Time Master: A Fantastic Billing App for Ipad and Iphone (Version 3.8)

Time Master ( Version 3.8)

Time Master by On-Core

This is absolutely one of my favorite apps as a lawyer.  It is relatively easy to use, creates usable reports, allows for backup and synchronization, and is a whole heck of a lot cheaper than Timeslips or other similar apps/programs.  The best part is that it allows you to do quick billing while you are out and about.  Recently, they improved the user interface, avatar, and general appearance.  The only criticism that I have is that you cannot really just input a .1 or whatever.  It keeps track of your time in session format, which is not always convenient for entry.

I give this new version a 9.8 out of 10. I strongly recommend that you check this app out, especially if you are a solo practitioner.

Here is what the developer’s site says about the app:

“On-Core Time Master is the ultimate time tracking app for your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch.

The best, most powerful, comprehensive, easy to use time keeping app on the Apple Store is now even better. Time Master has the highest average rating of all the time management apps. And the other apps don’t come close to our new optional billing module. Our invoices are totally professional.

Our biggest fans are consultants, attorneys and contractors. Time Master is used by individuals working independently, to attorneys from some of the biggest law firms in the USA. If you need to keep track of time and expenses, you can’t find a better app than Time Master. We at On-Core are IT professionals, so we have firsthand experience with billing and keeping track of time. We know from personal experience what is needed and have made this app so flexible, it works for virtually anyone in any industry in which time needs to be kept.

Are you losing money due to poor record keeping?  Did you forget to log the time you spent on a small task and not bill for it last month? On-Core Time Master simplifies the process by having an app handy on your iPhone or iPod Touch, ready at all times, for you to track your time. You can quickly start tracking time with a few taps on the screen. Those little minutes add up every month and this application will easily pay for itself in one month! We think that you will find Time Master the ultimate time tracking application, with its superior ease of use, for your iPhone or iPod Touch.

We looked at all the other time keeping applications out there for the iPhone and iPod Touch, but did not find anything that quite fit what we needed, or had the flexibility we wanted. We also reviewed what people were saying they needed in a time keeping application. We’ve worked very hard to make Time Master the most flexible and powerful time tracking application in the App Store.

Features:

• Track time by start time, stop time and/or by duration.
• Session option can track “punch-in & out” for a single time entry.
• Single or multiple running timers.
• Support for daily Overtime / Doubletime.
• Timers keep running even if you are not running the app.
• Time Entries are by Client and can be sub-categorized by Project and even Tasks for a project. Note: sub-categories are optional and not required.
• Powerful billing rates that can be defined in the following priority: Global, by Client, by Project, by Task or Custom for a single entry.
• Powerful time Rounding by hour, minutes and/or seconds. Time can be rounded by: None (no rounding), Round Up, Round Nearest or Round Down. Can be Global or per Client.
• Multiple Filters to sort by: Day, Week or Month. By Client, Project, Task, Expenditure, Reported and Invoice Status (with optional Invoice module).
• Define the day of the week that your work week starts.
• Track Expenses – from Mileage to Meals to Burning CD’s and anything else you want to define.
• Track Cost vs. Price in expenses.
• Display Reports right on your device that you can view and email in HTML and/or CSV format. By Client or Timesheet.
• Is Time Zone aware.
• Copy Client information from your Contacts list.
• Currency symbol is automatically set by your Country locale.
• Dual taxes for countries such as Canada. Second tax may be applied as Separate or Cumulative.
• Import Clients, Projects, Tasks and Expenditure lists from CSV files using our templates. Works on the iPad now and iPhone/iPod’s when updated to OS 4 when it becomes available (due out this summer according to Apple). See Importing data from a CSV file
• Save PDF invoices to your iTunes “Documents” folder.
• Backup and Restore option using our free Time Master Central app via Wi-Fi.
• Backup and Restore option using the iTunes Documents folder via USB cable.
• Backup and Restore option using the secure online Dropbox service via the internet.
• Currency support for the Invoice module. Set the currency in an invoice to other than your current setting and get the exchange rate from Yahoo.
• TextExpander integration (see below).
• Option to set audible reminder notifications for devices running iOS 4.0 or greater for running timers.
• AirPrint enabled. Print reports or invoiced to an AirPrint supported printer.

Download our free Time Master Central app for your Mac or PC to:

• Backup and Restore your database from local Wi-Fi connection.

OPTIONAL MODULES (one-time additional fee required as an “In App Purchase”):

• Invoicing: If you want to do billing directly from your iPhone or iPod Touch then look no further. The most powerful invoicing module built directly into Time Master. Professional PDF invoices can be emailed to the client, including your own logo. Click here for more information.
• Quickbooks Export: With the Quickbooks Export module you can export Time Entries to the Windows version of Quickbooks via IIF files. Click here for more information.
• Synchronization: Wirelessly synchronize two or more devices. If you have an iPad and an iPhone and want to keep the data synchronized between the two devices, this is for you! Click here for more information.

The two main things that you will want to track and bill for are time and expenses. You can track time using start and stop times, start and duration, and/or timers. All time entries are tracked for a single day, so time entries cannot be greater than 24 hours. It will allow you to time across days, for example if you start a job at 8 p.m. and finish at 2 a.m., it will have a duration of 6 hours.

Expenses can be setup for recurring fixed cost items, such as burning a CD, reimbursement of hardware items, or fluid things such as toll expenses, automobile mileage, etc. Expenses can be tied to a Project so it can be reported with a specific Project.

Quick reporting can be done on the iPhone / iPod Touch with the Reports function. See your totals per client for a given date range and even drill down to see details. The report can also be emailed in an HTML table format and/or CSV format. The CSV files can be ZIP’d and even encrypted with a password. Use our free Time Master Central application to backup your database (and restore if necessary) on a Mac or PC. The data from the backup can be exported, in CSV format, on your Mac or PC to be used in other programs.

Adding new Clients, Projects, Tasks and Expenditures is super easy.  You can create them on the fly without having to navigate to a separate maintenance screen. To edit them you can tap on Setup, do you edit and then return to where you left off in Time Entries or Expenses. By selecting a Project or Task first will automatically fill in the Client field for quick entry.

We’ve made every thing that you can do as seamless as possible. For example if you are in a Time Entry, then hit the Setup tab and then delete the Client (and all it’s associated entries), and then you touch on the Time Entries tab again, it will exit the entry you were in and go to the main Time Entry screen.

To see all the details of what the application can do, please download the “Instructions” PDF manual […].”

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Tablet Wars Update

 

Screenshot from CNet.com

Again, in fine form, our friends at CNet.com have provided an excellent review of the Samsung Galaxy and the Apple iPad.  The video link above will provide you with much of the information that one would want in making a decision about which tablet to buy.  There is also quite a bit of updating on the newcomers to the tablet market.

While I am a very satisfied customer with my iPad, I can certainly see how someone else would be interested in the upcoming competition.  However, the two-screen tablets are of future interest to me since I would like to have a tablet that allows me to type on one screen into a word processing app, while having my research up on the other screen.

Pics of Iconia Two-Screen Tab (Engadget.com)

I don’t necessarily need a full laptop experience, but definitely see a need for being able to multitask better than is presently allowed by any of the ‘major’ players in the field.  I state this last observation keeping in mind the IOS 4.2 update that we recently got from Apple.  Having to press the home button twice and switch around is not my idea of practical app multitasking.

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• iPad, Samsung Galaxy and why we should call them Slates (liberatemedia.com)
• ‘iPad is Amazing’ according to new Apple commercial (intomobile.com)

Diversions for Lawyers: How About Some Angry Birds?

Angry Birds is just about one of my favorite diversions. As you can see from many videos of this app in action, this game is incredibly simple in concept, and yet a source of entertainment for days. The basic idea is that you have to sling an angry bird at a house of pigs who are trying to steal your eggs. Sounds silly enough, right? Angry Birds requires some skill in much the same way playing pool does. You have to figure out angles, velocity, and other factors in order to prevail over the pigs. There are many levels and the game is cheap for an app of this quality ($.99). Highly recommended for those of us looking for a quick diversion.  You might also want to check out CNet.com’s 25 Best Ipad Games review, which has pics and helpful descriptions of the games.  There are also a number of other interesting games available from Angry Birds Developer Rovio.

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• Angry Birds Christmas is free update for Halloween edition (dialtosave.co.uk)
• Angry Birds Seasons (Christmas Edition) for Android Released (techie-buzz.com)
• Why Angry Birds is So Addicting (patspapers.com)
• Angry Birds Seasons available now for Android, iOS later today (intomobile.com)

Time Master: Great For Billing Anywhere at Any Time !!!

Time Master Main Screen

The Time Master app is another of my most used apps, especially when I am out of town. This app costs about $10.00 and is incredibly useful for keeping track of your time and billing. On-Core, the developer, says, “The best, most powerful, comprehensive, easy to use time keeping app on the Apple Store is now even better. Time Master has the highest average rating of all the time management apps. And the other apps don’t come close to our new optional billing module. Our invoices are totally professional.”

“Our biggest fans are consultants, attorneys and contractors. Time Master is used by individuals working independently, to attorneys from some of the biggest law firms in the USA. If you need to keep track of time and expenses, you can’t find a better app than Time Master. We at On-Core are IT professionals, so we have firsthand experience with billing and keeping track of time. We know from personal experience what is needed and have made this app so flexible, it works for virtually anyone in any industry in which time needs to be kept.

Are you losing money due to poor record keeping? Did you forget to log the time you spent on a small task and not bill for it last month? On-Core Time Master simplifies the process by having an app handy on your iPhone or iPod Touch, ready at all times, for you to track your time. You can quickly start tracking time with a few taps on the screen. Those little minutes add up every month and this application will easily pay for itself in one month! We think that you will find Time Master the ultimate time tracking application, with its superior ease of use, for your iPhone or iPod Touch.”

Apple Store’s website, states that the app provides the following features:

• Track time by start, stop and/or by duration
• Sessions option can track “punch-in & out” for a single time entry
• Single or multiple running timers
• Timers keep running even if you are not running the app
• Time Entries are by Client and can be sub-categorized by Project and Tasks
• Powerful billing rates that can be defined in the following priority: Global, by Client, by Project, by Task or Custom per entry
• Powerful Time Rounding: by hour, minutes and/or seconds
• Multiple Filters to sort and view only what you need to see
• Define the day of the week that your work week starts
• Track Expenses – from Mileage to Meals to Burning CD’s and anything else you want to define
• Display Reports right on your device that you can view and export via email in HTML and/or CSV format. By Client or Timesheet
• Copy Client information from your Contacts list
• Dual taxes for countries such as Canada
• Import IIF files
• Full Backup & Restore capabilities

I have personally used almost all of the features and have been pleased all the way around.  The app has been updated several times since I bought it and it does get better each time.   The app seems very well suited for use by any professional who is required to keep his or her time and is simple to use, especially once you have input most of your client information over time.  Probably the biggest task is setting up your database of clients, billable entries, and related project/matter information.

Noteworthy are the facts that the app is compatible with Quickbooks, it can be synchronized between two devices (Ipad and your Iphone), and it will allow you to import contacts information from Outlook, AOL, or other address books.  Lastly, Time Master provides you with the ability to invoice immediately via e-mail and to print invoices as a .pdf file.

I give this app the highest recommendation after having regularly used it for the last year plus.

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Kno Tablet Could Prove to be Good for Lawyers Too …

Kno Tablet

While specifically designed for the educational community, this certainly looks like it could be a very good prospect for lawyers too.  The split screen could allow for the simultaneous viewing of an exhibit and notes, cases and outlines of arguments, codes, charts, timelines, mind mapping diagrams, and other documents which would otherwise have to be put side by side.

I certainly know that the single screen on the Ipad is limiting, especially while in trial or under the gun by some irritable judge who doesn’t have the patience for clicking or the old alt-tab function (even though flipping through pages would take longer and be louder anyway).  For right now I have been bringing both my laptop and my Ipad with me to evidentiary hearings.  As I have stated in prior posts, the convenience of a slate cannot be overstated.  The only improvement that I can think of is exactly what is proposed by the Kno tablet.  After looking at the specs, capabilities, and basic function, I think that this will prove to be a good addition to the tablet market — if those at Kno are able to grasp the foreseeably positive effect that this could have on the practice of law, which, for better or worse, is sometimes quite the academic venture.  I like what I see so far and hope that the folks at Kno will take a serious look at our industry and think of ways that it could improve efficiency in the courts and at our law schools.