Show HN: Nebula – Alarm clock where you grow stars while you sleep(alextumanov.com)
alextumanov.com
Show HN: Nebula – Alarm clock where you grow stars while you sleep
https://alextumanov.com/
159 comments
Reinforcing good bedtime habits is a really interesting idea. Even if that can't guarantee a person is sleeping, it can force people to set their phones down for the night which is something at least I could definitely use. Maybe something like if a user moves their phone past a certain time, the star is destroyed. Going to explore the points option and a few others. Thank you for your feedback
I'm glad to hear it. I've built an automated lighting system to encourage good sleep habits [1], which has helped a lot. But I'd still like to do better. Maybe the star is bigger and brighter with good sleep, and ends up a brown dwarf if you don't get enough?
[1] https://github.com/wpietri/sunrise
[1] https://github.com/wpietri/sunrise
That's so cool! A lot of people swear by the sunshine alarm clocks and I'm definitely gonna have to try it out one of these days
In my area summertime traffic is rather relaxed without significantly expressed traffic spikes, so journey time is almost independent from departure time. This summer I had liberty to come to work at any (reasonable) time. I spent large part of this summer without an alarm clock (had one safeguard alarm that always fired at work or during commute).
If I wanted to stay late, I could. I just went to bed when I felt sleepy. I would wake up naturally at varying times. Interestingly, I think I had one of the most productive periods, I felt well rested even though my sleeping pattern was greatly messed up. Waking up at 4am for 3 hour trip to work was not torture. had to do the same last week and was literally a zombie.
Furthermore I am one those people who occasionally wake up at night. I could keep laying in bed for those 15 minutes or I can check something (idle miner, bullshit feed) on my phone and crash after 15 minutes. Such options really depend on the person, I guess.
If I wanted to stay late, I could. I just went to bed when I felt sleepy. I would wake up naturally at varying times. Interestingly, I think I had one of the most productive periods, I felt well rested even though my sleeping pattern was greatly messed up. Waking up at 4am for 3 hour trip to work was not torture. had to do the same last week and was literally a zombie.
Furthermore I am one those people who occasionally wake up at night. I could keep laying in bed for those 15 minutes or I can check something (idle miner, bullshit feed) on my phone and crash after 15 minutes. Such options really depend on the person, I guess.
Have you tried getting excited about school? :)
Easier said than done sometimes.
I like school but it's not as exciting as working on a product change that will be used by many many people! I think I would like to keep taking a course per semester and do some learning on my own, even when I work full time.
It made me so that getting on time was easy as well! I love it!
Hi HN, I just wanted to add that I'm looking for any kind of feedback on the app. I've been working on it since graduating in may and released it a couple of days ago.
Some feedback here on your website: you've got the best testimonial section I've ever seen, you're mom should be really proud
The feed back section was the only reason I came to check the comments, to see if anyone else noticed it.
It really made me chuckle and is just a great new take on the stock standard comments.
It really made me chuckle and is just a great new take on the stock standard comments.
Thanks, I'm so glad someone noticed. Also as a disclaimer, my mom is super supportive and uses my app every day.
This was fantastically creative. Bought the app just for this.
That's very kind of you, thank you :). I didn't think anyone would notice the testimonials.
Came to type this. The testimonial section is the best I have seen in a long time. Funny and touching.
+1, those testimonials were eerily close to home!
looooooved it
- The site is great, esp. the testimonials :-)
- In the app, cut down the introduction texts and steps. It takes like 30 taps to get the alarm started.
- Also, I found the pulse of the focused area (the circle) annoying and distracting when reading the text just next to it.
- Use briefer descriptions of the things in the guided tour(s). Every word you can remove is often an improvement. And, again, get rid of steps. I'd recommend 3-5 steps tops (and entirely!).
- Somewhere you write "Try to tap here to do something..." => Get rid of the "Try to". As a user, I know how to tap - just write "Tap here to ..."
- Make the sound selections (radio button lists) play the selected sound on tap: by default the top entry is selected. When I tap it—as I initially don't know how it sounds–it doesn't play the sound. I have to switch to the second entry and then back to the first one.
- 42 MB is quite large for "just an alarm clock." Most people won't bother, but keep in mind that even in 2017 software should be performant and, if not necessary, not bloated.
Besides these minor points, I have to say that the idea is great! I am really looking forward to use the app tonight :-)
- In the app, cut down the introduction texts and steps. It takes like 30 taps to get the alarm started.
- Also, I found the pulse of the focused area (the circle) annoying and distracting when reading the text just next to it.
- Use briefer descriptions of the things in the guided tour(s). Every word you can remove is often an improvement. And, again, get rid of steps. I'd recommend 3-5 steps tops (and entirely!).
- Somewhere you write "Try to tap here to do something..." => Get rid of the "Try to". As a user, I know how to tap - just write "Tap here to ..."
- Make the sound selections (radio button lists) play the selected sound on tap: by default the top entry is selected. When I tap it—as I initially don't know how it sounds–it doesn't play the sound. I have to switch to the second entry and then back to the first one.
- 42 MB is quite large for "just an alarm clock." Most people won't bother, but keep in mind that even in 2017 software should be performant and, if not necessary, not bloated.
Besides these minor points, I have to say that the idea is great! I am really looking forward to use the app tonight :-)
Hi! Thanks so much for this very detailed feedback and glad you like the testimonials :).
intro/onboarding feedback: I agree with you and will look at ways to cut it down both in length and quality
- I just removed the "Try tapping" and changed it to tap cause I agree with you (it will be pushed out next update)
- you're 100% correct on the sound previews too, I implemented the listener as an onChanged rather than onClick, but will look into fixing that in the near future.
- the 42 MB is almost entirely due to mp3 sound files (the alarm ringtones + sleep engine sounds). I used compression to strike a balance between quality and space and also used seamless looping on the sleep engine to get rid of the need for giant audio files, but there is always room for dramatic improvement on that front and I'll keep working at it. If you have any suggestions please let me know. I think that once I get a back end going what I'd eventually like to do is have users download the tracks based on what they need (this might be a very naive approach though so correct me if that's a bad idea).
intro/onboarding feedback: I agree with you and will look at ways to cut it down both in length and quality
- I just removed the "Try tapping" and changed it to tap cause I agree with you (it will be pushed out next update)
- you're 100% correct on the sound previews too, I implemented the listener as an onChanged rather than onClick, but will look into fixing that in the near future.
- the 42 MB is almost entirely due to mp3 sound files (the alarm ringtones + sleep engine sounds). I used compression to strike a balance between quality and space and also used seamless looping on the sleep engine to get rid of the need for giant audio files, but there is always room for dramatic improvement on that front and I'll keep working at it. If you have any suggestions please let me know. I think that once I get a back end going what I'd eventually like to do is have users download the tracks based on what they need (this might be a very naive approach though so correct me if that's a bad idea).
I'm glad I could help and looking forward to the update :-)
IMO the sleep sound feature seems to be something you should analyze whether it's used or not. If not (<5 or 10%?), drop the feature. If it's used, you might want to extend the collection (in the premium version only?), and then the user could download the sounds he/she wants.
IMO the sleep sound feature seems to be something you should analyze whether it's used or not. If not (<5 or 10%?), drop the feature. If it's used, you might want to extend the collection (in the premium version only?), and then the user could download the sounds he/she wants.
ya very fair, I'll look into this after some analysis, thank you!
You could reduce download size by a form of lazy loading, download the files on demand/request in the app, so ship the code without most of the media?
If you're paying for the download bandwidth that might help too, as many will get the app and never use it.
You could use IAP to sell new media packs including high-quality.
If you're paying for the download bandwidth that might help too, as many will get the app and never use it.
You could use IAP to sell new media packs including high-quality.
Yeah I think this sounds like the eventual goal. And media packs are interesting, but I'll have to provide many, high quality sleep engine sounds to justify that. Thanks for your advice :)
For smaller audio files, take a look at the Opus codec. It does way better than mp3 at lower bitrates. Android 5.0 and up can decode it natively and there's a library with NDK that should work on older devices.
Awesome, I'll take a look. My main reason for choosing mp3 was compatibility, but I didn't research it thoroughly, I just chose the cookie cutter option. My app is currently min 5.0 so this seems like a very viable option. Thanks :)
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How long does it take to make an alarm clock app? Why can't you be more like your sister?
you sound just like my mom!
Really neat idea.
On your website...why are you using an iPhone template to show off an Android-only app?
On your website...why are you using an iPhone template to show off an Android-only app?
That's my mistake, I didn't even notice that and will fix it in a bit. Thank you.
I was sorely disappointed when I saw this wasn’t available for iOS. Looks awesome, though.
I've been using it for a week now and I'm a little disappointed in only one thing: if I wake up early and press the cancel button, I don't get my star! If there is an option to say, 'give me my star if i sleep x% of the total alarm time' I'd love that. I get woken up by kids, birds, whatever, very often and I'm afraid I'll never get a constellation at this rate.
Very minor, but on the website "You snooze, you loose" I assume should read "You snooze, you lose".
Great concept and I look forward to trying it!
Great concept and I look forward to trying it!
Thanks for the catch! Classic English language, am I right. Appreciate that :)
The first screen I see on the page has a challenge that at least 8% of males (me included) can't solve. Matching colors is difficult to make accessible so it's no surprise that the example is one I couldn't solve, being partially green blind.
Hey really sorry about that, there are a variety of dismissal methods you can choose from including shake dismissal, qr scan, barcode scan and a simple stop button as well as this color tap. That dismissal method is just the one I went with for the screenshot, but there is something for everyone.
I'm also looking in to giving users the option to change the color combination because I've received this feedback from two people now. If you have any suggestions for colors that would work for you please let me know and I'll add them to my trello board
I'm also looking in to giving users the option to change the color combination because I've received this feedback from two people now. If you have any suggestions for colors that would work for you please let me know and I'll add them to my trello board
Yeah, I was less concerned about the usability of the app itself (I assumed there are other challenges available and they're configurable) but it's a bad first impression, especially when it's the only challenge shown and the screenshot is repeated multiple times throughout the landing page (which suggests it is the only challenge currently available).
If you're going with a "color blind" palette, just make sure you don't accidentally make it worse. I've seen many people mistakenly avoid e.g. red/green completely and end up with hues that are even less distinguishable.
A good low-tech approximation is to just check your palette in gray scale and make sure e.g. red/green or yellow/blue don't appear too similar. It's likely not necessary that a user knows which color each color is supposed to be but they will likely need to be able to distinguish them at a glance. Also make sure when filling in a shape with color (such as letters) that the shapes are big enough (i.e. bold enough) -- colors are easier to distinguish when they cover a larger surface (more photons, better vision).
If you're going with a "color blind" palette, just make sure you don't accidentally make it worse. I've seen many people mistakenly avoid e.g. red/green completely and end up with hues that are even less distinguishable.
A good low-tech approximation is to just check your palette in gray scale and make sure e.g. red/green or yellow/blue don't appear too similar. It's likely not necessary that a user knows which color each color is supposed to be but they will likely need to be able to distinguish them at a glance. Also make sure when filling in a shape with color (such as letters) that the shapes are big enough (i.e. bold enough) -- colors are easier to distinguish when they cover a larger surface (more photons, better vision).
Very fair, I picked it cause of all the dismiss methods it's the most visually appealing since the others aren't really based on interacting with the UI much.
I'm working on some alternative palettes right now, and will do my best not to make it worse. One option I'm considering is allowing users to customize the palette entirely by picking 4 colors themselves from a list.
Also while I'm not sure if this is accurate, the android developer mode settings offer the ability to simulate a color space based on various color blindnesses (Monochromacy, Deuteranomaly, Protanomaly, and Tritanomaly) so I'm working with that too.
I'm working on some alternative palettes right now, and will do my best not to make it worse. One option I'm considering is allowing users to customize the palette entirely by picking 4 colors themselves from a list.
Also while I'm not sure if this is accurate, the android developer mode settings offer the ability to simulate a color space based on various color blindnesses (Monochromacy, Deuteranomaly, Protanomaly, and Tritanomaly) so I'm working with that too.
Using text labels to associate the color chips could work too.
Even color blind people know Ocean = Blue if given simple terms like you have. :)
Even color blind people know Ocean = Blue if given simple terms like you have. :)
Yeah, no. That works if the colors are easy to recognise but considering how many times I guessed wrong when facing two unlabeled hues I was able to distinguish but not clearly recognise (e.g. knowing one is green and the other red but guessing wrong because the green is brighter when normally the red would be brighter).
If I understand correctly though, I think that suggestion would defeat the purpose of the stroop test that this method is using to trick people, cause the whole idea is that the word ocean is supposed to mislead you and the color of the text can be green. You tap the text color, not the meaning of the word.
Congrats! This looks really interesting. One thing I would appreciate clarity on: I'd prefer not to send data to ad networks, if I pay for the ad free version, will that not only prevent the display of ads but also any associated tracking?
That's a really interesting question that I'm going to look in to. I'll get back to you as soon as I can. At the moment if you pay for the ad free version, ads are immediately destroyed and prevented from loading from there on out. The only thing that I need to look in to is if initializing AdMob in the app results in any tracking. It is not my intention to send any user data to ad networks if they have the ad-free version and I will fix it if I find out that I've overlooked something.
I've looked in to the question and I've changed it so that even the MobileAds SDK is only initialized if premium is not active when the application is first created. This way, if premium is enabled, AdMob is not touched in any way at any stage of the application's lifecycle. I asked whether or not this initialize call I was worried about actually does anything with respect to tracking and the only answer I've gotten so far is a "no", but I still need to do a little more research to make sure there aren't any other possible ways you may be tracked if ads aren't ever being loaded or requested. This additional check will go live in a day or two and I'll update you if I find any other potential issues.
Awesome, thanks for responding so well to this request.
Awesome app, the intro experience is a bit overwhelming but it looks and sounds cool.
It would be nice to have a launcher widget with a clock and a render of the nebula, similarly to what I have on my phone: https://photos.app.goo.gl/Q2WL8dqZnSnCY8Of1
Also some animations would be nice, maybe use the accelerometer to Pan tilt the star? Would make a streak even more rewarding :).
Happily bought the accelerator pack :).
It would be nice to have a launcher widget with a clock and a render of the nebula, similarly to what I have on my phone: https://photos.app.goo.gl/Q2WL8dqZnSnCY8Of1
Also some animations would be nice, maybe use the accelerometer to Pan tilt the star? Would make a streak even more rewarding :).
Happily bought the accelerator pack :).
Thanks so much really appreciate your support! I experimented with an ios style parallax effect on the background stars but found that the library really used a lot of memory so I removed it for the time being. It looked super cool though so I'm going to try and write it myself in the near future. I'm also really interested in animations for the stars and a swirling nebula. My animation abilities are almost non-existent right now, but it's something I want to work on asap.
That clock widget is super cool, Ive got a lot of features in the Todo list ATM but a widget is on the radar eventually too :). Really appreciate the feedback
On a OnePlus 2 with LineageOS 14.1 it gobbled 146 MB of RAM max. How much more did the parallax lib add? Possibly hiding it behind an option with a warning would be viable?
Animating everything would also be nice. You've already did an awesome job on the UI overall ;).
I've seen much worse stuff from established apps on the Play Store. Worked on one even. The designers had the displeasure of doing glorified skinning. On top of that there was a lot of bike shedding around buttons but pretty much everyone ignored the dark patterns that were dictated from the top ("Hooked" had to be our new Bible, thankfully we didn't have to read it except for a 4 page snippet explaining the addiction loop we would want to exploit).
Animating everything would also be nice. You've already did an awesome job on the UI overall ;).
I've seen much worse stuff from established apps on the Play Store. Worked on one even. The designers had the displeasure of doing glorified skinning. On top of that there was a lot of bike shedding around buttons but pretty much everyone ignored the dark patterns that were dictated from the top ("Hooked" had to be our new Bible, thankfully we didn't have to read it except for a 4 page snippet explaining the addiction loop we would want to exploit).
I only ever tested the parallax library on a very early build of the app which consumed far less ram overall just cause the app wasn't finished yet, so it's hard to give an exact amount. If ever I did any serious animation work and parallax backgrounds I'd leave the option to disable it for users who don't want it or find it impacts performance. I'd also have to do extensive testing with any third party library for parallax cause it's so vital they release sensors properly and without fail when they are no longer needed to conserve battery. I'd love to work on animations in the future cause I think that's one of the areas the app needs the most improvement in and thank you for the complement on the UI.
All I was able to find fast was this:
https://github.com/nvanbenschoten/motion a bit outdated, not sure if it will work
https://github.com/material-motion/material-motion-android a bit fresher, but development stopped halfway through
> I'd also have to do extensive testing with any third party library for parallax cause it's so vital they release sensors properly and without fail when they are no longer needed to conserve battery.
Looking at what's available I'm not sure if it wouldn't be better to re-implement a lib for that. You could pass on extensive testing IF you find a lib that's already used in another project.
Consider introducing new features like Sleep for Android does (a popup with a change list displayed on 1st run after an update). With this you could try moving users to the "Experimental" settings section. Note that having solid issue reporting from the app would immensely help then.
Another approach would be to set up a beta program for experimental stuff. Not sure which one would be more cost-effective, needs more investigation.
https://github.com/nvanbenschoten/motion a bit outdated, not sure if it will work
https://github.com/material-motion/material-motion-android a bit fresher, but development stopped halfway through
> I'd also have to do extensive testing with any third party library for parallax cause it's so vital they release sensors properly and without fail when they are no longer needed to conserve battery.
Looking at what's available I'm not sure if it wouldn't be better to re-implement a lib for that. You could pass on extensive testing IF you find a lib that's already used in another project.
Consider introducing new features like Sleep for Android does (a popup with a change list displayed on 1st run after an update). With this you could try moving users to the "Experimental" settings section. Note that having solid issue reporting from the app would immensely help then.
Another approach would be to set up a beta program for experimental stuff. Not sure which one would be more cost-effective, needs more investigation.
Hey sorry for responding so late. Thanks for sharing those libraries, I'll take a look at both. The one i used before was actually quite tough to find and I remember it wasn't a very popular one. I have a release notes list now implemented in the app (as of about an hour ago) and I think i'm going to try the parallax thing soon cause you're really tempting me haha. I really like the idea of experimental settings and think I'm going to do it that way.
I'd love to see useful repeat options (it doesn't seem to support repeat at all currently), e.g. work days except public holidays.
I've gotten that request from quite a few people now and am looking in to ways to add that functionality to the alarm while preserving the overall idea of setting meaningful alarms with consequences. The reason behind the single button initially is that it forces you to consciously set your alarm which I felt would increase commitment. I completely understand that it isn't for everyone so am working on the multiple alarm / repeat support options too.
Probably like this: let the user set the repeated alarms (like, Mon-Fri at 9am, Sat-Sun at 10am), yet the user is required to "confirm" the alarm each night if he/she really wants that alarm be effective. This way, the user can avoid the tedious "keep setting same alarm" each night, and the "conciously set the alarm" thing is still there.
That's an interesting idea. I've added it to the Trello board of ideas I'm considering for recurring alarms and appreciate your suggestion.
Seems really nice, congrats!
I'll give it a try and give you some feedback in a few days
Thank you, really appreciate that
I want to try it, looks awesome! Is it in the iphone store or only on google phone? I didn't see it in the apple app store but maybe I searched the wrong terms? Thanks.
I should have been more clear about that, my apologies. I've only made the Android app so far and have plans to work on an iOS one soon
Some feedback: on my mobile device, the website logo intersects with the LinkedIn icon. Other than that, I can see myself using this app from now on!
Thank you, I didn't notice that. I'll fix that soon
Is there any way I can disable the play-a-game-to-unlock feature? I kind of just want cool stars in my phone.
100% there are several dismissal options and one of them is just a simple stop button that you press to collect your star
Fantastic idea!
Clever! I just installed it, and I like how this works so far. The store has 2 options for disabling ads. You can buy three of the first for a dollar which deplete each time your star explodes, or you can permanently disable ads for $2.50. I like this "choose your strategy" approach: you can buy incentives to get up in the morning, or just pay to have the ad-free experience.
Thanks! I didn't want to force people in to the "money shredder" mode, but I think that it works really well and provides an effective uninstall/force quit protection for users who try to take shortcuts to dismiss the alarm in the morning.
Not all gamification of life is a bad thing. The app seems very nice!
My problem in life is not waking up. Its going to bed early enough to get enough sleep. Encouraging an early bedtime would be a great feature :) IMO.
My problem in life is not waking up. Its going to bed early enough to get enough sleep. Encouraging an early bedtime would be a great feature :) IMO.
Really appreciate the feedback, I'm exploring several options for this that will be added in the near future and think that you're right, snooze is only half the battle.
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Congrats on going live :)
The quotes from your mom are rather funny, especially because they remind me of what my parents used to say while I was building my own SaaS (URL in profile if anyone's interested)!
The quotes from your mom are rather funny, especially because they remind me of what my parents used to say while I was building my own SaaS (URL in profile if anyone's interested)!
Agreed, those mom quotes cracked me up!
Thank you, I knew I wasn't the only one. Really like Bx too
You're definitely not the only one! I think parents that care also tend to be much more risk averse where their kids are concerned. I'm told that I'll be the same when I have kids! Also, thanks for checking out Bx, glad you liked it :)
Game dev here. Should you include some sort of maximum amount of sleep per day to prevent people from setting alarms to grow their stars when they aren't sleeping?
Doesn't that defeat the purpose of personal satisfaction? Or if I'm just in it to grow some stars, does it matter how I use the app?
Yea I guess my thought is that the 'carrot' in this system is growing a constellation. You dangle that out there as incentive for people to sleep healthy and wake up on time.
If people can circumvent the healthy sleeping by growing stars during the day then it cheapens the experience and I would argue reduces personal satisfaction for the average user.
But maybe the move is to leave the system as is and log how often users are 'cheating' the system to grow constellations and maybe the pivot is towards a game where all you do is grow stars.
If people can circumvent the healthy sleeping by growing stars during the day then it cheapens the experience and I would argue reduces personal satisfaction for the average user.
But maybe the move is to leave the system as is and log how often users are 'cheating' the system to grow constellations and maybe the pivot is towards a game where all you do is grow stars.
Hmm not everyone sleeps the same amount of time. I have a friend for whom a healthy night's sleep is 10+ hours, with lots of daytime naps.
Would be interesting to see if this could be linked to whatever these sleeping apps use to “measure” your sleeping rhythm. Bonus points for deep sleep etc.
Basically gamification of sleep rhythms. Of course with online leaderboards. Not sure what it means to be world #1 though ^_^. Maybe needs penalty points for too much sleep..
Basically gamification of sleep rhythms. Of course with online leaderboards. Not sure what it means to be world #1 though ^_^. Maybe needs penalty points for too much sleep..
Thanks for the feedback. There is currently a hard limit in place where a user can't count a star towards the constellation based achievement system unless it grows for a minimum of one hour to prevent unethical star farming. Do you think that's sufficient?
Hmm I do appreciate the complexity involved in implementing a max number of hours per day you can grow a star. But I think it may be worth it. The more you clamp down on ways to exploit the system the more player's will respect their achievement.
The minimum of one hour is easy to circumvent. I wake up, turn off the alarm and then set another for 12 hours from now..
Theoretically if this is to track healthy sleeping then 6-8 hours max per day is the target. If users start logging 23 hours of sleep a day you probably shouldn't be rewarding them unless its a 'Master Sloth' achievement. haha
Maybe a simple solution is to prevent the player from receiving constellation growth unless at least X hours have passed since the last alarm completed? X could be a hardcoded 8 hours or maybe its the size of the previous alarm's duration?
Do you plan on having leaderboards or ways to share your constellation? If not I think that could be a feature to make the app more viral. I don't know if it would ever happen but imagine people sharing Nebula links in their Tinder bio as a way to signal healthy living...? Maybe there is a world where you pair users based on their constellation similarities. Could Nebula evolve into a dating app because maybe 'sleep patterns are actually one of the best indicators of compatibility' ? Probably far fetched and poisoning to the core idea but thought I'd share in case it plants any seeds for you.
The minimum of one hour is easy to circumvent. I wake up, turn off the alarm and then set another for 12 hours from now..
Theoretically if this is to track healthy sleeping then 6-8 hours max per day is the target. If users start logging 23 hours of sleep a day you probably shouldn't be rewarding them unless its a 'Master Sloth' achievement. haha
Maybe a simple solution is to prevent the player from receiving constellation growth unless at least X hours have passed since the last alarm completed? X could be a hardcoded 8 hours or maybe its the size of the previous alarm's duration?
Do you plan on having leaderboards or ways to share your constellation? If not I think that could be a feature to make the app more viral. I don't know if it would ever happen but imagine people sharing Nebula links in their Tinder bio as a way to signal healthy living...? Maybe there is a world where you pair users based on their constellation similarities. Could Nebula evolve into a dating app because maybe 'sleep patterns are actually one of the best indicators of compatibility' ? Probably far fetched and poisoning to the core idea but thought I'd share in case it plants any seeds for you.
"The more you clamp down on ways to exploit the system the more player's will respect their achievement." Those are very wise words and something that never crossed my mind. Master Sloth will definitely be making an appearance in some way and I've added it to the Trello board. I do plan on having some form of social interaction, probably something simple to start like sharing constellations you make to social media and I'm most likely going to implement a further limit on star making based on your suggestion.
As for Nebula evolving in to a dating app, if a single person ever shared anything related to this app in a tinder bio for any reason at all, I think that's when I'll know it's time for a hard pivot. I believe (and I could be totally wrong) there have been links to people's odors and who they find attractive because we seek partners with complementary immune systems to our own and one indicator of that is the way someone smells. Maybe sleep patterns have a similar correlation. If the pivot ever happens I'll credit you for giving the idea.
As for Nebula evolving in to a dating app, if a single person ever shared anything related to this app in a tinder bio for any reason at all, I think that's when I'll know it's time for a hard pivot. I believe (and I could be totally wrong) there have been links to people's odors and who they find attractive because we seek partners with complementary immune systems to our own and one indicator of that is the way someone smells. Maybe sleep patterns have a similar correlation. If the pivot ever happens I'll credit you for giving the idea.
Before you get ahead of yourself with 'pivoting' Nebula into a gamified social network dating app, let me just say that I like Nebula pretty much as it is, in large part due to its simplicity.
I like the narrow scope of Nebula, and would happily pay for the app to remove the ads, once you've ironed out some of the rough edges (you really need to remove the flashing indicators in the tutorial).
Naturally, if you want to transform the app into something else in the future, that's entirely your choice, and I will simply have to move on to something else that doesn't try to cram social networks down my throat.
Also, why care if a user wants to abuse the app to get more constellations? They are only ruining it for themselves, and adding rules and checks will only complicate your code.
I like the narrow scope of Nebula, and would happily pay for the app to remove the ads, once you've ironed out some of the rough edges (you really need to remove the flashing indicators in the tutorial).
Naturally, if you want to transform the app into something else in the future, that's entirely your choice, and I will simply have to move on to something else that doesn't try to cram social networks down my throat.
Also, why care if a user wants to abuse the app to get more constellations? They are only ruining it for themselves, and adding rules and checks will only complicate your code.
I've removed the flashing circles in the next build cause I 100% agree and I'd like to clarify that I don't have any intention of pivoting with Nebula cause I really like keeping things simple too. I was just joking around up there :). I think that (at least for me) it feels better to know that you earned something that you couldn't have taken shortcuts on, but I understand your point about how people are ruining things for themselves.
Reminds me of one of my favourite Haiku:
In matters of love,
let the reptile brain decide.
Marry based on smell.
In matters of love,
let the reptile brain decide.
Marry based on smell.
this may be the best comment of the thread
Did you design the UI yourself? For me (and maybe most programmers) the hardest part of building an application is UI design. You did a really nice job.
I did do it by myself and I really appreciate you saying that. I used/modified a few icons and pictures that I found online though and their awesome creators (who released them under attribution licenses) are credited in the graphics credits section. I struggled a lot with the design and it was by far the most time consuming part of the app.
Nice! Where did you find the icons? Been looking for some for my healthcare startup website. Thanks!
Nice! Where did you find the icons? Been looking for some for my healthcare startup website. Thaks!
https://material.io/icons/ is great, all open source and you can edit their vectors to make your own variations
https://thenounproject.com/ is also awesome, a lot of variety
https://www.flaticon.com/ is great for colorful things
https://thenounproject.com/ is also awesome, a lot of variety
https://www.flaticon.com/ is great for colorful things
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I'm so glad to start seeing more and more apps come out on Android first. What a big change from a couple of years ago.
I like the concept, and loved the reviews. Definitely gonna give it a try :)
much appreciated :)
This reminds me of apps published by ShaoKan Pi. Particularly, SleepTown.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sleeptown/id1210251567?mt=8
Can't wait to try it on iOS because I love idle-growth apps like this. Might be worth looking into how Sleeptown/Forest implement features you're interested in.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sleeptown/id1210251567?mt=8
Can't wait to try it on iOS because I love idle-growth apps like this. Might be worth looking into how Sleeptown/Forest implement features you're interested in.
That's a really well designed app, thanks for sharing. I really like their bedtime reinforcement mechanism. Sleep town seems to be much more focused on the scheduling aspect of sleep and reinforcing strict routines whereas at the moment Nebula is much more focused on going after the snooze button, but both of these things are quite related.
Just wanted to mention (maybe someone finds this interesting) another "sleep gamification" app Ukrainians made – http://wakeapp.com.ua/index_en.html
Every time you snooze – you donate to the Army, thus money goes to the people who make sure you sleep in piece. I find it quite nice :)
Every time you snooze – you donate to the Army, thus money goes to the people who make sure you sleep in piece. I find it quite nice :)
beautiful app, well done :)
Really cool idea.
On the website...is there a reason an iPhone template is used to show off an app that is Android-only?
Thank you, the template I used had these nice phone graphics and I thought they were just generic phones because I wasn't paying attention. Going to fix that now.
Nice idea but not executed to it's full potential.
I use an alarm for waking up. I expect a fast, usable ui to be able to set the time fast and options like recurring alarms,weekly scheduled alarms etc.
I wouldn't replace my vendor's slick, feature full without ads app for something that is not as least as good.
I use an alarm for waking up. I expect a fast, usable ui to be able to set the time fast and options like recurring alarms,weekly scheduled alarms etc.
I wouldn't replace my vendor's slick, feature full without ads app for something that is not as least as good.
Very fair, this is just version 1.0 and I have lots of plans for things I think might persuade you soon, but for now I totally understand. I'll be back
I have to mention The Alarm Clock Problem: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ebQAM5ADfYQ
Maybe a way to entice the user to sleep early in the first place could improve it.
Maybe a way to entice the user to sleep early in the first place could improve it.
I agree that sleep is a complicated thing and that bedtime routines are vital to overall healthy sleep habits. I think you're right and that reinforcing good sleep scheduling is the next step with the app in terms of big features
Any app that guarantees I will not snooze nor ignore it (as in my brain simply gets used to the alarm and I won't even have a chance waking up with it if I want to)? It might cost $5.000 USD, I'll buy it.
How about one of these, requires you to solve a puzzle to turn off.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mathe-alarm-clock/id82353291...
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wroclawstu...
Otherwise I also remember some friends back in the days having an alarm clock that shoots away a thing in the other corner of the room, requires you to fetch it to disable the alarm.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mathe-alarm-clock/id82353291...
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wroclawstu...
Otherwise I also remember some friends back in the days having an alarm clock that shoots away a thing in the other corner of the room, requires you to fetch it to disable the alarm.
I tried that one for iOS and it requires you to enable the alarm every night manually (which often I just forgot to) and I COULD solve some of them without even remembering I did later :-(
My current setup is an alarm clock with an actual bell that is noisy as fsck. Yes, an old school alarm clock :-(
My current setup is an alarm clock with an actual bell that is noisy as fsck. Yes, an old school alarm clock :-(
Balance the alarm clock on the edge of a tin pot, so that when it goes off, it will just fall inside and make a bunch more noise.
this app has quite a few dismissal methods designed to do similar things to all these examples, like having to scan a QR code (which is optimally taped to your bathroom mirror to force you to get out of bed), having to solve a brain teaser based around the Stroop Test, and having to shake your phone several times to shut the alarm off
How about an app that shuts down your computers and TV's at 10 PM sharp? The snoozing and inability to wake up probably has to do more with the amount of sleep you get than any failings of an alarm.
I agree that screens likely play a big role in messing up a lot of bedtime routines. I have a few ideas for updates in the near future to combat this issue, but I don't think I know how to shut off computers and TVs from an app yet and after a quick stack overflow search it doesn't look like anyone there does either
My router has an option to turn itself off after a specific time for "power saving". Since so much happens by an internet connection nowadays it basically has the same effect.
I definitely can't guarantee you won't snooze cause the app is only a tool to help, but with some effort on a users part and settings like qr dismissal along with an annoying, loud ringtone like "digital style", this app can help fight the urge by annoying you out of bed and rewarding you for dismissing the alarm correctly.
I know it might sound stupid but something that actually works is drink a lot of water few minutes before going to bed. When I do that the alarm clock always work. Make the app remind people of drinking water when it's about bed time :-)
is this so that you have to go to the bathroom in the morning so badly that you wake up naturally?
I don't feel this urge at all, I just wake up smoothly and then after 5min or so "oh I could go to the toilet, okay". I guess it's been a known trick for centuries, at least I've read somewhere it was a pretty popular strategy among indigenous folks. But hey who am I to say, I cannot even wake up with an alarm clock!
What an innovative technique hahaha!
Is it possible to make it start automatically? I like that generally I don't think about my alarm on my phone, I just go to sleep and it goes off the next day.
I'm considering a few options to give more freedom with the alarm (such as repeating and multiple alarms), but I'm working on making sure they integrate with the overall design and concept before jumping the gun.
This is beautiful. Can you encourage me to get a good night's sleep somehow? Make my stars a special colour if they're made from plenty of sleep rather than just a bit of sleep?
Thank you! I have gotten a lot of awesome suggestions about the idea of reinforcing bedtime and helping promote good sleep habits and am looking in to a few options for that in future updates
Is there any reason why this isn't available in Nigeria
very sorry about that, I'm fixing that now. I messed up the country options when I was uploading.
it should be available now :)
Really awesome app! Any plans for an iOS version? :)
Thanks and 100%! The moment I get a chance I'm going to dive in
Only installing it because of the great testimonials it has gotten from your mom
Gamefication for an alarm clock to make people wake up on time. Well done! Inspiring idea!
thanks very much
love the reviews on the site
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I swear by the sunshine alarm clocks. I really like it.
I've heard really great things about them
Could we consider adding [Android only] to the title?
Random note: the fact that you're showing an iPhone device frame but using Android screenshots is one of those things that makes me unreasonably unhappy.
I do like the idea of the app though.
I do like the idea of the app though.
Funnily enough your complaint that the small generic rectangular outline representing a phone is the wrong brand is the sort of thing that makes me unreasonably irritated.
The problem is that even though there's Play Store and App Store badges, to me, my brain subconsciously parses "this app is available for you" based on the existence of the home button in the mockup.
I saw the home button, I assumed iOS only.
I saw the home button, I assumed iOS only.
It made me go to from "damn, I want to try, but I'm android" to "woot". Love the reviews too.
gamifying sleep, what a surprising concept
This reminds me of the ringtone era, where some people made tons of money by making useless things.
I'm sure a lot of people will feel the same way as you and I completely respect that. I made this app above all else to learn as much Android as I could after graduating. I tried to expand on a simple concept to make something I thought was cool and really had a lot of fun doing it, but I know this isn't everyone's thing.
I studied with these guys:
https://www.theverge.com/2014/1/4/5273474/google-acquires-bi...
They did exactly what you did after graduating and their company got acquired (acqui-hired) by Google. Timely was the number one alarm clock app at the time. It was buttery smooth and beautiful but beyond that didn’t even any special functionality.
So, don’t take the parent comment too seriously!
https://www.theverge.com/2014/1/4/5273474/google-acquires-bi...
They did exactly what you did after graduating and their company got acquired (acqui-hired) by Google. Timely was the number one alarm clock app at the time. It was buttery smooth and beautiful but beyond that didn’t even any special functionality.
So, don’t take the parent comment too seriously!
I'm a huge timely fan and didn't realize they were so young when they made it, that's awesome. Thanks for the kind words too. I don't take it personally at all though, everyone is entitled to their opinion
> [...] got acquired by Google [...] It was buttery smooth and beautiful but beyond that didn’t even any special functionality.
I think you just confirmed my comment.
I just want to add:
- It saddens me that a lot of sentiment here is about making easy money. Imho, we should not stimulate people who just graduated to write screensavers to be sold to Google.
- In a world full of distraction, these apps provide even more distraction (here they even interfere with sleep).
- The people who make these apps have skills that can be put to use in much better and interesting ways.
- This kind of news does not contribute to the "high-tech news" that I really want to read.
That said, I applaud the OP for learning the Android APIs in a creative way.
I think you just confirmed my comment.
I just want to add:
- It saddens me that a lot of sentiment here is about making easy money. Imho, we should not stimulate people who just graduated to write screensavers to be sold to Google.
- In a world full of distraction, these apps provide even more distraction (here they even interfere with sleep).
- The people who make these apps have skills that can be put to use in much better and interesting ways.
- This kind of news does not contribute to the "high-tech news" that I really want to read.
That said, I applaud the OP for learning the Android APIs in a creative way.
"That said, I applaud the OP for learning the Android APIs in a creative way."
Appreciate that and thanks for your feedback.
Appreciate that and thanks for your feedback.
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What if you could also collect some points by going to bed at approximately the same time every night? Check the accelerometer for movement at the set time (example 8pm) and every fib(n)'th minute after that to make sure the person is sleeping?