This item surfaced on the -F forum recently. My $0.02 USD on it ;-)
While I agree with the usefulness of the feature, I find it both distracting and difficult to see under all circumstances. It could have as easily been implemented as a "light" (cluster of pixels) that are red or green, color or grey (for example). The sliding line eats up CPU cycles unnecessarily. The lower left corner has unused space, as does the space below the cal indicators. "P" or "R" (English, running, or paused), icons, there are many options that are both more visible and less distracting.
~R~
72/73 de Rich NE1EE
The Dusty Key
On the banks of the Piscataqua