Remix clone Hacker News

ibizaman 13 days ago | parent | next [-]

Do not underestimate the joy of using something beautiful and something one crafted. Those little bit of joy add up in the end.

At least, they matter to me. I “smartened” an energy meter with an ESP32 and a photoresistor that measures every blink from the energy meter. It’s really crude but it works and everytime I go in the garage, I see the little device blink and it brings me joy. It brings me determination to pursue the next project and motivates me to no end. I know I can build stuff and that I can succeed. I know I can progress in life.

It will probably sound stupid but that’s how I interpret the author’s project.

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ISL 13 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Yep. Any timer will do.

If you find yourself programming an eInk display and a microchip in order to improve your procrastination, it is time to stop working on the project, get a physical timer, and work on the thing.

If you feel inclined to shop around for a timer before getting to work, I'll save you the search. These work great. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07TLC9SFZ (but any timer will do).

Go do the thing. You're worth it.

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jiehong 13 days ago | parent | next [-]

Indeed.

I tend to like quiet visual timers, though.

Something like:

https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/63f18bde-f179-4b8e-a32a-8e4...

	▲	javajosh 13 days ago \| parent [-]
		That's a very unhelpful link if you want to buy or comparison shop. Online walmart sells over 300 different styles of countdown timer, including ones shaped like a tomato. Note that the Pomadoro Technique recommends a timer that ticks or makes some other unobtrusive sound to remind you that you are in focus mode, and to associate the sound with focus. https://www.walmart.com/c/kp/countdown-timers

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jfim 13 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

They also sell physical hourglasses if you don't want to be interrupted by a distracting beeping thing once the timer is over, especially if the activity you're trying to start with a pomodoro requires concentration like coding.

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cwmoore 13 days ago | parent | next [-]

I attached an ESP32 and accelerometer to an hourglass for this purpose, calling back to https://pypi.org/project/gitime/ to log pomodoros on my dev machine.

If it was overengineered and trivially redundant, it was relatable and tactile.

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loloquwowndueo 13 days ago | parent | prev [-]

But then you have to glance at the thing every few minutes to ensure it didn’t run out

	▲	j45 13 days ago \| parent [-]
		It builds muscle memory over time. Analysis paralysis and getting it perfect before beginning is the enemy of good.

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TechDebtDevin 13 days ago | parent | prev [-]

Watches that are already on most people's wrist work great too!

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Procrastes 13 days ago | parent [-]

It's interesting that your experience is different, but in my region and social circles, I haven't seen anyone wear a watch in ten years or more, other than the occasional smart watch. That habit doesn't seem to last long, either. For people I know, watches have turned into fashion accessories for millionaires.

	▲	spookie 13 days ago \| parent \| next [-]
		> other than the occasional smart watch. That habit doesn't seem to last long, either. I'm gonna go on a whim and say the habit doesn't last cause you cannot truly depend on them. My watch never leaves my wrist, it never fails me, it is just a "dumb" one.
	▲	maccard 13 days ago \| parent \| prev \| next [-]
		I wear a watch. Nothing fancy, but I do have a few of them (and none worth more than 2-£300.) it’s about the only accessory I wear so it’s nice to have some variety. My day to day is a smart watch (and has been for a few years now). Lots of my circle is similar.
	▲	TechDebtDevin 13 days ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		Probably just demographics. I live in a mountainous city that's very outdoorsy and athletic so everyone has a garmin/apple watch.

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kaonwarb 13 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Of course that's an easier solution to the problem.

OP is quite clear in the writeup that this is a project for the sake of trying new tools to make something for a friend.

A fun hack need not be constrained by meeting a real market need. It can just be fun.

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hiddencost 13 days ago | parent [-]

It's a joke. Pomodoro means tomato.

	▲	SamBam 13 days ago \| parent \| next [-]
		But it's also not a joke. Pomodoro timers are designed to increase productivity. But once of the things that many people who try to increase their productivity discover is that they sink so much time into these tools that they are less productive. Because the underlying procrastination isn't solved, and these tools are a wonderful outlet for procrastination because it feels productive. That may indeed not be OP's problem, but anyone looking at this saying "I need to be more productive, I should make one of these" would be better off with the tomato.
	▲	dullcrisp 13 days ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		I’m pretty sure that’s the origin of the term

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wrycoder 13 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

LOL, read the one star reviews [0]. The problem with the mechanical ones is they are shoddy these days and can't be depended on. It seems no one knows how to make a high quality mechanical timer any more.

[0] https://www.amazon.com/product-reviews/B07H59ZL1L/ref=acr_se...

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layer8 13 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

If you can stand the ticking noise. ;)

Personally, I like the look of these disc-based ones: https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/618WCXnyfXL._SL1500_.jpg

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sinuhe69 13 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Yep. I think a timer with a physical dial is much more pleasant and easier to work with. I really hate things with knobs when there is nothing to click. A talking/voice controlled pomodoro is also a very nice idea for a ESP32.

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neuah 13 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Exactly what i thought of as well. That's what i always used to use.

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latexr 13 days ago | parent [-]

That’s where the concept and name come from. “Pomodo” means “tomato” in Italian, and the author of the technique had one of those. The image comes from its Wikipedia page.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomodoro_Technique

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stavros 13 days ago | parent [-]

Correction: "pomodoro" means "tomato".

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latexr 13 days ago | parent [-]

Thank you for the correction. It was a typo, but it’s unfortunately too late to edit the post.

	▲	stavros 13 days ago \| parent [-]
		No problem, I wasn't sure so I had to go looking, and I figured I'd post a correction for anyone who saw it.

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gbraad 12 days ago | parent | prev [-]

Simple and tactile; a user interface anyone understands