APPSHOT

There are two kinds of people in the world ... and the other kind simply can't do without stock-market reports.

Trader Clock can be a small app (as above) or a dominant program to help you keep track of stock-market openings and movements.

Trader Clock is for them. It's either a small and handy app on the Windows desktop or a huge, dominating obsession and centrepiece on the Windows desktop. The display is up to you.

What is unique about Trader Clock, and why share-trading fans and fanatics should take a look, is that the clock tracks the opening and closing of stock exchanges. It is particularly biased towards those in Asia, although it does include major Western ones as well.

If the editor hasn't forgotten it again, the screenshot shows green and grey semi-circles. Each is a separate stock exchange, displaying the trading hours. Green designates the ones that are open at the time of your visit.

Touch your mouse tip to one of the circles and a small sub-window pops up to show you the market's name, the current time at its location, and the results of the trading day so far _ green for a market that's up, red for one that is trading down.

While you have the program running, a small window will pop up each time a market opens. Trader Clock is also called Trading Clock by its generous Chinese author, Ji Xiang. Ji and I emailed back and forth a few times, and I convinced him to add the SET, after which he added many others on his own.

After starting out with just a few markets, the latest version of Trader Clock has 40.

To set up the size and colours, and to list the markets you like, just install and run the program, and left-click on the clock to get a configuration window.

Ji has installed a download system where you request the program, and he emails you a link (usually within a few seconds) to get Trader Clock on your computer. So you'll need an email address to get his mail.

I can testify that, over the course of several months, I haven't received a single piece of spam (or any other emails either), but, as always, you don't have to use your primary email address to receive this app.

Trader Clock is free, has no advertising or time limit, and certainly has no malware attached. It's a very modestly sized download and the installation is simple.

Ji has a web page that tells you a bit about the program and includes details about how to request it, at www.traderclock.com.

Email: wandasloan@gmail.com.