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Show HN: Physical Pomodoro Timer with ESP32 and e-paper screen

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Re: Show HN: Physical Pomodoro Timer with ESP32 and e-paper screen

#61

Post by cwmoore »

jfim wrote: post #46
ISL wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

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.

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.

Re: Show HN: Physical Pomodoro Timer with ESP32 and e-paper screen

#62

Post by CWIZO »

rukenshia wrote: post #42
btbuildem wrote: post #37

Always interested to see a "device" type of project on here -- they tend to be the most challenging, even if the goal is simple. The intersection of object design, electronics and code is a great playground. I really like the choice of screen, and generally the considerations given (and explained in the readme!) for purpose and usability. Couple of notes on the object design (and this is something I find very challen…

great questions! - knob: yeah, if I were to redesign that part I would move it to the top. I had a total schedule of 4 weeks for this project, and I didn't feel confident enough to rebuild (and print prototypes) of the case when I encountered the weight problem, but that would definitely make it better - I did fillet/chamfer (almost) every edge I believe, I also printed the final case with fuzzy skin to make it feel…

If you put the knob in a different parts studio then you'd probably have a lot less lag.

Re: Show HN: Physical Pomodoro Timer with ESP32 and e-paper screen

#64

Post by spookie »

Procrastes wrote: post #45
TechDebtDevin wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

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.

> 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.

Re: Show HN: Physical Pomodoro Timer with ESP32 and e-paper screen

#66

Post by rukenshia »

CWIZO wrote: post #62
rukenshia wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

great questions! - knob: yeah, if I were to redesign that part I would move it to the top. I had a total schedule of 4 weeks for this project, and I didn't feel confident enough to rebuild (and print prototypes) of the case when I encountered the weight problem, but that would definitely make it better - I did fillet/chamfer (almost) every edge I believe, I also printed the final case with fuzzy skin to make it feel…

If you put the knob in a different parts studio then you'd probably have a lot less lag.

will give that a try next time, thank you!

Re: Show HN: Physical Pomodoro Timer with ESP32 and e-paper screen

#67

Post by pimlottc »

rukenshia wrote: post #16
rambambram wrote: post #15

The whole idea of pomodoro comes from a physical kitchen timer in the shape of... you guessed it, a pomodoro. The best UX for the pomodoro technique can be found in this physical kitchen timer, if you'd ask me.

I think functionally the Focus Dial (I linked to it in my README as well) is the much better „product“ and keeps exactly that UX compared to what I built. I had to face the reality of my own limited knowledge and skillset to build something like that (and wanted to do my own thing), plus I really ended up liking that epaper display.

It would help if the intro section mentioned the added features so the reader would understand why a custom device was necessary.

Re: Show HN: Physical Pomodoro Timer with ESP32 and e-paper screen

#68

Post by pedalpete »

A guy I know tried to build a business around a physical pomodoro timer a while back - https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/timechi-your-smart-produc...

A useful addition for those using this in an office, and even for those who don't want to look at the screen for the remaining time, would be to have an LED (maybe as a nice lightbar) on the top of the device which shines red or green to suggest to those who can't see the screen (viewing from the other side) if you are available to be interrupted or not. You could even make it as a progressive light bar if you were so inclined.

Re: Show HN: Physical Pomodoro Timer with ESP32 and e-paper screen

#69

Post by javajosh »

jiehong wrote: post #31
ISL wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

Indeed. I tend to like quiet visual timers, though. Something like: https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/63f18bde-f179-4b8e-a32a-8e4...

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

Re: Show HN: Physical Pomodoro Timer with ESP32 and e-paper screen

#70

Post by wrycoder »

teddyh wrote: post #13

Physical pomodoro: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/34/Il_pomod... >

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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