Review: Pocket Doan

Posted on September 24, 2008 by LJ

Summary

Pocket Doan, by Joseph H. Stadolnik III, is a multi-function meditation timer. It can be used for meditation, exercising, and focusing on tasks.

Overview

Manufacturer: Joseph H. Stadolnik III
Platform: Palm
Current Version: Palm: 3.3

Pros and Cons

Pros

Easy to operate
Uses “fun” and unusual sounds for alarms
Can program sequences of alarms
Freeware

Cons

The cricket is realistic enough to make people hunt for bugs

Why Did I Download/Buy This?

I was looking for a timer that would allow me to do multiple sequential timings with intervals. The method I was looking at doing was 10 minutes on task, 2 minutes break, repeating 5 times in an hour. This program allows me to do that, giving me gentle sounds to have me move from task to task.

How Do I Use This?

I use this program to help me relax at night. I have a program set up for 15 minutes fiction reading, 25 minutes non-fiction reading, and 20 minutes of crafting or music. This allows me to be mentally ready to go to sleep.

While I can’t necessarily meditate without falling asleep, this timer still allows me to relax and get my work done, without having jarring sounds alert everyone in the vicinity that I am using a timer.

I have also started interval exercising. This involves a warm up, then sessions of high activity followed by cool downs. The timer makes it very easy to do these.

About the cricket: I was using this program while studying in a bookshop one evening. The cricket was my cue to move to the next task. I overheard one customer close to me say, “They really have a problem with bugs here. I keep hearing crickets!”

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