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Show HN: Timeboxing app for Mac

44 points by Void_ 14y ago

nthitz 14y ago
> A timeboxing app. Duh. Sorry but as developer who had to google timeboxing this immediately turned me off to your product.
- Void_ 14y ago
  Sorry. It's not really a product yet, more like a weekend project, so I hope that partially justifies the stupid joke.
  - nthitz 14y ago
    Fair enough, and I guess I can't argue with free. Thanks for sharing!
- mduvall 14y ago
  I agree here, squinting to read the barely legible text to be condescendingly met with some word that made me do a quick Google query...meh.
- suyash 14y ago
  You're a developer and don't know what TimeBoxing is? You must not have a CS degree?
  - jcoder 14y ago
    Not sure if trolling.
  - jh3 14y ago
    I sort of agree. Isn't it obvious? It doesn't seem too difficult to deduce the definition through the definitions of the two smaller words that make up "timeboxing."
- hyperbovine 14y ago
  On the contrary, condescension immediately ups my prior on developer's skill level.
huang47 14y ago
I don't get the point to use this app
- Void_ 14y ago
  It helps you with timeboxing: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeboxing http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeboxing It helps you get things done by setting aside e.g. 20 minutes to fix bug #123. I wanted to put this up on website originally, but then decided I just want to keep it simple: http://sht.tl/jJ0J6 http://sht.tl/jJ0J6
  - hooch 14y ago
    Nice little graphic!
huwr 14y ago
I know it's not a very helpful comment, seeing as you've only just started, but I think the website would be better if the screenshot was bigger.
- Void_ 14y ago
  Thank you, I think it's quite helpful. While I work on the website some more, enjoy the 2x version of the screenshot: http://rinik.net/zonebox/images/preview@2x.png http://rinik.net/zonebox/images/preview@2x.png :)
greenwalls 14y ago
I like the simple website. Having the download as a .zip may be a little suspicious to some non-technical users but maybe I'm wrong.
cinemaguy23 14y ago
Looks cool but I'm on OSX 10.7.5 and all I get is "application quit unexpectedly " whenever I try to launch unfortunately
suyash 14y ago
It says quit unexpectedly, not working for me. I'm on LION
- Void_ 14y ago
  Yeah, I haven't tested it on Lion. Sorry.
  - devin 14y ago
    Test it on Lion.
startupnerd 14y ago
sounded like an interesting idea - but doesnt actually count down my assigned time on mountain lion
- slajax 14y ago
  Same here. Wondering if it will throw up a notice when a particular tax reaches it's end point or if that is also broken.
- glennos 14y ago
  I saw the same when I blocked it phoning home. After allowing it to phone home once it now counts down as you'd expect. Void_, what's the phone home actually doing? ps. Nice, simple product. Are you going to build this out to include some of Zone's functionality?
hackoder 14y ago
Nicely done! Tried it out and will definitely be keeping it. I like the website as well, the utility of the app is obvious from one quick glance. I think it'll be useful in convincing yourself to do that 15-60 min task that you've been putting off.. or just to get you motivated (I'll fix this bug quickly in 15 mins... and before you know it you've fixed a few).
sdfjkl 14y ago
A few words about what Timeboxing is would be handy on there.
ApolloRising 14y ago
Tried to install your app and run it. The application crashed at launch, details included here if you need to trouble shoot it. Process: launchd [1985] Path: /Applications/Zonebox.app/Contents/MacOS/Zonebox Identifier: rinik.Zonebox Version: ??? (???) Code Type: X86-64 (Native) Parent Process: launchd [138] Date/Time: 2013-01-16 15:27:10.376 -0800 OS Version: Mac OS X 10.7.4 (11E53) Crashed Thread: Unknown Exception Type: EXC_BAD_ACCESS (SIGSEGV) Exception Codes: KERN_INVALID_ADDRESS at 0x00007fff5fc01028
- gabebw 14y ago
  Yup, same error here. Full dump: https://gist.github.com/5db045977b157096f448 https://gist.github.com/5db045977b157096f448
  - nichodges 14y ago
    And here. Crashed Thread: Unknown Exception Type: EXC_BAD_ACCESS (SIGSEGV) Exception Codes: KERN_PROTECTION_FAILURE at 0x00007fff5fc01028
    - corroded 14y ago
      And my Axe! I mean...same error here as well: https://gist.github.com/4553069 https://gist.github.com/4553069
godDLL 14y ago
This is very very good. I only wish I could paste/drag a list like this in and out of it: - bla bla do one thing - bla bla do some other thing + this is done already Because right now it has my information hostage. And then destroys it altogether. Thank you.
- Void_ 14y ago
  You can simply paste list of things in it, copying is a good idea too.
kentosi 14y ago
Nice app, and well done for a weekend project! Try converting this to a menu-bar app (see http://flexibits.com/fantastical http://flexibits.com/fantastical). Let's face it - this is more of a utility that needs to get out of the way rather than "app" that sits there and takes up space. :-) Try having a all-screen notification when the time is up (see app "Timey" in App store: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/timey/id414792604?mt=12 https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/timey/id414792604?mt=12) Combine these two features and I'll happily pay for this app.
webbruce 14y ago
This is awesome, trying it now.
i386 14y ago
Would be great if I could use this to practice the Pomodoro Technique. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomodoro_Technique http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomodoro_Technique
tsunamifury 14y ago
A quick "add time" button that pulls down with a 5,15,30,60,120 minute list might be awesome. This way you can quickly keep working on a task you didn't scope correctly.
ryjm 14y ago
For people who don't know what timeboxing is: http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/timeboxing-trilogy-part-1-what-and-why http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/timeboxing-trilogy... Even if you aren't into language learning it is a very interesting (and practical) read. "Anyway, the short answer is this: timeboxing is a technique where we place deliberate, prior, artificial limits on the time to perform a given task. Within reason, the tighter (shorter) the time limits, the better."
cstefanovici 14y ago
Sad to report that although the website for your apps look real good neither Zonebox or slap worked for me. - Zonebox crashed on launch - Slap doesnt let me add any websites.
james4k 14y ago
This strikes me as something that would be better as an iPhone app. Still, seems like a great simple app.
deleted 14y ago
[deleted]
epaga 14y ago
Nice and clean interface. Would be great if I could delete a task (after adding a bunch of test tasks for example) Would also be great to be able to enter "1h" - it switches it to 1m. Is this somehow compatible to your App Store App "Zone"?
e_proxus 14y ago
I immediately tried entering 4h as a estimate, sadly it didn't work. :-(

44 points by Void_ 14y ago

> A timeboxing app. Duh. Sorry but as developer who had to google timeboxing this immediately turned me off to your product.

Void_ 14y ago
Sorry. It's not really a product yet, more like a weekend project, so I hope that partially justifies the stupid joke.
- nthitz 14y ago
  Fair enough, and I guess I can't argue with free. Thanks for sharing!
mduvall 14y ago
I agree here, squinting to read the barely legible text to be condescendingly met with some word that made me do a quick Google query...meh.
suyash 14y ago
You're a developer and don't know what TimeBoxing is? You must not have a CS degree?
- jcoder 14y ago
  Not sure if trolling.
- jh3 14y ago
  I sort of agree. Isn't it obvious? It doesn't seem too difficult to deduce the definition through the definitions of the two smaller words that make up "timeboxing."
hyperbovine 14y ago
On the contrary, condescension immediately ups my prior on developer's skill level.

huang47 14y ago

I don't get the point to use this app

Void_ 14y ago
It helps you with timeboxing: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeboxing http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeboxing It helps you get things done by setting aside e.g. 20 minutes to fix bug #123. I wanted to put this up on website originally, but then decided I just want to keep it simple: http://sht.tl/jJ0J6 http://sht.tl/jJ0J6
- hooch 14y ago
  Nice little graphic!

huwr 14y ago

I know it's not a very helpful comment, seeing as you've only just started, but I think the website would be better if the screenshot was bigger.

Void_ 14y ago
Thank you, I think it's quite helpful. While I work on the website some more, enjoy the 2x version of the screenshot: http://rinik.net/zonebox/images/preview@2x.png http://rinik.net/zonebox/images/preview@2x.png :)

greenwalls 14y ago

I like the simple website. Having the download as a .zip may be a little suspicious to some non-technical users but maybe I'm wrong.

cinemaguy23 14y ago

Looks cool but I'm on OSX 10.7.5 and all I get is "application quit unexpectedly " whenever I try to launch unfortunately

suyash 14y ago

It says quit unexpectedly, not working for me. I'm on LION

Void_ 14y ago
Yeah, I haven't tested it on Lion. Sorry.
- devin 14y ago
  Test it on Lion.

startupnerd 14y ago

sounded like an interesting idea - but doesnt actually count down my assigned time on mountain lion

slajax 14y ago
Same here. Wondering if it will throw up a notice when a particular tax reaches it's end point or if that is also broken.
glennos 14y ago
I saw the same when I blocked it phoning home. After allowing it to phone home once it now counts down as you'd expect. Void_, what's the phone home actually doing? ps. Nice, simple product. Are you going to build this out to include some of Zone's functionality?

hackoder 14y ago

Nicely done! Tried it out and will definitely be keeping it. I like the website as well, the utility of the app is obvious from one quick glance. I think it'll be useful in convincing yourself to do that 15-60 min task that you've been putting off.. or just to get you motivated (I'll fix this bug quickly in 15 mins... and before you know it you've fixed a few).

sdfjkl 14y ago

A few words about what Timeboxing is would be handy on there.

ApolloRising 14y ago

Tried to install your app and run it. The application crashed at launch, details included here if you need to trouble shoot it. Process: launchd [1985] Path: /Applications/Zonebox.app/Contents/MacOS/Zonebox Identifier: rinik.Zonebox Version: ??? (???) Code Type: X86-64 (Native) Parent Process: launchd [138] Date/Time: 2013-01-16 15:27:10.376 -0800 OS Version: Mac OS X 10.7.4 (11E53) Crashed Thread: Unknown Exception Type: EXC_BAD_ACCESS (SIGSEGV) Exception Codes: KERN_INVALID_ADDRESS at 0x00007fff5fc01028

gabebw 14y ago
Yup, same error here. Full dump: https://gist.github.com/5db045977b157096f448 https://gist.github.com/5db045977b157096f448
- nichodges 14y ago
  And here. Crashed Thread: Unknown Exception Type: EXC_BAD_ACCESS (SIGSEGV) Exception Codes: KERN_PROTECTION_FAILURE at 0x00007fff5fc01028
  - corroded 14y ago
    And my Axe! I mean...same error here as well: https://gist.github.com/4553069 https://gist.github.com/4553069

godDLL 14y ago

This is very very good. I only wish I could paste/drag a list like this in and out of it: - bla bla do one thing - bla bla do some other thing + this is done already Because right now it has my information hostage. And then destroys it altogether. Thank you.

Void_ 14y ago
You can simply paste list of things in it, copying is a good idea too.

kentosi 14y ago

Nice app, and well done for a weekend project! Try converting this to a menu-bar app (see http://flexibits.com/fantastical http://flexibits.com/fantastical). Let's face it - this is more of a utility that needs to get out of the way rather than "app" that sits there and takes up space. :-) Try having a all-screen notification when the time is up (see app "Timey" in App store: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/timey/id414792604?mt=12 https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/timey/id414792604?mt=12) Combine these two features and I'll happily pay for this app.

webbruce 14y ago

This is awesome, trying it now.

i386 14y ago

Would be great if I could use this to practice the Pomodoro Technique. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomodoro_Technique http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomodoro_Technique

tsunamifury 14y ago

A quick "add time" button that pulls down with a 5,15,30,60,120 minute list might be awesome. This way you can quickly keep working on a task you didn't scope correctly.

ryjm 14y ago

For people who don't know what timeboxing is: http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/timeboxing-trilogy-part-1-what-and-why http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/timeboxing-trilogy... Even if you aren't into language learning it is a very interesting (and practical) read. "Anyway, the short answer is this: timeboxing is a technique where we place deliberate, prior, artificial limits on the time to perform a given task. Within reason, the tighter (shorter) the time limits, the better."

cstefanovici 14y ago

Sad to report that although the website for your apps look real good neither Zonebox or slap worked for me. - Zonebox crashed on launch - Slap doesnt let me add any websites.

james4k 14y ago

This strikes me as something that would be better as an iPhone app. Still, seems like a great simple app.

deleted 14y ago

[deleted]

epaga 14y ago

Nice and clean interface. Would be great if I could delete a task (after adding a bunch of test tasks for example) Would also be great to be able to enter "1h" - it switches it to 1m. Is this somehow compatible to your App Store App "Zone"?

e_proxus 14y ago

I immediately tried entering 4h as a estimate, sadly it didn't work. :-(