Current version is 4.7.8

This release brings a lot of small bugfixes and recommended for all users. Also it brings Chinese translation, thanks to translators!

Very likely this is the last release of your beloved "Digital Clock 4"... But don't worry - new major version on its way! It was created completely from scratch, mostly to address the issues unresolvable in "Digital Clock 4" due to its design. Also it will bring a lot of new features! Right now only app core with minimal features set is ready, first end-user usable "alpha" version is expected in month (I hope), I'll publish it here. So, please wait, future is coming!

Thanks to everyone who uses this my software, I even couldn't imagine that this small project created as playground and just-for-fun become so popular and well-known... And even translated into few languages... A lot of people with different questions/suggestions/issues contacted me these years, thanks to them I learned a lot of interesting things and even slightly raised my English skills. Sometimes I even was shocked how my clock is used and who uses it. Some of such unexpected and interesting case even were taken into account during new clock design.

Thanks, dear users! Hope you will like "Next Generation Digital Clock". See you soon!

If you like my software, now you can "say thanks" by donating some bits to this Bitcoin address 1DLdUCqxXrkufqVqXU18tgsmtvxErHiMQS

Donation will also support the next clock version development. Thanks!

Quick start

Nothing special required to start using this clock. Just launch it and enjoy! When it starts, apart the clock itself, small tray icon appears (where system tray is available). Tray icon appearance depends on operating system, in most cases it is black, but on Windows 10 and macOS with dark panel theme it is white. This tray icon can be used at least to call clock configuration dialog. Also configuration dialog can be called using context menu, which appears on right click on clock. In environments without system tray (such as GNOME 3) this is only the way to call configuration dialog. But be ware: when "transparent for mouse" option is enabled, you will be unable to click on clock!

Notes

Windows

• Installation instructions
• Sound playback doesn't work on any Windows 'N' edition
• Installer version depends on Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2015, 2017 and 2019. Installer does not install it automatically (for now, but maybe this will done later). It must be installed manually before running (or installing) this program. Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2015, 2017 and 2019 installation must be done only once.
• Minimum Windows version supported by installer is Windows 7 SP1. Constraint is inherited from Microsoft Visual Studio. All questions 'why?' - to MS.
• Portable version may work on older Windows versions, but this is not really tested and correct work is not guaranteed (since it has compiled with Windows 7 SDK). I have no plans to support obsolete Windows versions.

Linux

• Installation instructions
• App can be installed as native package from third-party repository (owned by me)
• Sounds playback capability depends on installed gstreamer1.0 plugins/codecs. Install gstreamer1.0-plugins-ugly to play mp3/mp4 files.
• Any version before 4.5.1 has issues with sound playback on Ubuntu 16.04 and newer (also maybe on other modern Linux systems).
• To use Talking clock plugin install speech-dispatcher package.
• Application restart may be required after some settings changes.
• Don't use version from repo in Wayland environments, use "portable" instead (as before)

macOS (OS X)

• Minimum supported macOS (OS X) version is 10.12 Sierra, constraint is inherited from Qt framework.
• Any version before 4.5.1 has issues with setting saving on macOS Sierra.
• Application restart may be required after some settings changes.

Whats new in 4.7.8

Features

• autostart for multiple instances (Windows portable version only)
• option to completely hide clock on mouse hover

Core

• Qt 5.12.9 for all supported platforms
• added few workarounds for Wayland-based Linux systems
• change updater User-Agent to latest Firefox ESR release

GUI

• added Chinese (China) (zh-CN) translation
• fixed few translation typo
• updated palette icon engine
• added donation link into About dialog
• keep inactive clock window behind all other windows
• fixed issue with light fonts selection

Plugins

• countdown_timer: double-click on the countdown timer restarts it
• countdown_timer: added "Auto-restart countdown" option
• countdown_timer: chime when countdown finishes
• countdown_timer: don't set focus to existing message box button
• countdown_timer: pause timer on click on it
• countdown_timer: hotkeys support

read full changelog