TimeFlip is a time-tracking gadget

If you’re like me, and I’m going to assume you are for the purposes of this post, you like the idea of time tracking, but generally it’s a bit too fiddly or complicated. TimeFlip is a super-simple gadget that lets you easily track how much time you spend on different activities just by flipping it around.

It’s a dodecahedron with a tiny accelerometer inside that can tell which way it’s sitting. All you do to operate it is flip it around so the side corresponding to what you’re doing is up; the chip inside sends a signal over Bluetooth to an app on your phone.
Answering some emails? Flip it to the email side. Take a break to watch a few videos on YouTube? Flip! Off to the gym? Flip!

 

It comes with a bunch of stickers with icons representing common activities and websites: shopping, eating, reading… there’s even one for procrastinating. And there are plenty of blank ones you can print or write on if you spend a lot of time doing something not represented there, like knife fighting or knitting.

Be warned, you’ll need to sign up for an account so it can back up your activity online — you can then log in to peruse it from the comfort of your laptop. I would just as soon have done without this feature, myself, but unfortunately it’s required.

The device came out a while back but has only been available in limited quantities in the U.S. via the TimeFlip website. Fortunately, the creator, Ilya Tarassov, told me at CES that it should be available on Amazon starting in February.

I’ve been playing with one just for the last week and it seems like a great way to easily do basic tracking. You can buy a kit with a ready-to-go TimeFlip for $50 or print your own enclosure and just order the sensor. (Via Techcrunch)