Dato is a versatile menu bar application designed to provide a comprehensive calendar, events, and world clocks display for macOS users. With macOS 13 or later compatibility, it enhances productivity through its highly customizable features and supports a multitude of locales and languages, though the menus and settings are in English.
Enhancements in Dato 5
Interactive Event Handling
- Clicking on an event now opens its details, a change from hover-over displays.
- Right-click for additional event actions, such as muting or hiding notifications.
- Double-click to open an event in the default calendar application.
Contextual Awareness
- Clicking “upcoming event in menu bar” opens the main Dato window, providing more context like subsequent events.
Customization and Accessibility
- Hide main Dato menu bar item through settings.
- Hide events directly from the menu bar.
Features Galore
- Calendar views with week numbers and event indicators.
- Upcoming events glance for the next week.
- Support for reminders.
- Customizable time zones display with custom names.
- Integration with video call services, like Zoom and Google Meet.
- Multi-time zone clocks in the menu bar.
- Customizable date & time formats.
- Searchable time zones database with offline access.
- Integration with various calendar services (iCloud, Google, Outlook, etc).
Trial and Tips
- Available for trial through Setapp.
- Tips include double-clicking to open events and long-pressing days to open in the calendar app.
Keyboard Shortcuts and Gestures
- Extensive keyboard shortcuts for navigation and functionality.
- Gestures for calendar interaction and event management.
Troubleshooting and Customization
- Solutions for common issues like space constraints in menu bars with notches.
- Tips for video call services integration.
- Customization of date and time displays adhering to system settings.
- Fullscreen notifications with event joining functionality.
Integration with Other Services and Apps
- Compatibility with Velja app for opening meeting links in preferred browsers.
- Shows how to display time zones in the menu bar and address high CPU usage.
FAQs and User Support
- FAQs cover feature requests, calendar services support, fullscreen notification settings, and more.
- Contact information for feedback and support inquiries.
Advantages Over Other Apps
- Dato is presented as a superior menu bar UI choice compared to Fantastical and iStat Menus, with emphasis on customization and aesthetics.
- It offers different features from Itsycal, focusing on both calendar and time aspects.
Legacy and Open Source Policy
- Previous versions are made available, although compatibility is limited to older macOS variations.
- A decision against open-sourcing to prevent clones.
In Essence
Dato offers an enhanced interface for managing calendars, events, and time zones directly from the macOS menu bar, with a focus on customization and integrations for an improved user experience. The application is updated with interactive and user-friendly features, making it a valuable tool for users looking for streamlined event and time management.
Tags: #DatoApp, #MenuBarCalendar, #macOSProductivity, #TimeManagement