Are you wondering what was the main reason for tracking time and why time tracking app is so popular nowadays? There are many steps between how it started and how it looks right now, so let’s have a quick look on evolution of time tracking tools.
Ever wondered what was the reason for people to start tracking their time and why time tracking software is so popular nowadays? Let’s take quick look at the evolution of time tracking from stone clock to automatic time tracking software and see how it started and how it looks right now.
Stone clocks at ancient times
Already ancient civilizations realized the value and importance of tracking time. They used Sun and Moon to capture time frames, dates, seasons and years.
The early groups of hunters implemented stones, sticks and bones to track the different moon phases. That’s how the first calendars were created.
Sundial
However some scientists claim, that the oldest time tracker is sundial. It is based on the fact that the shadow of the object will move the same way as sun from east to west. However, the biggest disadvantage of this device, that it did not work, when it was cloudy or during the night.
The hourglass can also be called a “sand clock“. With sand clocks, sand moves from one vessel to another or leaks out of a vessel at a precise rate. How much sand is present in a second vessel or remaining in the only vessel indicates the time depending upon the design of the clock.
Hourglass
Hourglasses were used in churches, kitchens, and even during sea expeditions.
Pendulum clock
Dutch physicist, mathematician and horologist Christiaan Huygens invented the pendulum clock in 1656 and patented it in 1657. This technology reduced the loss of time by clocks from about 15 minutes to about 15 seconds per day.
Modern clocks
The clocks started to develop really quickly since 1780. People started to track their time with the help of wristwatches by the end of World War I.
The first electronic watch was invented in 1957, and the first plastic watch in 1983.
Automatic time tracking software
Nowadays people want not only know how much time it is now, but also have data on how long different activities take. And time tracking software was created exactly to cover those needs. Mostly they are being used for professional needs:
- to see where the time goes
- to optimize workload
- to set achievable goals
- to determine most and least productive employees
etc.
A good example of automatic time tracking software is Yaware.TimeTracker. As all the data are gathered without human interaction, what allows to save time and eliminate human mistakes.
So, as you see, time tracking has always been a part of the human story. And Yaware continues the tradition of helping you keep track of time in the most accurate way possible.