago, I stumbled upon Thilak’s post about UserHealth – a nagging program to remind us to have a break after a period of time using the computer. Without thinking twice, I downloaded the 824 KB file and installed it. I’m still not familiar with its interface, but I found something interesting upon reading further on its official website.
This is the Annoying Mother Option. I’m not sure how to enable this option, or it is already set. When you reach the limit of computer usage, in forms like duration, keystrokes, mouse clicks etc – the mother will pop up and start nagging you. It’s quite fun and might be quite effective to remind us to get a break. I have a suggestion to the freeware author, it would be more fun if there is an option to use an image of our choice to represent the mother image. By then, we can use our real mother’s photo or even other pictures. Wouldn’t that be fun?
The only worry I’m having now about this program is that what if we are in a full screen game? It will normally minimize the full screen game if there is a pop up from the system. If this is so, I doubt gamers will bother to install this program. There is no such term as “break” in most games. If you are having an important battle in game, and you’re about to win – all in a sudden your game has been minimized and UserHealth pops up reminding you to have a break, I believe you will be extremely pissed off.
Anyway, UserHealth is still good for hardcore computer user, that doesn’t play games. I recommend this freeware to those users who found themselves spending too much of time on the computer. When it’s mentioned as a freeware, of course it’s free.
Sounds like a nice little app. Since most of my work is done on the computer that program should help me take frequent breaks. I just need to remember to shut it off when I’m playing cz though heh.
I ain’t certainly sure if it will disturb game play. Maybe you can have a try, and tell us here
i’ve a problem of computer and internet addiction. maybe this little app. could help to solve my problem out..thanks for sharing this.
nice app. Well, since I do not play games on the com, it will not affect me much.
Good for those that are hooked on it. They should include an auto-shutdown feature for it.
I think they do have the auto-shutdown thingy, but I’m not sure.
P/s: I’ve experience the annoying mother nag twice since I installed it yesterday..
Hi there!
I am the author of Userhealth. I found your blogg and wanted just to leave a note. Your suggestion about the possibility to use your own mother is something I will consider to include in next release (Long time sense I wrote and updated this program now, but maybe I will take the time and release a new version soon). About the full screen game problem I have experienced that more then one time :p. There is however a option that allow you to only use sound warnings and no popups during game play, but this is something that I should implement to be automatically enabled during full screen game play maybe.
However, it is always fun to read about people using my little freeware software.
Best Regards
//Oscar Andersson
I usually stop UserHealth when I’m playing. For the UserHealth official website, I’m sure someone will sponsor a domain name for it if you request for. I don’t quite like dot tk. Waiting for your new version.
P/s: While I’m writing this comment, UserHealth beeps and tell me it’s time to sleep. Ohh.. :yawn:
I’ve found two other apps that serve a similar purpose. The first is the Ergociser which opens up the Ergociser site and points you to a different exercise each time. The site is actually quite deep in terms of stretches and thus very useful. The second is Workrave. Workrave’s stretch choices are rather limited but it does have lots of options in terms of arranging both breaks and microbreaks.