Logs activity of key presses and mouse left-click, displays an icon in system menubar to depict activity mode. Can be used as boilerplate for sending activity log to server every x minutes.

macosx-activity-logger-menubar.py

import time

from Cocoa import *
from Foundation import *
from PyObjCTools import AppHelper

last_timestamp = time.time()
# put two images, 16*16px in a subdirectory called 'resources'
status_images = {
    'inactive':'./resources/inactive.png',
    'active':'./resources/active.png',
}
start_time = NSDate.date()

class AppDelegate(NSObject):
    images = {}
    status_bar = None
    state = 'inactive'
    timeout = 30 # seconds

    def applicationDidFinishLaunching_(self, notification):
        # Monitor keypresses
        NSEvent.addGlobalMonitorForEventsMatchingMask_handler_(
            NSKeyDownMask, activity_handler
        )
        # Monitor mouse left-clicks
        NSEvent.addGlobalMonitorForEventsMatchingMask_handler_(
            NSLeftMouseDownMask, activity_handler
        )

        status_bar = NSStatusBar.systemStatusBar()
        self.status_item = status_bar.statusItemWithLength_(
            NSVariableStatusItemLength)
        # Load images
        for i in status_images.keys():
            self.images[i] = NSImage.alloc().initByReferencingFile_(
                status_images[i])

        self.status_item.setImage_(self.images['inactive'])
        self.status_item.setToolTip_('Activity Logger')

        # Build menu
        self.menu = NSMenu.alloc().init()
        menu_item = NSMenuItem.alloc().initWithTitle_action_keyEquivalent_(
            'Quit', 'terminate:', ''
        )
        self.menu.addItem_(menu_item)
        self.status_item.setMenu_(self.menu)

        self.timer = NSTimer.alloc().initWithFireDate_interval_target_selector_userInfo_repeats_(
            start_time, 5.0, self, 'tick:', None, True
        )
        NSRunLoop.currentRunLoop().addTimer_forMode_(self.timer, NSDefaultRunLoopMode)
        self.timer.fire()

    def tick_(self, notification):
        global last_timestamp
        if time.time() < (last_timestamp + self.timeout):
            self.state = 'active'
        else:
            self.state = 'inactive'

        self.status_item.setImage_(self.images[self.state])
        print self.state, time.time(), last_timestamp


def activity_handler(event):
    """Gets called every time there's an event/activity happening.
    Sets last_timestamp to the time when an event occurs.
    This can be used by a thread that's checking if there was any
    activity in the last x minutes."""
    global last_timestamp
    last_timestamp = time.time()

def main():
    app = NSApplication.sharedApplication()
    delegate = AppDelegate.alloc().init()
    NSApp().setDelegate_(delegate)
    AppHelper.runEventLoop()

if __name__ == '__main__':
   main()