Users who click next, next, next during installations will end up with Yahoo as their default homepage and search engine. A click on Customization and the removal of those optional features is however not enough to block the change. The program displays a “Would you like to continue with the recommended settings” prompt after removal of the two options. A click on OK performs the standard installation which changes the homepage and search engine. Only a click on Cancel continues the installation with the changes.

The timer is displayed in the lower right corner of the operating system right above the system tray icons and time. It is possible to move the small window to another location by holding down the left mouse button on its interface and dragging it around on the desktop.

The timer has been designed to be always on top with no apparent option to change the window behavior. Speaking of options; There are not any. Everything is directly accessible in the program window.

Users can use the up and down arrows to set the timer. A click on the ST button starts the timer. The only other available options are the R button to reset the timer and three color buttons to change the interface color of the timer.

The timer plays a sound and begins flashing once the time runs out. This can only be stopped with a click on the R button.

Free Light Timer has been tested on a 64-bit Windows 7 system. The program can be downloaded directly from the developer homepage. No information about compatibility are provided on the website.

Timers can be used for other purposes as well like learning a language for the next hour or timing the cooking perfectly. Cool Timer is one of those timer applications that can be used as a countdown timer, alarm clock or stopwatch which covers everything that can be done with a timer.

The timer application can be set to a maximum of 99 hours, 59 minutes and 59 seconds which only makes sense when in countdown mode. The options control most of the program’s features like setting the alarm options. Alarm options can be set to play a sound either from build in sounds or from audio files located on the computer with the option to loop the audio file indefinitely until the user reacts.

Alternatively, or in addition, a message can be displayed which the user can define. The message is showing up in big letters centered on the screen. The application can be minimized to the system tray where it will run silently until the set criteria is met.

The timer application needs about 1.6 Megabytes of computer memory in the taskbar and about 2.5 Megabytes in the System Tray.