How to use the timer in meetings, classrooms and exercises

The timer on mackan.eu shows a large countdown that everyone in the room can read, while you keep the settings on your own screen. It needs no account, works without internet once downloaded, and is available in Swedish and English.

This guide shows how to put the time on a projector, what happens when time runs out, and how to keep real time and exercise time apart.

Choose how the audience sees the time

There are three ways to show the timer. Choose based on how many screens you have and whether the audience may see your settings.

Three ways to show the time
Method You need The audience sees Best for
Fullscreen One screen Only the time, until you press Esc Group work, breaks, your own screen
Audience window An extra screen or projector on the same computer Only the time, all the time Talks, conferences, staff briefings
Timer on a phone A phone The phone screen Small groups and personal timekeeping

The audience window is controlled from the same computer. You cannot control a timer on another computer or from your phone.

Three common uses

Meetings and conferences

Give the speaker a clear time

Keep the countdown visible to the speaker and the audience. When time runs out, the overtime is shown with a plus sign.

Open a 20-minute talk
Teaching

Let the class follow the time

A shared countdown makes it clear when group work ends and when everyone gathers again.

Open 15 minutes of group work
Exercise control

Keep session time and exercise time apart

Show how long the session runs and what time it is in the exercise, clearly labelled.

Open a situation briefing

Show the timer on a projector

Connect the projector as an extended display and open the audience window, so the audience only sees the time while you keep the controls.

  1. Connect the projector and choose Extend these displays in the display settings, not Duplicate.
  2. Open the timer, choose a duration and type a title.
  3. Click Audience window and drag the window to the projector.
  4. Make the audience window fullscreen with the button in its lower right corner.
  5. Start from your own screen. Space starts and pauses.

Real time and exercise time

Real time is the computer clock, while exercise time is a simulated clock with its own start time and speed. In Exercise mode both are shown, and you choose which one the countdown follows.

Example: a session is 20 minutes and the exercise runs at 5× speed starting at 08:00. After one real minute the exercise clock has moved five minutes, to 08:05. If the countdown follows real time, 19 minutes remain. If it follows exercise time, 15 minutes remain.
  • The get-ready phase is counted in real time. The exercise clock starts when it ends.
  • Pause stops both the session and the exercise clock. Real time keeps going.
  • In Exercise mode the audience screen is always labelled EXERCISE, so nobody mistakes exercise time for real time.

Common questions

What happens when time runs out?

The timer keeps counting with a plus sign and shows the text Time is up, so you can see how far the session has run over.

  • There are no sounds and no flashing.
  • You can choose when the screen shows Ending soon, for example two minutes before.
  • Status is shown with text, a symbol and colour, so it can be read by people who do not tell colours apart.

Does the timer work without internet?

Yes, if you download the offline package in advance and open it in the browser on your computer.

  • Download the package while you have internet and test it before the meeting.
  • The audience window works offline, but only on the same computer.
  • Saved setups live in the browser and do not move to another computer.

Which display is easiest to read from a distance?

Digital standard is designed to be the easiest to read, while the other seven displays give the room some character.

  • Test the display in the actual room from the back row.
  • In bright rooms, large digits help more than colour.
  • Nixie works best at shorter distances.

Why did the display stop when the computer went to sleep?

Browsers pause pages when the computer sleeps or the tab is in the background, so turn off sleep and the screen saver before you start.

  • Plug in the charger for long sessions.
  • Keep the timer tab or the audience window visible.
  • Check the time after a power interruption.

Does leaving fullscreen affect the time?

No, Esc only leaves fullscreen and the time keeps running until you pause or reset it yourself.

Checklist before the meeting or exercise

  • The timer is open and the duration is correct.
  • The title is short and readable from the back row.
  • The projector is set to Extend these displays.
  • The audience window is on the projector in fullscreen.
  • The Ending soon threshold is set.
  • In Exercise mode: start time, speed and what the countdown follows are checked.
  • Sleep and screen saver are turned off.

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