Appreciate the feedback! I am currently working on figuring out how to reliably detect deep focus patterns (less idle stretches, low app switching etc) and not annoy during those moments to make LookAway even less annoying. For now, the idea behind break reminders before the break was to inform you subtly about the upcoming break without disrupting your flow and give you actions whether to take a break now or snooze it in case you're working on something important.
Custom wellness reminders is already on the roadmap and it's the most requested feature so you can expect it in the next few updates.
Hi, I am sorry for not explaining it correctly on the website but it's strictly not a subscription.
The license gives you lifetime access to LookAway - you can keep using it forever. You only pay for updates after a year if there's something new you may want to use.
Thank you for reporting these. Which version of firefox are you on? I tried reproducing but for me it's not laggy and the animation plays automatically
LookAway does pause if you're in the middle of typing or dictating when a break is due (during the last 10s). It's off by default and you can enable it in Settings → Smart Pause → Don't show breaks while I'm typing, dragging, or dictating.
I'm working on LookAway, a Mac app that reminds you to take breaks from the screen at the right moment instead of interrupting you at random. https://lookaway.com
Right now I'm focused on the stats side. It already shows how much time you spend in each app, and I'm adding website tracking too, which should make the picture much more useful.
I'm also working on better break timing for dictation. LookAway already delays a due break if you're in the middle of typing, so it does not interrupt at a bad time. Now I'm trying to extend that same behavior to dictation as well, which turns out to be a pretty interesting detection problem because it overlaps with some of the other context signals I already use.
Most of the challenge is making it smarter without making it feel more intrusive.
I’ve been indie for about four years now. I wouldn’t trade it for anything else, but it does come with its own kind of hell. The lack of security and the fear that everything could disappear overnight is always there. Some days feel euphoric, and some days everything feels dark.
At one point I even built a live sales dashboard[1] to keep my dopamine in check, but a year later I realized it was a mistake. It started shaping my motivation instead of supporting it.
I guess the main lesson is that the ups and downs are normal, and you get better at riding them over the years.
Border radius has been one of the best things to happen to CSS. If you've done web development during the Internet Explorer 6 era, you'd know what I mean.
I am building LookAway[1] - an antidote to seductive screens. Many people have been facing issues like eye strain, digital fatigue, CVS, posture issues, and more due to prolonged screen use and I aim to solve it with this product. I believe managing screen time is as important as managing sleep (if not more).
1. I made an app for the colorblind in 2015 and got my first 100 (and more) users from the r/colorblind subreddit.
2. I made a breathing app in 2017 and got my first users from r/breathing, r/breathwork, and r/meditation subreddits.
3. I recently made a productivity app for the mac and got my first users from r/macapps subreddit.
Reddit is incredibly powerful if you are building something niche and are already a part of the community. Also, the results are compounding because some of my posts get good SEO traffic so I still get a handful of users from Reddit every day.