Hone

Hone is an app that helps you to focus and single-task through smart attention task management and pomodoro techniques. Available on the Mac App Store. Fully self-published.

Hone, a desktop application, aims to improve productivity by merging time-blocking, to-do lists, and pomodoro timers, countering the negative impacts of multitasking on focus as evidenced by research from Ophir, Nass, and Wagner (2009), and Mark, Gudith, and Klocke (2008). These studies highlight "attention residue," the cognitive cost of shifting between tasks that hampers full engagement. By enabling users to dedicate specific durations and goals to tasks, Hone boosts accountability and concentration. It doubles as a time-tracking tool, revealing discrepancies between perceived and actual task durations—often underestimated by users—and facilitates task categorization to better manage time across various projects. The app's analytics provide insights into daily activities, promoting a balance between focused work and necessary breaks by ensuring data privacy through local storage. Hone thus not only enhances task management but also emphasizes the importance of rest for overall well-being.