diff --git a/README b/README
deleted file mode 100644
index c3b7058..0000000
--- a/README
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,16 +0,0 @@
-spinner.sh
-
-Display an awesome 'spinner' while running your long shell commands
-
-Do *NOT* call _spinner function directly.
-Use {start,stop}_spinner wrapper functions
-
-usage:
-  1. source this script in your's
-  2. start the spinner:
-      start_spinner [display-message-here]
-  3. run your command
-  4. stop the spinner:
-      stop_spinner [your command's exit status]
-
-Also see: test.sh
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..54832ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+# spinner.sh
+
+    Display an awesome 'spinner' while running your long shell commands
+
+Do *NOT* call _spinner function directly.
+Use spinner_{start,stop} wrapper functions!
+
+## Usage
+
+  1. source this script in your's
+  2. start the spinner:
+      spinner_start [display-message-here]
+  3. run your command
+  4. stop the spinner:
+      spinner_stop [your command's exit status]
+
+### Options
+
+  1. Use timer with ``SPINNER_TIMER=true``
+  2. Configure spin speed with ``SPINNER_DELAY=0.5``
+
+_See also: test.sh_
diff --git a/spinner.sh b/spinner.sh
index 423e49b..0fb1961 100755
--- a/spinner.sh
+++ b/spinner.sh
@@ -1,68 +1,77 @@
-#!/bin/bash
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
 
-# Author: Tasos Latsas
-
-# spinner.sh
-#
-# Display an awesome 'spinner' while running your long shell commands
+# St. Benno
 #
-# Do *NOT* call _spinner function directly.
-# Use {start,stop}_spinner wrapper functions
-
-# usage:
+# @project    BashSpinner
+# @author     Tasos Latsas
+# @author     André Lademann <andre.lademann@netresearch.de>
+# @link       http://fitnr.com/showing-a-bash-spinner.html
+# @example
 #   1. source this script in your's
 #   2. start the spinner:
-#       start_spinner [display-message-here]
+#       spinner_start [display-message-here]
 #   3. run your command
 #   4. stop the spinner:
-#       stop_spinner [your command's exit status]
+#       spinner_stop [your command's exit status]
 #
 # Also see: test.sh
-
-
 function _spinner() {
+
     # $1 start/stop
     #
     # on start: $2 display message
     # on stop : $2 process exit status
-    #           $3 spinner function pid (supplied from stop_spinner)
-
-    local on_success="DONE"
-    local on_fail="FAIL"
-    local white="\e[1;37m"
-    local green="\e[1;32m"
-    local red="\e[1;31m"
-    local nc="\e[0m"
+    #           $3 spinner function pid (supplied from spinner_stop)
+    local on_success=" ok "
+    local on_fail="fail"
+    local white="\033[0;37m"
+    local green="\033[01;32m"
+    local red="\033[01;31m"
+    local nc="\033[0m"
 
     case $1 in
         start)
-            # calculate the column where spinner and status msg will be displayed
-            let column=$(tput cols)-${#2}-8
-            # display message and position the cursor in $column column
-            echo -ne ${2}
-            printf "%${column}s"
+            # Calculate the column where spinner and status msg will be displayed
 
-            # start spinner
+            # Start spinner
             i=1
             sp='\|/-'
-            delay=${SPINNER_DELAY:-0.15}
+            delay=${SPINNER_DELAY:-0.25}
+            counter=0
+            timer=0
 
+            # Display message and position the cursor in $column column
             while :
             do
-                printf "\b${sp:i++%${#sp}:1}"
-                sleep $delay
+
+                # Display seconds or minutes it takes
+                if [[ ${SPINNER_TIMER} ]]; then
+                    counter=$(echo "(${counter} + ${delay})" | bc)
+                    timer=$(echo $counter/1 | bc)
+                    if [[ "${timer}" -lt 60 ]]; then
+                        timer="${timer} sec"
+                    else
+                        timer="$(echo ${timer} / 60 | bc) min "
+                    fi
+                    echo -en "\r[  ${sp:i++%${#sp}:1} ]  ${timer}\t${2}"
+                else
+                    echo -en "\r[  ${sp:i++%${#sp}:1} ]\t${2}"
+                fi
+
+                sleep ${delay}
             done
+
             ;;
         stop)
             if [[ -z ${3} ]]; then
-                echo "spinner is not running.."
+                echo -en "[${red}${on_fail}${nc}]  Spinner is not running."
                 exit 1
             fi
 
             kill $3 > /dev/null 2>&1
 
-            # inform the user uppon success or failure
-            echo -en "\b["
+            # Inform the user upon success or failure
+            echo -en "\r["
             if [[ $2 -eq 0 ]]; then
                 echo -en "${green}${on_success}${nc}"
             else
@@ -71,13 +80,13 @@ function _spinner() {
             echo -e "]"
             ;;
         *)
-            echo "invalid argument, try {start/stop}"
+            echo -en "[${red}${on_fail}${nc}]  Invalid argument, try {start/stop}"
             exit 1
             ;;
     esac
 }
 
-function start_spinner {
+function spinner_start {
     # $1 : msg to display
     _spinner "start" "${1}" &
     # set global spinner pid
@@ -85,9 +94,8 @@ function start_spinner {
     disown
 }
 
-function stop_spinner {
+function spinner_stop {
     # $1 : command exit status
     _spinner "stop" $1 $_sp_pid
     unset _sp_pid
 }
-
diff --git a/test.sh b/test.sh
index ff3ab64..10dc05c 100755
--- a/test.sh
+++ b/test.sh
@@ -1,17 +1,16 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
-source "$(pwd)/spinner.sh"
+. "$(pwd)/spinner.sh"
 
 # test success
-start_spinner 'sleeping for 2 secs...'
+spinner_start 'sleeping for 2 secs...'
 sleep 2
-stop_spinner $?
+spinner_stop $?
 
 # test fail
-start_spinner 'copying non-existen files...'
+spinner_start 'copying non-existen files...'
 # use sleep to give spinner time to fork and run
 # because cp fails instantly
 sleep 1
 cp 'file1' 'file2' > /dev/null 2>&1
-stop_spinner $?
-
+spinner_stop $?