release

Here's a third pre-release TestFlight for version 4.1 of Time Out.

This update just includes some fixes and refinements from the previous TestFlight:

Break overview and questions (changes since last build)

• Moved Ask Apple Intelligence to the top of the expanded Overview, so questions and answers appear alongside the snapshot they describe.
• The Show Overview disclosure now remembers its expanded or collapsed state across page changes and app launches, like Show More Options on Schedule and Controls.
• Ask About Break… automatically expands the overview and focuses the question field.
• Replaced the…

I’m pleased to announce a second TestFlight for version 4.1 of Time Out, my popular break reminder app for Mac. 🎉

This update includes several more big improvements:

• Renamed the Break Name page to Info and updated it.
• Added an Overview on each break’s Info page.
• Added Ask Apple Intelligence above the overview.
• Added Generate Text… to the Text theme editor, using Apple Intelligence on supported Macs.
• Added Generate Image… to the Images theme editor, using Image Playground where available.
• Added a nice custom color picker.

This pre-release build is available via Apple's TestFlight. Want to help…

I’m pleased to announce a pre-release TestFlight for version 4.1 of Time Out, my popular break reminder app for Mac. 🎉

This update was going to be version 4.0.1, but I added a couple of new features to address issues, so it graduated from a bug fix to a minor update. And some more coming in the next TestFlight.

This update includes:

• Replaced the Focus is active rule with a configurable Focus Filter rule.
• Added Show Time Out breaks using in Advanced; a useful workaround for Screen Time restrictions.
• Fixed Learn More links in Messages to reveal advanced Break Schedule and Break Controls settings…

I’m pleased to announce a pre-release TestFlight for version 4.0.1 of Time Out, my popular break reminder app for Mac. 🎉

This is a bug-fix update, which includes:

• Fixed the Focus is active rule not detecting Focus on macOS 27. Time Out now asks for permission to access Focus status when needed.
• Updated app names in Rules to use their localized names, matching skip reasons; for example, Screenshot instead of screencaptureui.
• Fixed a trial sometimes remaining active after subscribing.

This pre-release build is available via Apple's TestFlight. Want to help test it? Install the TestFlight. It is…

I’m pleased to announce a pre-release TestFlight for version 4.0 of Time Out, my popular break reminder app for Mac. 🎉

This update includes several major improvements:

• New Manually, Once, and Randomly schedule choices alongside Every, with optional deletion after a one-time break and configurable ranges for random frequency and duration. The new schedule choices are rewards for recent supporters.
• Native Apple Shortcuts actions to start, pause, resume, postpone, skip, and reschedule breaks, or check their status, with support for Spotlight and Siri.
• New Run Shortcut break action to run an Apple…

I'm pleased to announce a pre-release TestFlight of Recal, my app to edit calendar events, event templates, track event time, and easily move, delete, or condense events; available for macOS, iPadOS, iOS, visionOS, and now watchOS!

Version 2.0 includes some major improvements:

Apple Watch app

• Added an Apple Watch companion with Quick Events, calendar and date range pickers.
• Add, edit, and delete events on your Watch, including template-value selection and date and time wheels. Changes are saved and confirmed by your paired iPhone.

Automatic calendar refreshing

• Event lists on Mac and iPhone now…

I'm pleased to announce a pre-release TestFlight of Weather Events, my app to record weather conditions on your calendar, available for macOS, iOS, and visionOS!

Version 2.0 includes some big improvements:

• Added a Row background menu in Settings with None and Weather Conditions options. Weather colors adapt to light and dark appearance, cloud cover, and rain intensity, with gradients for changing conditions. Defaults to None and is saved separately on each device.
• Now sets the availability to free for calendars that support that.
• Updated the subscription options.
• Added a Lifetime one-time…

I’m pleased to announce a pre-release TestFlight for version 3.2 of Time Out, my popular break reminder app for Mac. 🎉

In fact, this update is so big, I'm wondering if I should call it 4.0 instead of 3.2? What do you think?

This update includes several big improvements:

• New Break Themes page with thumbnails, descriptions, previews, and a catalog of themes you can download within Time Out.
• Choose multiple themes to rotate through in order or at random, and configure themes separately for each display.
• Added Random Hue and Blurred theme backgrounds, alongside Fixed Color. Theme rotation and the…

I'm pleased to announce the general release of an update of my website and server monitoring app for macOS: Simon version 5.2.

⚠️ This is a critical update for anyone upgrading to macOS 27, as that OS version no longer supports Intel apps; previous versions of Simon still used a couple of Intel-only components. I recommend updating Simon before the OS to avoid disruptions.

This update also improves the Web Page service, Tests list, Preview, variables, and several other improvements and fixes.

Support for Tahoe

• Updated the app to work better with macOS Tahoe (26.x).
• Now requires macOS Monterey…

Hot on the heels of the previous TestFlight of Time Out 3.1, here’s another build, that adds a quick menu on the status item by holding down the Option key, plus a Make Due In submenu in that menu and in the break Options menu, to easily reschedule an upcoming break.

If you missed it, version 3.1 also includes:

• Added an option to keep a break displayed until you click a new End Break button, with an overtime counter showing how long the break has continued.
• Added several fun, appearance-aware menu bar icons, including symbols and activity shapes.
• Added Advanced options to hide or disable…

I have just released version 3.0.4 of Time Out to fix a few issues that may affect some people:

• Fixed the time of the first break of the day when using the From Fixed Time scheduling option.
• Fixed an issue where the Break for time could be longer than the Every interval, which doesn't make sense.
• Fixed a calendar-based break having a duration of zero instead of the duration of the calendar event.
• Fixed the Teams Meeting rule script, which stopped working due to Microsoft renaming the background process that handles an active meeting.
• Fixed a crash when changing the Label for a break to a…

Surprise! It’s been three years since the previous update of Simon, my pro-level website and server monitoring tool, but here’s the first beta release of version 5.2.

This update includes support for macOS Tahoe, including making all components universal, so they work on Apple silicon and Intel-based Macs. Plus improvements to the Web Page service, the tests list, the Preview pane, and several services, filters, and notifiers, amongst other changes.

This is a beta release, but should be safe for anyone to install. If mission-critical, you might want to hold off for now, though, or install on…

Time Out version 3 was released recently. I just released version 3.0.3 to fix a couple more issues that may affect some people:

• Fixed the Full Countdown to Next Break status option not showing seconds when less than an hour.
• Fixed a possible crash when showing the Last Done Break Label in the status item.

It will be available from the Mac App Store and Setapp as soon as they approve it, and is immediately available direct from the Dejal website.

If you missed it, version 3 includes:

• macOS Tahoe support
• Exclusions are now Rules, and more powerful
• A new theme editor, and image and text theme…