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Why a Y Combinator startup tackling AI agents for Windows gave up and pivoted | TechCrunch

Why a Y Combinator startup tackling AI agents for Windows gave up and pivoted | TechCrunch

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A startup called Pig.dev that participated in Y Combinator’s Winter 2025 batch was working on a potentially revolutionary idea: AI agentic tech to control a Microsoft Windows desktop.

But in May, the founder announced he was abandoning the tech and pivoting his company to something entirely different: Muscle Mem, a cache system for AI agents that allows them to offload repeatable tasks. 

An early-stage YC company pivoting is nothing out of the ordinary, of course. What’s interesting — and what sparked a dynamic conversation on Thursday’s Y Combinator podcast — is that Pig was working on computer use, one of the big areas that needs to be solved for agents to be truly useful in the workforce. Another company — and another YC alum — that is tackling that for the browser is called Browser Use.

Browser Use surged to popularity when the Chinese agentic tool Manus, which relied on it, went viral. Browser Use essentially scans the buttons and elements of a website to turn them into a more digestible, “text-like” format for agents, helping the AI understand how to navigate and use the website.

During the Y Combinator podcast, released Thursday, partner Tom Blomfield likened Pig to the Browser Use for Windows desktops. The podcast featured Amjad Masad, the founder and CEO of popular vibe-coding startup Replit.

Masad, Blomfield, and YC partner David Lieb were discussing how long-term computer use of hours, rather than minutes, was still a stumbling block for agents. As the context window for reasoning grows, an agent’s accuracy wavers while LLM costs increase.

“The advice I would give founders today is taking either Browser Use or Windows automation with Pig and trying to apply that into enterprise, into a vertical industry,” Blomfield suggested. 

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Masad agreed. “The moment that technology works, those two companies are going to do really, really well,” he said.

But alas, Pig’s founder Erik Dunteman has already given up on the idea. In his post in May, he explained that he at first wanted to run a cloud API product (a common way of delivering AI tech). But his customers didn’t want that. So he tried selling it as a dev tool. And they didn’t want that either. 

“What users in the legacy app automation space actually want is to hand me money, and receive an automation,” he said. Essentially, they wanted to hire a consultant to make their desired Windows robotic process automations work for them. 

But Dunteman didn’t want to do one-off projects. He wanted to build development tools. So he abandoned Pig and started working on an AI caching tool. Dunteman declined further comment about his decision to ditch Windows automation, although the Pig.dev website and GitHub documents remain available. 

However, Dunteman did tell us his new tool was inspired by the computer use problem. It is chipping away at it from another angle. The idea is to allow the agent to offload repeated tasks to the Muscle Mem service so the agent can focus on reasoning for new problems and edge cases.

“What we’re working on now is directly inspired by and applicable to computer use, just at the developer tooling layer. I remain very optimistic for computer use as ‘the last mile,’” he told TechCrunch.

That’s not to say that no one is working on Windows automation.

Probably the company furthest along on that is Microsoft. For instance, in April, Microsoft announced it added computer use tech to Copilot Studio for graphical user interfaces like Windows. That tech was released as a research preview.  Plus, earlier this month, Microsoft announced an agentic tool in Windows 11 that helps end users manage settings.

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This week, Palantir announced the upcoming release of a new chore coat branded with the company’s logo. The company has been releasing gear since 2024, and this new coat is a great way to tell everyone what you stand for. Specifically, it communicates to everyone in your immediate vicinity that you support ICE and aren’t a big fan of civil liberties.

Palantir’s head of strategic engagement Eliano A. Younes tweeted the chore coat this week, which he says will be released on April 30.

X users responded to Younes with the kind of comments that anyone might expect about Palantir, a company aligned with President Donald Trump and the most dystopian elements of our modern surveillance society.

“could it be operated remotely ? detonated? listening ? what’s the features list,” one user joked, while another asked if it had “built in surveillance trackers?”

But Younes seemed genuinely offended by the most obvious jokes any reasonable person might be expected to make of Palantir, a defense contractor that prides itself in helping surveil and kill people around the world. He responded with “here for the shitposting but I need to see better from you. this is unoriginal and not funny,” and “not even remotely funny. try harder.”

Even Palantir employees seem to be waking up to what the company stands for, according to a recent report from Wired. When the U.S. launched a missile attack against an elementary school in Iran on Feb. 28 that killed about 175 people, mostly children, the employees reportedly started to question whether Palantir’s Maven technology had been used. Employees are also worried about the company’s lucrative contracts with ICE, an organization that has been terrorizing American streets in particularly heinous ways.

But Palantir seems intent on pushing out gear that allows like-minded people to wrap themselves in a horrifying, anti-American brand.

“We want millions of people wearing Palantir merch around the world,” recently Younes told GQ. Younes says he wants Palantir to be a lifestyle brand, telling GQ, “There are people out there wearing Palantir merchandise to signal their alignment with our mission, and that’s exactly what a lifestyle brand is.”

That lifestyle, of course, isn’t something that decent people would be proud of. Palantir recently promoted a Reader’s Digest-style version of the book The Technological Republic, co-authored by CEO Alex Karp, in a tweet. The book advocates for reinstatement of the draft, says the “postwar neutering” of Germany and Japan following the atrocities of World War II was an overcorrection, and criticizes the concept of pluralism.

It’s not just the chore coat. The company also sell sweatshirts, t-shirts, and hats, among other items. One t-shirt Palantir sold in 2025 featured an image of Karp along with the word “Dominate.” That item is no longer available for purchase.

Younes also suggested to GQ that its CEO was important for Palantir as a fashion brand: “A lot of the store’s designs are downstream of Dr. Karp and our chief technology officer Shyam Sankar’s personal style.” Younes wouldn’t say how many units the company is selling, but did claim, “store sales have increased 64% year-over-year and everything we’ve made has sold out, sometimes in minutes.”

GQ asked about Palantir’s ICE contracts and the other “controversial” things it’s engaged in with the U.S. military, but Younes insisted the company is “not political,” whatever that’s supposed to  mean.

As the Wall Street Journal recently pointed out, Palantir is leaning hard into selling the “tech-boss-as-hero ethos,” that’s frankly pretty common in Silicon Valley these days. But even some fans of the company think the merchandising effort is embarrassing.

“Unpopular opinion: all these merch posts are so ‘fan boy’ and extra cringe,” one user wrote in the Palantir subreddit about Karp’s Dominate shirt. “Like the stock or don’t, believe in the company or don’t,…. But the incessant merch posts are weak sauce.”

Others are fully bought in, with one user writing, “Definitely a collectors item for me, could be worth something one day.”

Younes told GQ that Palantir is working on a tennis collection and something for the America 250 celebrations this summer. So if you’re a fan of techno-fascism, keep your eyes peeled. Whatever merch they’ve got planned for the rest of the year could be sold out in no time.

#Palantir #Debuts #Chic #Chore #Coat #World #Youre #BaddiesPalantir">Palantir Debuts Chic Chore Coat So the World Knows You’re One of the Baddies This week, Palantir announced the upcoming release of a new chore coat branded with the company’s logo. The company has been releasing gear since 2024, and this new coat is a great way to tell everyone what you stand for. Specifically, it communicates to everyone in your immediate vicinity that you support ICE and aren’t a big fan of civil liberties. Palantir’s head of strategic engagement Eliano A. Younes tweeted the chore coat this week, which he says will be released on April 30. the lightweight Palantir chore coat [04.30.2026 • 0930 AM EST] pic.twitter.com/9K5fmu3bSs — Eliano A Younes (@eliano) April 21, 2026 X users responded to Younes with the kind of comments that anyone might expect about Palantir, a company aligned with President Donald Trump and the most dystopian elements of our modern surveillance society. “could it be operated remotely ? detonated? listening ? what’s the features list,” one user joked, while another asked if it had “built in surveillance trackers?” But Younes seemed genuinely offended by the most obvious jokes any reasonable person might be expected to make of Palantir, a defense contractor that prides itself in helping surveil and kill people around the world. He responded with “here for the shitposting but I need to see better from you. this is unoriginal and not funny,” and “not even remotely funny. try harder.” Even Palantir employees seem to be waking up to what the company stands for, according to a recent report from Wired. When the U.S. launched a missile attack against an elementary school in Iran on Feb. 28 that killed about 175 people, mostly children, the employees reportedly started to question whether Palantir’s Maven technology had been used. Employees are also worried about the company’s lucrative contracts with ICE, an organization that has been terrorizing American streets in particularly heinous ways. But Palantir seems intent on pushing out gear that allows like-minded people to wrap themselves in a horrifying, anti-American brand. “We want millions of people wearing Palantir merch around the world,” recently Younes told GQ. Younes says he wants Palantir to be a lifestyle brand, telling GQ, “There are people out there wearing Palantir merchandise to signal their alignment with our mission, and that’s exactly what a lifestyle brand is.” That lifestyle, of course, isn’t something that decent people would be proud of. Palantir recently promoted a Reader’s Digest-style version of the book The Technological Republic, co-authored by CEO Alex Karp, in a tweet. The book advocates for reinstatement of the draft, says the “postwar neutering” of Germany and Japan following the atrocities of World War II was an overcorrection, and criticizes the concept of pluralism. It’s not just the chore coat. The company also sell sweatshirts, t-shirts, and hats, among other items. One t-shirt Palantir sold in 2025 featured an image of Karp along with the word “Dominate.” That item is no longer available for purchase. Younes also suggested to GQ that its CEO was important for Palantir as a fashion brand: “A lot of the store’s designs are downstream of Dr. Karp and our chief technology officer Shyam Sankar’s personal style.” Younes wouldn’t say how many units the company is selling, but did claim, “store sales have increased 64% year-over-year and everything we’ve made has sold out, sometimes in minutes.” GQ asked about Palantir’s ICE contracts and the other “controversial” things it’s engaged in with the U.S. military, but Younes insisted the company is “not political,” whatever that’s supposed to  mean. As the Wall Street Journal recently pointed out, Palantir is leaning hard into selling the “tech-boss-as-hero ethos,” that’s frankly pretty common in Silicon Valley these days. But even some fans of the company think the merchandising effort is embarrassing. “Unpopular opinion: all these merch posts are so ‘fan boy’ and extra cringe,” one user wrote in the Palantir subreddit about Karp’s Dominate shirt. “Like the stock or don’t, believe in the company or don’t,…. But the incessant merch posts are weak sauce.” Others are fully bought in, with one user writing, “Definitely a collectors item for me, could be worth something one day.” Younes told GQ that Palantir is working on a tennis collection and something for the America 250 celebrations this summer. So if you’re a fan of techno-fascism, keep your eyes peeled. Whatever merch they’ve got planned for the rest of the year could be sold out in no time. #Palantir #Debuts #Chic #Chore #Coat #World #Youre #BaddiesPalantir

support ICE and aren’t a big fan of civil liberties.

Palantir’s head of strategic engagement Eliano A. Younes tweeted the chore coat this week, which he says will be released on April 30.

X users responded to Younes with the kind of comments that anyone might expect about Palantir, a company aligned with President Donald Trump and the most dystopian elements of our modern surveillance society.

“could it be operated remotely ? detonated? listening ? what’s the features list,” one user joked, while another asked if it had “built in surveillance trackers?”

But Younes seemed genuinely offended by the most obvious jokes any reasonable person might be expected to make of Palantir, a defense contractor that prides itself in helping surveil and kill people around the world. He responded with “here for the shitposting but I need to see better from you. this is unoriginal and not funny,” and “not even remotely funny. try harder.”

Even Palantir employees seem to be waking up to what the company stands for, according to a recent report from Wired. When the U.S. launched a missile attack against an elementary school in Iran on Feb. 28 that killed about 175 people, mostly children, the employees reportedly started to question whether Palantir’s Maven technology had been used. Employees are also worried about the company’s lucrative contracts with ICE, an organization that has been terrorizing American streets in particularly heinous ways.

But Palantir seems intent on pushing out gear that allows like-minded people to wrap themselves in a horrifying, anti-American brand.

“We want millions of people wearing Palantir merch around the world,” recently Younes told GQ. Younes says he wants Palantir to be a lifestyle brand, telling GQ, “There are people out there wearing Palantir merchandise to signal their alignment with our mission, and that’s exactly what a lifestyle brand is.”

That lifestyle, of course, isn’t something that decent people would be proud of. Palantir recently promoted a Reader’s Digest-style version of the book The Technological Republic, co-authored by CEO Alex Karp, in a tweet. The book advocates for reinstatement of the draft, says the “postwar neutering” of Germany and Japan following the atrocities of World War II was an overcorrection, and criticizes the concept of pluralism.

It’s not just the chore coat. The company also sell sweatshirts, t-shirts, and hats, among other items. One t-shirt Palantir sold in 2025 featured an image of Karp along with the word “Dominate.” That item is no longer available for purchase.

Younes also suggested to GQ that its CEO was important for Palantir as a fashion brand: “A lot of the store’s designs are downstream of Dr. Karp and our chief technology officer Shyam Sankar’s personal style.” Younes wouldn’t say how many units the company is selling, but did claim, “store sales have increased 64% year-over-year and everything we’ve made has sold out, sometimes in minutes.”

GQ asked about Palantir’s ICE contracts and the other “controversial” things it’s engaged in with the U.S. military, but Younes insisted the company is “not political,” whatever that’s supposed to  mean.

As the Wall Street Journal recently pointed out, Palantir is leaning hard into selling the “tech-boss-as-hero ethos,” that’s frankly pretty common in Silicon Valley these days. But even some fans of the company think the merchandising effort is embarrassing.

“Unpopular opinion: all these merch posts are so ‘fan boy’ and extra cringe,” one user wrote in the Palantir subreddit about Karp’s Dominate shirt. “Like the stock or don’t, believe in the company or don’t,…. But the incessant merch posts are weak sauce.”

Others are fully bought in, with one user writing, “Definitely a collectors item for me, could be worth something one day.”

Younes told GQ that Palantir is working on a tennis collection and something for the America 250 celebrations this summer. So if you’re a fan of techno-fascism, keep your eyes peeled. Whatever merch they’ve got planned for the rest of the year could be sold out in no time.

#Palantir #Debuts #Chic #Chore #Coat #World #Youre #BaddiesPalantir">Palantir Debuts Chic Chore Coat So the World Knows You’re One of the BaddiesPalantir Debuts Chic Chore Coat So the World Knows You’re One of the Baddies This week, Palantir announced the upcoming release of a new chore coat branded with the company’s logo. The company has been releasing gear since 2024, and this new coat is a great way to tell everyone what you stand for. Specifically, it communicates to everyone in your immediate vicinity that you support ICE and aren’t a big fan of civil liberties. Palantir’s head of strategic engagement Eliano A. Younes tweeted the chore coat this week, which he says will be released on April 30. the lightweight Palantir chore coat [04.30.2026 • 0930 AM EST] pic.twitter.com/9K5fmu3bSs — Eliano A Younes (@eliano) April 21, 2026 X users responded to Younes with the kind of comments that anyone might expect about Palantir, a company aligned with President Donald Trump and the most dystopian elements of our modern surveillance society. “could it be operated remotely ? detonated? listening ? what’s the features list,” one user joked, while another asked if it had “built in surveillance trackers?” But Younes seemed genuinely offended by the most obvious jokes any reasonable person might be expected to make of Palantir, a defense contractor that prides itself in helping surveil and kill people around the world. He responded with “here for the shitposting but I need to see better from you. this is unoriginal and not funny,” and “not even remotely funny. try harder.” Even Palantir employees seem to be waking up to what the company stands for, according to a recent report from Wired. When the U.S. launched a missile attack against an elementary school in Iran on Feb. 28 that killed about 175 people, mostly children, the employees reportedly started to question whether Palantir’s Maven technology had been used. Employees are also worried about the company’s lucrative contracts with ICE, an organization that has been terrorizing American streets in particularly heinous ways. But Palantir seems intent on pushing out gear that allows like-minded people to wrap themselves in a horrifying, anti-American brand. “We want millions of people wearing Palantir merch around the world,” recently Younes told GQ. Younes says he wants Palantir to be a lifestyle brand, telling GQ, “There are people out there wearing Palantir merchandise to signal their alignment with our mission, and that’s exactly what a lifestyle brand is.” That lifestyle, of course, isn’t something that decent people would be proud of. Palantir recently promoted a Reader’s Digest-style version of the book The Technological Republic, co-authored by CEO Alex Karp, in a tweet. The book advocates for reinstatement of the draft, says the “postwar neutering” of Germany and Japan following the atrocities of World War II was an overcorrection, and criticizes the concept of pluralism. It’s not just the chore coat. The company also sell sweatshirts, t-shirts, and hats, among other items. One t-shirt Palantir sold in 2025 featured an image of Karp along with the word “Dominate.” That item is no longer available for purchase. Younes also suggested to GQ that its CEO was important for Palantir as a fashion brand: “A lot of the store’s designs are downstream of Dr. Karp and our chief technology officer Shyam Sankar’s personal style.” Younes wouldn’t say how many units the company is selling, but did claim, “store sales have increased 64% year-over-year and everything we’ve made has sold out, sometimes in minutes.” GQ asked about Palantir’s ICE contracts and the other “controversial” things it’s engaged in with the U.S. military, but Younes insisted the company is “not political,” whatever that’s supposed to  mean. As the Wall Street Journal recently pointed out, Palantir is leaning hard into selling the “tech-boss-as-hero ethos,” that’s frankly pretty common in Silicon Valley these days. But even some fans of the company think the merchandising effort is embarrassing. “Unpopular opinion: all these merch posts are so ‘fan boy’ and extra cringe,” one user wrote in the Palantir subreddit about Karp’s Dominate shirt. “Like the stock or don’t, believe in the company or don’t,…. But the incessant merch posts are weak sauce.” Others are fully bought in, with one user writing, “Definitely a collectors item for me, could be worth something one day.” Younes told GQ that Palantir is working on a tennis collection and something for the America 250 celebrations this summer. So if you’re a fan of techno-fascism, keep your eyes peeled. Whatever merch they’ve got planned for the rest of the year could be sold out in no time. #Palantir #Debuts #Chic #Chore #Coat #World #Youre #BaddiesPalantir

This week, Palantir announced the upcoming release of a new chore coat branded with the company’s logo. The company has been releasing gear since 2024, and this new coat is a great way to tell everyone what you stand for. Specifically, it communicates to everyone in your immediate vicinity that you support ICE and aren’t a big fan of civil liberties.

Palantir’s head of strategic engagement Eliano A. Younes tweeted the chore coat this week, which he says will be released on April 30.

X users responded to Younes with the kind of comments that anyone might expect about Palantir, a company aligned with President Donald Trump and the most dystopian elements of our modern surveillance society.

“could it be operated remotely ? detonated? listening ? what’s the features list,” one user joked, while another asked if it had “built in surveillance trackers?”

But Younes seemed genuinely offended by the most obvious jokes any reasonable person might be expected to make of Palantir, a defense contractor that prides itself in helping surveil and kill people around the world. He responded with “here for the shitposting but I need to see better from you. this is unoriginal and not funny,” and “not even remotely funny. try harder.”

Even Palantir employees seem to be waking up to what the company stands for, according to a recent report from Wired. When the U.S. launched a missile attack against an elementary school in Iran on Feb. 28 that killed about 175 people, mostly children, the employees reportedly started to question whether Palantir’s Maven technology had been used. Employees are also worried about the company’s lucrative contracts with ICE, an organization that has been terrorizing American streets in particularly heinous ways.

But Palantir seems intent on pushing out gear that allows like-minded people to wrap themselves in a horrifying, anti-American brand.

“We want millions of people wearing Palantir merch around the world,” recently Younes told GQ. Younes says he wants Palantir to be a lifestyle brand, telling GQ, “There are people out there wearing Palantir merchandise to signal their alignment with our mission, and that’s exactly what a lifestyle brand is.”

That lifestyle, of course, isn’t something that decent people would be proud of. Palantir recently promoted a Reader’s Digest-style version of the book The Technological Republic, co-authored by CEO Alex Karp, in a tweet. The book advocates for reinstatement of the draft, says the “postwar neutering” of Germany and Japan following the atrocities of World War II was an overcorrection, and criticizes the concept of pluralism.

It’s not just the chore coat. The company also sell sweatshirts, t-shirts, and hats, among other items. One t-shirt Palantir sold in 2025 featured an image of Karp along with the word “Dominate.” That item is no longer available for purchase.

Younes also suggested to GQ that its CEO was important for Palantir as a fashion brand: “A lot of the store’s designs are downstream of Dr. Karp and our chief technology officer Shyam Sankar’s personal style.” Younes wouldn’t say how many units the company is selling, but did claim, “store sales have increased 64% year-over-year and everything we’ve made has sold out, sometimes in minutes.”

GQ asked about Palantir’s ICE contracts and the other “controversial” things it’s engaged in with the U.S. military, but Younes insisted the company is “not political,” whatever that’s supposed to  mean.

As the Wall Street Journal recently pointed out, Palantir is leaning hard into selling the “tech-boss-as-hero ethos,” that’s frankly pretty common in Silicon Valley these days. But even some fans of the company think the merchandising effort is embarrassing.

“Unpopular opinion: all these merch posts are so ‘fan boy’ and extra cringe,” one user wrote in the Palantir subreddit about Karp’s Dominate shirt. “Like the stock or don’t, believe in the company or don’t,…. But the incessant merch posts are weak sauce.”

Others are fully bought in, with one user writing, “Definitely a collectors item for me, could be worth something one day.”

Younes told GQ that Palantir is working on a tennis collection and something for the America 250 celebrations this summer. So if you’re a fan of techno-fascism, keep your eyes peeled. Whatever merch they’ve got planned for the rest of the year could be sold out in no time.

#Palantir #Debuts #Chic #Chore #Coat #World #Youre #BaddiesPalantir

when you’re trying to stay focused on something, there’s no shortage of distractions on your phone, through your web browser, or out the window. And with attention spans crumbling in the TikTok era, we now have an entire category of apps dedicated to helping you stick to what you’re supposed to be doing.

These apps all work more or less in the same way, giving you a straightforward method of tracking how long you’re spending on a task, and offering some sort of incentive to keep going for the allotted amount of time. Sometimes you get a few extra features as well, like the ability to block access to other apps.

In the interest of trying to write this specific article without switching between browser tabs and apps every two minutes, I gave three of the best focus tools a try. Here’s how they stack up.

Focus Friend

Image may contain Book Publication and Comics

Focus Friend gives you a companion bean to focus with.

Photograph: David Nield

The vibe of Focus Friend is very much a warm and cozy one. When you first set up the app, you get your own personal bean, which you can give a name to. Once you’re through the intro screens, your bean will start knitting—and anytime you pick up your phone after that, the knitting stops.

The idea is that if you stick to the block of time you’ve set, your bean can come up with a variety of knitted creations, which can then be traded for different decorations for your bean’s living space. As you might expect, you can pay for decorations too, and a Pro subscription ($2 a month) means your bean is able to get more creative with its knitting.

It’s up to you how long your focus sessions are, and you have the option of playing some relaxing music, blocking access to other apps, or keeping the screen on while you work or study—and while your bean gets busy doing some knitting. It’s all quite whimsical and easy to set up. You don’t even need to register a user account.

How effective you find Focus Friend really depends on how taken you are by your bean and its knitting projects. At its core the app is really just a stopwatch, though the option to actually block other apps is useful. For me, the extra dollop of cutesy companionship does make a difference, and helps sticking to a task.

Focus Friend for Android and iOS (free or from $2 a month)

Forest

Image may contain Advertisement and Poster

Forest grows virtual trees while you work or study.

Photograph: David Nield

The trick that Forest uses to keep you focused is growing virtual trees inside the app. The longer you stay engaged and able to avoid distractions, the more trees you get—until you have your very own forest on your phone. The app developers have partnered with the nonprofit Trees for the Future to grow millions of actual trees out in the real world too.

#Focus #Timer #Apps #Taskapps,how-to,software,tips,productivity">These 3 Focus Timer Apps Will Keep You on Taskwhen you’re trying to stay focused on something, there’s no shortage of distractions on your phone, through your web browser, or out the window. And with attention spans crumbling in the TikTok era, we now have an entire category of apps dedicated to helping you stick to what you’re supposed to be doing.These apps all work more or less in the same way, giving you a straightforward method of tracking how long you’re spending on a task, and offering some sort of incentive to keep going for the allotted amount of time. Sometimes you get a few extra features as well, like the ability to block access to other apps.In the interest of trying to write this specific article without switching between browser tabs and apps every two minutes, I gave three of the best focus tools a try. Here’s how they stack up.Focus FriendFocus Friend gives you a companion bean to focus with. Photograph: David NieldThe vibe of Focus Friend is very much a warm and cozy one. When you first set up the app, you get your own personal bean, which you can give a name to. Once you’re through the intro screens, your bean will start knitting—and anytime you pick up your phone after that, the knitting stops.The idea is that if you stick to the block of time you’ve set, your bean can come up with a variety of knitted creations, which can then be traded for different decorations for your bean’s living space. As you might expect, you can pay for decorations too, and a Pro subscription ( a month) means your bean is able to get more creative with its knitting.It’s up to you how long your focus sessions are, and you have the option of playing some relaxing music, blocking access to other apps, or keeping the screen on while you work or study—and while your bean gets busy doing some knitting. It’s all quite whimsical and easy to set up. You don’t even need to register a user account.How effective you find Focus Friend really depends on how taken you are by your bean and its knitting projects. At its core the app is really just a stopwatch, though the option to actually block other apps is useful. For me, the extra dollop of cutesy companionship does make a difference, and helps sticking to a task.Focus Friend for Android and iOS (free or from a month)ForestForest grows virtual trees while you work or study. Photograph: David NieldThe trick that Forest uses to keep you focused is growing virtual trees inside the app. The longer you stay engaged and able to avoid distractions, the more trees you get—until you have your very own forest on your phone. The app developers have partnered with the nonprofit Trees for the Future to grow millions of actual trees out in the real world too.#Focus #Timer #Apps #Taskapps,how-to,software,tips,productivity

TikTok era, we now have an entire category of apps dedicated to helping you stick to what you’re supposed to be doing.

These apps all work more or less in the same way, giving you a straightforward method of tracking how long you’re spending on a task, and offering some sort of incentive to keep going for the allotted amount of time. Sometimes you get a few extra features as well, like the ability to block access to other apps.

In the interest of trying to write this specific article without switching between browser tabs and apps every two minutes, I gave three of the best focus tools a try. Here’s how they stack up.

Focus Friend

Image may contain Book Publication and Comics

Focus Friend gives you a companion bean to focus with.

Photograph: David Nield

The vibe of Focus Friend is very much a warm and cozy one. When you first set up the app, you get your own personal bean, which you can give a name to. Once you’re through the intro screens, your bean will start knitting—and anytime you pick up your phone after that, the knitting stops.

The idea is that if you stick to the block of time you’ve set, your bean can come up with a variety of knitted creations, which can then be traded for different decorations for your bean’s living space. As you might expect, you can pay for decorations too, and a Pro subscription ($2 a month) means your bean is able to get more creative with its knitting.

It’s up to you how long your focus sessions are, and you have the option of playing some relaxing music, blocking access to other apps, or keeping the screen on while you work or study—and while your bean gets busy doing some knitting. It’s all quite whimsical and easy to set up. You don’t even need to register a user account.

How effective you find Focus Friend really depends on how taken you are by your bean and its knitting projects. At its core the app is really just a stopwatch, though the option to actually block other apps is useful. For me, the extra dollop of cutesy companionship does make a difference, and helps sticking to a task.

Focus Friend for Android and iOS (free or from $2 a month)

Forest

Image may contain Advertisement and Poster

Forest grows virtual trees while you work or study.

Photograph: David Nield

The trick that Forest uses to keep you focused is growing virtual trees inside the app. The longer you stay engaged and able to avoid distractions, the more trees you get—until you have your very own forest on your phone. The app developers have partnered with the nonprofit Trees for the Future to grow millions of actual trees out in the real world too.

#Focus #Timer #Apps #Taskapps,how-to,software,tips,productivity">These 3 Focus Timer Apps Will Keep You on Task

when you’re trying to stay focused on something, there’s no shortage of distractions on your phone, through your web browser, or out the window. And with attention spans crumbling in the TikTok era, we now have an entire category of apps dedicated to helping you stick to what you’re supposed to be doing.

These apps all work more or less in the same way, giving you a straightforward method of tracking how long you’re spending on a task, and offering some sort of incentive to keep going for the allotted amount of time. Sometimes you get a few extra features as well, like the ability to block access to other apps.

In the interest of trying to write this specific article without switching between browser tabs and apps every two minutes, I gave three of the best focus tools a try. Here’s how they stack up.

Focus Friend

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Focus Friend gives you a companion bean to focus with.

Photograph: David Nield

The vibe of Focus Friend is very much a warm and cozy one. When you first set up the app, you get your own personal bean, which you can give a name to. Once you’re through the intro screens, your bean will start knitting—and anytime you pick up your phone after that, the knitting stops.

The idea is that if you stick to the block of time you’ve set, your bean can come up with a variety of knitted creations, which can then be traded for different decorations for your bean’s living space. As you might expect, you can pay for decorations too, and a Pro subscription ($2 a month) means your bean is able to get more creative with its knitting.

It’s up to you how long your focus sessions are, and you have the option of playing some relaxing music, blocking access to other apps, or keeping the screen on while you work or study—and while your bean gets busy doing some knitting. It’s all quite whimsical and easy to set up. You don’t even need to register a user account.

How effective you find Focus Friend really depends on how taken you are by your bean and its knitting projects. At its core the app is really just a stopwatch, though the option to actually block other apps is useful. For me, the extra dollop of cutesy companionship does make a difference, and helps sticking to a task.

Focus Friend for Android and iOS (free or from $2 a month)

Forest

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Forest grows virtual trees while you work or study.

Photograph: David Nield

The trick that Forest uses to keep you focused is growing virtual trees inside the app. The longer you stay engaged and able to avoid distractions, the more trees you get—until you have your very own forest on your phone. The app developers have partnered with the nonprofit Trees for the Future to grow millions of actual trees out in the real world too.

#Focus #Timer #Apps #Taskapps,how-to,software,tips,productivity
#Mothers #Day #gifts #moms">Best Mother’s Day gifts under that moms actually want Miller Kern is the Deputy Editor of Shopping and Reviews at Mashable, where she writes and edits reviews, roundups, deals, and news stories about tech products, including headphones, skincare devices, laptops, sex toys, e-readers, robot vacuums, and more. She’s been covering all things shopping and tech, including shopping holidays like Prime Day and Black Friday, for Mashable since 2019. Miller can tell you which products are actually worth your money. She also explores trends in the shopping sphere, such as dupes and viral TikTok moments. #Mothers #Day #gifts #moms

and viral TikTok moments.

#Mothers #Day #gifts #moms">Best Mother’s Day gifts under $50 that moms actually want

Miller Kern is the Deputy Editor of Shopping and Reviews at Mashable, where she writes and edits reviews, roundups, deals, and news stories about tech products, including headphones, skincare devices, laptops, sex toys, e-readers, robot vacuums, and more. She’s been covering all things shopping and tech, including shopping holidays like Prime Day and Black Friday, for Mashable since 2019. Miller can tell you which products are actually worth your money. She also explores trends in the shopping sphere, such as dupes and viral TikTok moments.

#Mothers #Day #gifts #moms

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