Show HN: A physical dial that locks your screens until your focus session ends
Miradial is a physical dial that locks computer screens during a focus session. Users set a timer by turning the dial, and the screen remains locked until the session ends, helping to prevent distractions and enforce focused work periods.
Background
- This is a crowdfunding campaign (on Indiegogo) for a hardware device called Miradial — a physical dial that locks your computer screen for a set period of time to enforce focus sessions. The dial has a countdown timer and the screen only unlocks when the time runs out or if you physically break the seal (which the device logs). It's aimed at people who struggle with digital distractions and want a hardware-level commitment device, rather than software blockers they can easily override.
- Indiegogo is a crowdfunding platform similar to Kickstarter, where backers pre-order products that are still in development. Campaigns are not guaranteed to deliver, so backing is a risk.
- The "Show HN" prefix refers to Hacker News ("HN"), a tech-news forum run by Y Combinator. Users post projects they built themselves, and the community discusses them. Being posted there signals interest from an early-adopter, engineering-oriented audience.
- Physical commitment devices for digital self-control have a small but well-known niche — the most famous predecessor is the "KSafe" (a time-locked container for phones). Miradial applies the same idea to a computer screen lock.