Expanding upon the accepted answer, your machine going to sleep, etc. may delay the timer from working. You can get a true time, at the cost of a little processing. This will give a true time left.
<span id="timer"></span>
<script>
var now = new Date();
var timeup = now.setSeconds(now.getSeconds() + 30);
//var timeup = now.setHours(now.getHours() + 1);
var counter = setInterval(timer, 1000);
function timer() {
now = new Date();
count = Math.round((timeup - now)/1000);
if (now > timeup) {
window.location = "/logout"; //or somethin'
clearInterval(counter);
return;
}
var seconds = Math.floor((count%60));
var minutes = Math.floor((count/60) % 60);
document.getElementById("timer").innerHTML = minutes + ":" + seconds;
}
</script>