PowerCharts

Hi everyone, I made this app to record mac's battery data and visualize it with chats. I made it because I was kinda paranoid about my mac's battery life and battery health when I bought it last summer. Apple said it could last 15 hours but I didn't believe them. And the battery health dropped a bit fast. So I wrote a script to record my battery data and made this app to present the data. It calculates consumption rate so I can easily know the battery life. For example, if it is 12.5 %/hr, then the full battery can last 8 hours at this rate. It also shows your battery health data like how the maximum capacity and cycle counts have changed over time. I heard of the 20-80 rule which is keeping your battery levels between 20% - 80% could improve battery health, so there is also a chart to show your battery level distribution. The data is presented on different time scales. You can see detailed information of last 7 days, or daily average data of last moonth, or monthly average data and health data of all time. There is a disadvantage though which is that the user have to add the contab tasks themselves. Because it uses crontab tasks to record the battery data periodically, and third party apps are not allowed to edit crontab tasks. I try to make it as easy as possible. All you have to do is to copy a command and run it in terminal. And the scrips are open sourced on Github so it is safe (the app is also completely offline). But still, it is a little inconvenient. This is all I want to share. If you also want to try it, there is a free lite version in App Store `PowerCharts - Lite`. Thanks ;)

Hey Ted, Does PowerCharts provide any recommendations or insights based on the data it collects? For example, does it suggest optimal charging habits or flag potential battery issues? Congrats on the launch!

Well done on the release! Visualizing battery usage with detailed charts is such a useful feature.

Love it! I'd love to give it a try

Congrats on the launch! 🎉 This app sounds like a fantastic tool for Mac users who want to keep a close eye on their battery usage and health. The detailed charts and various time scales for data visualization are great features that make it easier to understand battery performance over time. Even though adding crontab tasks manually might be a bit inconvenient, the benefits of having such in-depth insights definitely outweigh that minor drawback. Kudos for making the app open-source and offline for added security. Can't wait to give the lite version a try. Awesome work! 🚀🔋

Nice app, love the concept, I'm also building a cool directory of Mac apps. You should add it there. - mactools.pro

That’s a really neat and practical app idea! It’s awesome that you took your own concerns about battery life and health and turned it into a useful tool for others who share the same worries. The fact that you’re making the data visual and accessible with easy-to-understand charts is a huge plus, and the 20-80 battery rule feature is a great touch for people wanting to optimize battery health. I understand the challenge with having to use crontab tasks—while it might be a bit inconvenient, it’s reassuring that you’ve made it as straightforward as possible, and open-sourcing the scripts definitely adds to the trust factor. Having a completely offline app with privacy in mind is also a great approach, especially these days when people are more conscious about their data. Good luck with PowerCharts, and thanks for sharing it! I’m sure Mac users, especially those like you who are mindful about battery performance, will appreciate the insights it provides.