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DESCRIPTION
VelaClock is a world clock widget with a highly configurable user interface. Users can quickly display the time of sunrise, sunset, or twilight, duration of daylight, moonrise, moonset, phase of moon, time zone information and more.
The interface of VelaClock can easily be configured to use a minimum amount of screen space or if the user wishes, more detailed information about the currently selected city can be displayed. The top pane of VelaClock displays a list of cities and corresponding local times. Multiple lower panes can be opened to display more information and take up more screen space (each pane has a full and a minimized version):
- A light level bar that gives the user a picture of the 24 hours of natural light (bright daylight, three kinds of twilight and night) for the current day. A thin white bar indicates when the moon is visible. Daylight duration and the change in minutes of daylight from the previous day are also displayed.
- Specific times for sunrise, sunset, moonrise and moonset. Begin/end times for civil twilight, nautical twilight, and astronomical twilight can also be displayed.
- An image of the moon as seen in the sky above the currently selected city. This image accurately depicts the angle of the moon's crescent. Because this angle can change dramatically within the span of an hour, it is updated once a minute, as is the moon's phase. This view also contains the name of the current phase, as well as local times for the next and previous phase events (new, quarter, full).
- An analog clock and detailed time zone information, including full time zone name and the number of hours the selected city is ahead or behind the user's current time zone (as set in System Preferences). The current season name (winter, etc.) is also displayed.
No Internet connection is required. VelaClock is a unique widget in that it is completely self-contained. Many widgets are lightweight front-ends to web services; such widgets require an Internet connection. By contrast, VelaClock is designed to function without an Internet connection, and so is particularly useful for laptop users away from their home or office. Astronomical calculations are performed by an internal code module.
WHAT'S NEW
Version 2.2:
- Compatible with Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard.
- Updated Daylight Saving Time rules for Gaza, Pakistan and Samoa.
REQUIREMENTS
Mac OS X 10.4 or later.
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| VelaClock User Reviews (13 posts) | Write A Review |
 | Jan 5 2008 |
KOSOVAR1 The developer just wrote to me and informed me of an effective work-around. After setting the DATE AND TIME control panel to Rio de Janeiro and re-activating SET TIME AUTOMATICALLY, VelaClock now displays the time correctly both in the widget and in the menu barfor those of us who live in Argentina. Thanks to the developer who was kind enough to write to me personally with the solution. Another one of those rare, but wanton, acts of kindness and professionalism.
(Version 2.1.4) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
| Jan 4 2008 |
KOSOVAR1 Just one problem on the newest update (and please correct me if I've missed something here).: Apparently Apple's automated time servers have not been updated, so to get the correct time in the menu bar, you have to turn off the automatic time updates feature and input the correct time f you live in Argentina (as I do). This means that VelaClock, in correcting the unconventional time change for Argentia, as ensured that the time in Argentina as displayed on VelaClock, will be incorrectly ahead by one hour. It seems the developer should have held off on the repair until the Apple makes it's own adjustment. Definitely not a crisis, but pretty annoying since all time comparisons will be wrong in VelaClock if you want the correct time displayed in the menu bar, and plus you lose the auto-updating feature.
(Version 2.1.4) | |
| [ 1 Reply - Reply ] | |
Replies:
 | Jan 5 2008 |
VELADG First, please submit support requests and technical questions directly to us. If you own VelaClock, click "Send Feedback" on the back of the widget. Otherwise, click the "support email" link on this page: http://www.veladg.com/company.html. For users in Argentina, Mac OS X cannot currently be correctly set to the time zone of Argentina with Daylight Saving Time on (that is, UTC-02). But, the time zone of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil is UTC-02; this is currently the same as Argentina. Turning off "automatic time updates feature and input the correct time" as KOSOVAR1 recommends is indeed one solution. Doing this will prevent precision time for your Mac. I recommend setting your Mac OS X time zone as follows: 1. Select 'System Preferences' from the Apple menu. 2. Click on the 'Date & Time' icon in the System category. 3. Click on the 'Time Zone' tab and confirm that the time zone is set to "Rio de Janeiro - Brazil". Important: make sure to check the 'Set date & time 4. Click on the 'Date & Time' tab and confirm that the time is correct for 5. Display VelaClock and wait for the minute to change to a new minute (to cause the widget to update itself). At that point, everything should be correct. This solution will work until February 15, 2008. Hopefully, by that time Mac OS X will be updated to show the correct time for Argentina. At that point, you'll need to set your Mac OS X time zone to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Here is the official announcement (in Spanish) for the time zone change: http://www.boletinoficial.gov.ar/Bora.Portal/CustomControls/PdfContent.aspx?fp=28122007&pi=10&pf=10&s=0&sec=01 Argentine Congress OKs time change to save energy (in English): http://uk.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idUKN2734841120071227 | |
| Jul 17 2007 |
SCOTTYO This is a comment about VelaClock in general: I am really pleased with this product. It does what it is designed to do, and meets my needs very well. We live in Tokyo (where my wife's relatives are); our children are in KY, U.S.A. and Canberra, Australia; and my own parents and relatives live in Winnipeg, Canada. I can keep track of "Now" for all these folks in a glance with VelaClock. This is a comment on the latest update: though it took a bit longer than I hoped, I have received free an update that works well with Safari beta 3.02, as promised. I heartily recommend VelaClock. BTW, a feature I would love to see (in the non-Deluxe version) is the ability to input a future time/date for any of the active time zones and see it reflected in all the others, as a way to simplify scheduling of iChats, phone calls, etc.
(Version 2.0.1) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
| Feb 11 2007 |
VELADG Developer response to the previous comment: Purchasing a VelaClock license entitles you the right to install it on two computers (such as one desktop and one laptop machine). If you purchase a new computer, VelaClock can be installed on it by downloading it from our web site then registering it using your serial number. If you have a registration problem, please contact us for help. Most registration problems are resolved within 24 hours; often these issues are resolved within minutes. We disclose the fact that VelaClock uses Product Activation both on our web site (veladg.com) and at the time of purchase. If a person somehow misses this, we will refund their money and deactivate the product.
(Version 1.9.3) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
| Dec 19 2006 |
IAN GROVES Just a warning that Vela Clock includes a "Product Activation" scheme which will prevent you installing the product you purchased from them on any new Mac you purchase, as it will deem you a pirate if you try to do so. There is no "de-activate" function in the product to allow you to transfer it from an old to a new machine. So, go ahead and pay your money and then watch them accuse you of being a thief.
(Version 1.9.3) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
 | Sep 26 2006 |
GARRISON Lots of great features and really easy to setup and configure different views. The 'light bar' showing me 3 different sunset/sunrise times along with when the moon will be visible is simply fantastic.
(Version 1.9.1) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
| Sep 19 2005 |
ANONYMOUS Perfect! Exactly what I was looking for. (Simple elegant interface that could remind me what time of day it was in various cities worldwide.) I've looked at many and tried a half dozen world clocks and this is by far the best interface design. (I'd rank this one close to Wikity Widget for creative interface design.) I was able to configure it just a minute as everything was entirely intuitive. I suppose free would be better (than cheap) but even that was a satisfying experience... (I have never seen such a slick little utility for taking a shareware fee and automatically registering your application.)
(Version 1.2) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
| Sep 18 2005 |
STEVE For the price requested, this widget falls very short. It should be free until it can be drastically improved.
(Version 1.2) | |
| [ 3 Replies - Reply ] | |
Replies:
| Nov 9 2005 |
TYLER DURDEN Then you should provide suggestion as to how it should be improved.
(Version 1.4) | |
| Feb 18 2006 |
JLARO Improvements? Here are some: 1- The possibility to enter the coordinates of any point on Earth and define its name, country and time zone would be great. It's all mathematical, so why should we be tied to a fixed and limited developer-supplied city list? 2- A slider (with the date as text below) ranging a complete year to quickly see the effect of date on daylight.
(Version 1.4) | |
 | Sep 25 2006 |
IZZAT And an option to see info for the next day would be handy. As a Bahái, I can say my morning prayers from twilight to two hours after dawn and it is handy to have the accuracy, when needed. Do not be content with showing friendship in words alone. Let your heart burn with loving kindness for all who may cross your path. www.bahai.org
(Version 1.9) | |
| Jul 26 2005 |
ANONYMOUS Everybody have the right to sell their own product. If anybody wish to make complain, give your one self example before judge any complain on others. In another word, if anybody said that this widget not worth to pay, should be free, fine, provide your own similar free sample then judge. If there's no self created free sample, don't even mention, you're not qualify to judge.
(Version 1.1) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
| Jul 25 2005 |
ANONYMOUS Looks great... I was looking for something like this. Regarding those complaining about the shareware fee, developers have to survive too. They've obviously invested a fair amount of time in this and the shareware fee isn't too expensive. I'll be paying if I think it's worth it!
(Version 1.1) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
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