[update 2010-03-03: We have pushed a new Beta version for the Mac (2.2.1.662) that should help capture more of the URLs from Google Chrome. If you want to give it a try, re-download and install the Mac beta (links below) and let us know if this reduces the amount of time seen for the generic "Chrome" time on your dashboard]
This has been a bad 2 weeks for Mac RescueTime users as both Firefox (with v3.6 for Mac) and Chrome (v5.x for the Mac) have effectively broken RescueTime’s ability to grab URL information from the browser. The result is lots of “Firefox” and “Chrome” time instead of time for individual web sites. Yuck. We have some fixes for you, detailed below. The team has worked tirelessly on this (12+ hours a day for some of them), so please give them a round of applause… This is one of the challenges of working on someone else’s platform.
Firefox 3.6 Mac Users (note: 3.5.x or earlier users don’t need to worry until they upgrade)
To get URL resolution with RescueTime, you will need to do the following:
- Download/Install the Beta RescueTime Data Collector
- Download/Install the RescueTIme Firefox Add On
We’re not thrilled that an add-on is required, but it’s currently the only workable solution that we have available for Mac FF3.6 users. Big props to the Linux crowd, who had built this add-on for the open source RescueTime for Linux project. Woot! Note: without the add on, RescueTime will not get data for individual web sites.
Chrome 5.x Mac Users (note: Chrome is pretty aggressive about upgrades, so you’ll be experiencing this problem if you are a Mac Chrome user pretty quickly)
To get URL resolution with RescueTime, you will need to do the following:
- Download/Install the Beta RescueTime Data Collector
- That’s it.
We’ll be pushing out an upgrade to our Mac Chrome users next week (likely) but you can get a jump start by using the instructions above.
Please let us know if follow the above instructions and have any problems.
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February 12, 2010 at 3:03 pm
One for chrome still isn’t working… On 5.0.307.7
February 12, 2010 at 3:44 pm
Hey Phil- can you try something just to confirm? Open up RescueTime preferences (on the machine that you’ve upgraded). Click on the status line… This will open up a secret debugging panel. Leave that open and then bring Chrome back into focus. When you do that, do you se information in the “window title” and “extended info” areas of the RescueTime debugging panel?
If not, can you let me know if you’re running any chrome extensions? We’ve got several macs with chrome here (same version) that are working flawlessly so far….
February 17, 2010 at 3:41 pm
THis might be odd behavoir, but It gets the “extended info” right on all my tabs, but some (including this blog) It spits out “Unable to set window_title”
The other page is: http://informationarchitects.jp/ia3/
Facebook spits this out for extended info:
:3
Now if i go back and forth a few times on the tabs it gets it right again. (though not for the window title issue)
Though out of nowhere it has started to work again in most reporting (still get a bizarrely huge 2+ hours for Google Chrome, I don’t sit a new tab window or download window…
February 20, 2010 at 1:07 pm
same problem as phil.. especially this current blog has problems.
5.0.322.2 on osx leopard
February 23, 2010 at 3:50 am
I’m using Chrome 5.0.307.9 on OSX 10.6.2, and having the same problem: despite lots of time on the web registering correctly, a plurality is simply “Google Chrome.”
It would save time, email, and frustration all round if the RescueTime team had a regularly updated status page for open issues like these. The blog posts are appreciated, but they’re too infrequent for those of us who are affected.
March 9, 2010 at 9:35 am
Any update on this? Hard to evaluate without the website resolution. Thankfully it registers my chrome time as productive!
March 9, 2010 at 9:43 am
We’re testing a fix for the Mac that eliminates one of the major causes of un-attributed Chrome time. There’ll always be SOME (i.e. when you are in the middle of typing in a URL, opening a new tab, etc), but it SHOULD be down to 10-15 per day, TOPS. we’ll probably be pushing this fix within the next week or so.
February 13, 2010 at 11:23 am
RescueTime, you’ve saved me! Thanks so much for the Chrome update!
March 9, 2010 at 9:44 am
Hey Paul– we’re working on a Focus Mode revamp that should work a LOT better and reduce our dependency on the vagaries of browsers. Sorry about the rough edges.