News and blog

How to monitor your C# application via Google Analytics or Matomo/Piwik

SoftMeter, our application usage analytics library, is a kind of minimal SDK for Google Analytics tracking (and Matomo/Piwik, in Beta).

By embedding SoftMeter in your C# desktop software, you can send hits to Google Analytics or Matomo/Piwik. Then you can use a normal Google analytics or Matomo/Piwik account to remotely monitor and track the usage of your software, together with any exceptions or crashes. Your can see how your software is being used both in real-time and in historical reports, compare month by month, or year by year.

How to show Google Analytics reports on your public website

Google Analytics was made to monitor your website traffic but many other uses were emerged as developers loved this free data collection and reporting platform.

Matomo (Piwik) gets new SDK for tracking desktop software applications

SoftMeter now has Matomo as an additional data collection and reporting platform for desktop software usage analytics.

Where to report/submit false positives of antivirus software

List of antivirus software companies and where to submit/report false positives. False positives, is the erroneous detection of clean files.

SoftMeter v1.3 released - The free in-app analytics tool

Submitted by web admin on Fri, 01/24/2020 - 23:03

Download now the new version to benefit from its in-app analytics features.

MacOS Catalina screensaver fix (v5.8.3)

Submitted by web admin on Tue, 10/29/2019 - 16:10

A new screensaver release restores the compatibility of the screensaver with MacOS Catalina.

Google analytics for desktop applications (free)

How can you connect your desktop application to Google Analytics and get application analytics for free? (As you do on your website)

Pre-configured dashboards for application usage analytics

Submitted by web admin on Sun, 05/12/2019 - 08:36

We prepared several preconfigured dashboards for your application usage analytics that you can immediatelly use as soon as you release your software with our SoftMeter application analytics library.

SoftMeter v1.1 released - The free application analytics tool

Submitted by web admin on Sat, 05/11/2019 - 18:58

SoftMeter v1.1 was released, for Windows, MacOS, IOS. Changed DLL calling convention, new function setOptions(), removed functions setProxy() and setSubscription().

SoftMeter v0.9.4 released - Get free software usage analytics

Submitted by web admin on Fri, 03/22/2019 - 11:18

Read what's new in v0.9.4 and v0.9.3 of our free application usage analytics tool.

Software Usage Analytics for free with SoftMeter + Google analytics

Google Analytics is the most popular platform for website statistics.

If we imagine our desktop or mobile software as a website, shouldn't we be using the same successful analytics platform also for our software usage analytics?

This is the idea that sparked the creation of SoftMeter, our software usage analytics library for Windows, MacOS and IOS.

IOS app analytics: How to monitor the usage of your IOS app for free

Mobile application analytics tools: SoftMeter works is the missing link from your application to Google Analytics.

Read here how to add mobile application analytics to your IOS app.

SoftMeter v0.9 adds IOS App analytics for free

Submitted by web admin on Sun, 12/23/2018 - 13:10

SoftMeter v0.9 was released just before Christmas.

This version adds support for IOS apps. You can monitor the usage of your IOS app via google analytics for free. An IOS example is posted so you can start easily.

MacOS 10.14 Mojave, screensaver problem, solved!

Submitted by web admin on Sun, 12/09/2018 - 22:22

It happened that the StarMessage screensaver had a problem under the new Mojave MacOS version. Due to a change in the operating system's screensaver framework, StarMessage lost its ability to draw on the screen. Many other screensavers for MacOS were also affected in the same way.

See beyond the download: SoftMeter v0.6.3 released

Submitted by web admin on Mon, 10/15/2018 - 22:29

SoftMeter v0.6.3 was released.

If you are already using SoftMeter to monitor your application usage, please upgrade. The API remains the same so the upgrade is simply a replacement of the library file (DLL in Windows, dylib in MacOS).

If you are not using SoftMeter, read on.

Software Usage Analytics tools for desktop and mobile apps

Comparison of runtime usage analytics for software (application analytics tools and mobile application analytics tools): Revulytics/Trackerbird, Nalpeiron, Appdynamics, Deskmetrics, Telerik analytics, and more.

Software usage analytics, SoftMeter v0.6.2 was released - Listen to the heartbeat of your software

Submitted by web admin on Sat, 09/08/2018 - 15:16

Version 0.6.2 of SoftMeter, our application analytics library was released.

All developers are asked to upgrade to this version.

There are no API changes, so the "upgrade" is a simple replacement of the previous DLL or dylib by the new one.

Application analytics dashboard | Free analytics for your Windows or MacOS application

As software developers for desktop software, we monitor how visitors arrive at our website, which pages they visit the most, which are the entry and exit pages. We also measure the number our software was downloaded. And then, after the download, there is silence: We do not know if the user installed the software if he/she keeps using it or he/she abandoned it the next day. We do not know how many active users we have. Software usage analytics is the category of tools that can help throw light in these questions that every developer has.

Application analytics is the new tool that allows you to look into these matters for the first time.

Installaware: How to add installation analytics today

This blog describes how you can add installation analytics to your existing Installaware script.

With the installation analytics you will be able to see the daily/monthly/yearly number of installations and uninstalls, the operating systems where the installations occur, the countries of your users and much more.

Software usage analytics library, SoftMeter v0.6.1 released - see beyond the download

Submitted by web admin on Mon, 07/30/2018 - 19:32

In this version of our software usage analytics library:

- Internal improvements (please update your installation package),

- cdecl and stdcall in the same DLL,

- all-in-one function.

Checklist: How to become a hero at your software development house

Submitted by web admin on Mon, 07/30/2018 - 11:05

Application analytics is a new practice and still only very few desktop applications use.

It is unique and powerful because it allows you, for the first time, to see beyond the download of your desktop software.

Here is the opportunity: You can become a development hero by implementing this new practice into your software.

Track your Delphi/Pascal application with Google Analytics, today

You can monitor the usage of your Delphi/Pascal GUI desktop application with Google Analytics, using SoftMeter. SoftMeter brings free Delphi analytics to your Delph or pascal programs.

Installation Analytics: Track Installs vs Uninstalls vs Software version for free

Indie software developers are used to measure their website traffic. With the new Installation Analytics tools, they can now also measure their software installations and removals.

Macbook screensaver: StarMessage for MacOS

Your new MacBook (or Mac) comes with some built-in Apple screensavers, but you would certainly prefer a bigger variety of Macbook screensavers to choose from. Read here our suggestions for your Macbook screensaver.

Installation analytics for shareware and desktop software applications

Installation analytics is the technique of gathering installation statistics directly from the distributed software installers.

The developers can see even in real-time the stream of installations and uninstalls of their software, understand the impact of their advertising, detect remote problems immediately after the release.

Having installation analytics in your software is essential for your success in this brutally competitive internet.

Digital clock screensaver - StarMessage v.5.7.4

Submitted by web admin on Mon, 03/26/2018 - 18:07

A digital clock functionality was added to the screensaver version 5.74.

You can now see the current time in 24 or 12 hours format, include or exclude the seconds. You can additionally select the color of the digital clock display, and its movement speed. Together with the time, you will, of course, see all the other animations of the StarMessage screensaver.

libAppTelemetry is now called SoftMeter (v0.5.7 released)

Submitted by web admin on Sun, 03/04/2018 - 10:50

This article describes the changes in the API function names and the backward compatibility of the SoftMeter application analytics package.

How to track your program's exceptions via Google Analytics

Our desktop software analytics library (SoftMeter) allows you to monitor your software program's exceptions by sending them automatically to Google Analytics.

Installation analytics for Inno Setup

It's time you see some instalaltion analytics for your shareware or other types of desktop software.

With SoftMeter, you can monitor your software's distribution and installation analytics using InnoSetup, and Google Analytics. A free and easy to implement solution.

Website VS Mobile App Google Analytics reporting views and the Google measurement protocol

Website vs Mobile App types of reporting views in Google Analytics, and the measurement protocol.

The Google measurement protocol can send PageViews, ScreenViews and Events to your Google Analytics account.

See a comparison listing the similarities and differences between the two types of reporting views: Website vs Mobile App.

Announcement: New version 0.5.3 of libAppTelemetry. Connect your shareware program with Google Analytics

Submitted by web admin on Sun, 01/07/2018 - 12:29

Version 0.5.3 of libAppTelemetry (now called SoftMeter) was released.

With SoftMeter you can monitor the usage statistics of your desktop program (Windows, MacOS) and the size of your user base.

SoftMeter has a free edition.

It works with Google Analytics, which is also free.

Your best wishes need a perfect canvas: the stars of the night sky.

Submitted by web admin on Wed, 12/27/2017 - 11:11

You can write your most important wishes using the stars of the night sky.

StarMessage screensaver v5.7.1 released. More power options to delay computer sleep mode. Better moon phase accuracy.

Submitted by web admin on Tue, 12/26/2017 - 09:57

The illumination of the moon image is improved together with the accuracy of the moon phase percent. More options were added to control the power settings and to keep the computer awake and avoid sleep/low power mode.

2018 moon phases bug just hit our moon screensaver [fixed by v5.7.0]

Submitted by web admin on Tue, 12/05/2017 - 14:23

Our StarMessage screensaver was hit today by a bug in the algorithm responsible for the 2018 moon phases calculation.

StarMessage screensaver v5.7.0 (Windows, Mac, Apple store) was released to fix this bug.

Announcement: See your shareware usage statistics with SoftMeter and Google Analytics

Shareware developers can now monitor the usage of their programs via Google Analytics, in the same way they monitor their website traffic.

This is the announcement of v0.5.2 of SoftMeter (former libAppTelemetry) that brings this capability to indie programmers (Windows, MacOS X).

Google analytics reporting examples for tracking software/shareware desktop applications

By using SoftMeter in your shareware/software application you can see runtime statistics of your desktop program via the Google Analytics platform.

As a shareware developer, you are probably already using Google analytics for your website traffic as it is a free and reliable solution. With our SoftMeter library, you can now also monitor the usage of your software program.

In this article, you can see examples of the reports that you will get.

Checkist: How to transfer a domain name from Godaddy to Namecheap, in 50 minutes (15 steps)

This procedure to transfer your domain name from one registrar to another requires less than 10 minutes of your time. Together with the waiting time for the servers to update, the domain switch takes from 50 minutes to few hours to complete. As this is completed in less than a day, you can perform the transfer just a few days before the renewal date your domain.

Domain diagnostics and website health checking tools for webmasters

A list of free online tools that will help webmasters check their website for errors, inconsistenices, and issues like the DNS propagation, site load speed, HTML validity, website health, website who is who history, SSL status, and more.