NowWow.org - Get Away From Your Laptop

Most of us are guilty of spending too much time sitting in front of the computer with our backs hunched and our eyes glazed over. It is the mission of a new widget called Now & Wow to get you to take a break from your laptop. By installing the widget as a regular free web widget (it will launch in a small pop-out window) or as a Google Gadget, you will receive a reminder in the form of an alarm-clock style ding that you should get up and stretch your legs for a bit. The idea behind the widget is simple; spending too much time in front of the computer is bad for your health, thus by reminding you to punctuate your sessions with other activities, Now & Wow is helping you to preserve your personal well-being. Once in a while, the widget accompanies the standard alarm with a positive message and/or compliment.

“The Now&Wow widget is a tool for computer users who need to relax from time to time and want to live now.
It works like an alarm: every now and then the widget reminds you to take some distance from what you are doing and think of something else. Or stop thinking completely for a moment and just realize how you feel right now”

Now & Wow could be a good way for those of us who are slaves to our computers to remember to take breaks. The widget really couldn’t be any simpler to use; it doesn’t even have to be embedded in a page.

How often does the alarm ring? Can it be personalized? This isn’t clear. I was also unable to make the demo work successfully; the alarm stopped going off after a few rings. The title of the widget is somewhat odd; what does the name have to do with the product? Would people really use this instead of a simple clock timer?