Show HN: Focal, a Pomodoro App

49 points by aabiji 1 year ago | 30 comments
Focal is a pomodoro web app. I know there's a lot of productivity apps already, but I'm releasing this since I figure someone might find it useful. Focal was more of a short, 3 day project so it may be rough around the edges, but I think it does the job. In any case, Focal is open source and I would be happy to merge contributions. Here's the github repository: https://github.com/aabiji/focal

Have a nice day!

  • OnionBlender 1 year ago
    I never liked pomodoro. I hated getting interrupted after 25 minutes. It kept breaking my focus.

    What I found worked well for me instead was "count up" pomodoro.

      - Start a stop watch or simple wrist watch and leave it on your desk.
  - If you glance at it and it is less than 25 minutes, keep going.
  - Else if it is over 25 minutes, take a break if you feel like it. Write down how much time you worked. At the end of day, add up your time.
    • Brajeshwar 1 year ago
      Similar story with me. I started with Pomodoro and I can live with it but wanted something more flexible. I relied on the idea of timers, but without a hard break or a loud noise demanding me to break my flow.

      In fact, a physical hourglass timer helped me build up a habit. Now, I don't even use it and have tuned to taking regular breaks without fixed 'Pomodoros'.

      I wrote something in that line of thought at https://brajeshwar.com/2023/timer/

      • koshergweilo 1 year ago
        I've never heard of this method, sounds like a great way to stay in the flow state without burning out
      • bpshaver 1 year ago
        If I check a parent task with an already-checked child task, the check is removed from the child task. That doesn't seem right.
        • aabiji 1 year ago
          Yeah, that's a bug. I'll fix it. Sorry. EDIT: It's fixed now
        • purple-leafy 1 year ago
          He, I made a pomodoro to learn how to make browser extensions https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/pomodoro-focus-task...

          This was ages ago. And I ended up making my first software sale in browser extensions not too long after

          • akshayKMR 1 year ago
            The timer is too shrill for me. Nice choice of music though, I got some work done!

            If anyone is interested, the music uses Youtube. Here are the video-ids:

            ``` jazz: "fx67Lg5oSgM", classical: "Hlp6aawXVoY", lofi: "jfKfPfyJRdk", nature: "eKFTSSKCzWA", ```

            • j_bum 1 year ago
              If anyone’s looking for a native macOS pomo app, I strongly recommend checking out Flow [0]. I use it daily!

              [0] https://www.flow.app/download

              • willsmith72 1 year ago
                i wish flow had a way to skip a "flow". at least once a day i forgot to hit start, then can't skip to the break, so have to set the break timer manually
                • j_bum 1 year ago
                  You should email the devs and ask for the feature!
                • 1 year ago
                • garrettgarcia 1 year ago
                  All I'm seeing is "Loading Focal..." blinking forever.

                  As an alternative, I've been using https://pomofocus.io/ and like it.

                  • 1 year ago
                  • alwillis 1 year ago
                    Focus Work is another app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/focused-work-pomodoro-timer/id...
                    • m3kw9 1 year ago
                      [flagged]
                      • 1 year ago
                      • avree 1 year ago
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                        • 1 year ago
                        • kiwibyproxy 1 year ago
                          This seems not optimized for mobile.
                          • gadflyinyoureye 1 year ago
                            You might want to watch calling this a pomodoro app. Last I heard the guy that popularized this name treats it as a trademark. He goes after people.