Show HN: Stao – A simple standing desk reminder I built for myself
stao.appI built something embarrasingly simple. It changed my workday. When COVID began and I started working from home, I as many others, bought a standing desk. $500, height memory, digital display, the works.
How much did I actually stand? Maybe 15-20 minutes a day. I just kept forgetting.
- Tried phone alarms, annoying, started dismissing them without thinking. - Tried sticky notes, lasted 2 days. - Tried "I'll just remember", never worked.
So I built Stao. It's a timer that reminds you to switch positions. That's basically it.
I use the 20-8-2 pattern: 20 min sitting, 8 min standing, 2 min moving around (grab water, stretch, whatever). Short cycles so you never get stiff. There's also a 45-15 mode if you want longer focus blocks.
After a month my back feels noticeably better and the 3pm energy crash is gone.
What it does: - Timer with customizable sit/stand/move intervals - Gentle notifications when it's time to switch - Tracks your daily/weekly standing time - Lives in system tray on desktop (if not using the mobile apps), doesn't get in the way
What it doesn't do: - No account required - No cloud sync (all data stays on device), however I might add this in the not too distant future - No social features, gamification, or AI nonsense
Tech stack: Flutter for cross-platform (yes, even desktop). Hive for local storage. Native integrations for system tray and notifications. No backend.
Available on Mac/Windows/Linux/iOS. Android is in beta testing.
Website: https://www.stao.app Simple demo video: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/-skrtpOcOh0 AppStore: https://apps.apple.com/app/stao-standing-desk-reminder/id675...
The name is Norwegian — "stao no pao" roughly means "keep going" in one of the many Norwegian dialects.
Happy to answer questions about the implementation, the standing desk research rabbit hole I fell into, or anything else.
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