You dream of better managing your time and optimizing your productivity and if you are like me, you have probably already tested dozens of applications supposed to help you work better. Well here's one more, but this one is worth the detour: FlowKeeper. It is actually a Pomodoro timer designed by and for power users.
Let me still refresh your memory on the technique Pomodoro. This time management method, invented by Francesco Cirillo in the 80s, involves breaking your work into 25-minute sessions (called pomodoros), followed by 5-minute breaks. After 4 pomodoros, you take a longer break of 15-30 minutes. Simple, right?
The approach of FlowKeeper is minimalist but terribly effective, no unnecessary frills, no overloaded interface that makes you want to play Tetris rather than work. No, here we go to the essential: a well-designed timer that does exactly what we ask of it.
The application was developed to be PERFORMANCES et 100% native and unlike some competing apps that suck 200MB of RAM out of you because they're developed with Electron (yes, I see you), FlowKeeper is super lightweight. The developers even pushed the vice so far as to test it on an old Core 2 Duo… If that's not optimization!
Now let's talk about features. First of all, keyboard shortcuts. Those allergic to mice will love it because everything is accessible via the keyboard. It's fast, it's efficient, it's exactly what you need when you're in your workflow.
The task management is also very well thought out. You can create task lists, organize them, track their progress. And unlike other apps that force you to sync your data in the cloud (and potentially resell it to the highest bidder), FlowKeeper works completely offline. Your data stays on your machine, period.
For the most paranoid among us (and we are right to be), know that confidentiality is at the heart of the project. No tracking, no cookies, not even a quick ping to a remote server to check for updates without your consent. Besides, the only network calls made are to check for updates via the GitHub API, and you can even disable this feature if you wish.
Another interesting aspect is its portability. FlowKeeper is available on Linux, Windows and macOS and when I say available on Linux, I'm not talking about vague compatibility: the application works perfectly even on exotic environments. Users of Ubuntu and its derivatives, you can smile, there are .deb!
And developers are currently working on even more advanced features, like real-time synchronization cross-device data and a Progressive Web App (PWA), but true to their philosophy, they will only implement them when they are certain they can guarantee optimal end-to-end encryption.
In the meantime, you can still manually sync your data by sharing the file via Dropbox, OneDrive, or rclone. The application even has a “Watch changes” option which allows near real-time synchronization between your devices.
And because it's important to emphasize it: FlowKeeper is 100% free and open sourcedistributed under the GPL license. No premium version, no features hidden behind a paywall, no “small donation” to make to unlock essential options. This is great in a time when even your toaster wants a monthly subscription.
In conclusion, if you're looking for a time management tool that respects your privacy, doesn't slow you down, and does exactly what it promises, consider FlowKeeper.
Go to the official website. And a big thank you to Lorenper for this discovery!
