Overview
A delightful macOS menu bar app featuring a 3D cuckoo clock that helps you stay aware of time’s passage. Unlike stressful productivity timers, CuckooTimer offers gentle, charming reminders to take breaks and stay mindful.
Features
- Menu Bar Integration: Lives in your menu bar with no dock icon
- 3D Cuckoo Clock: Animated clock with procedural wood textures, swinging pendulum, opening doors, and an emerging cuckoo bird
- Customizable Intervals: Set reminders for 15, 30, or 60 minutes
- Multiple Modes: Auto-hide (shows only on cuckoo), always visible, or sound-only
- Working Hours: Configure when reminders appear during your workday
- Cuckoo Sounds: Charming chirp and optional tick sounds
- Auto-Updates: Self-hosted update system keeps the app current
- One-Time Purchase: $3.99 lifetime license with no subscription
How It Works
- Set your ideal time interval (15, 30, or 60 minutes)
- Work peacefully while the Rust backend quietly tracks time in the background
- When time’s up, the 3D cuckoo clock animates—doors swing open, the bird emerges with sound
- The window auto-hides after the animation, letting you get back to work
Technology Stack
- Desktop App: Rust with Tauri 2.0 for native macOS integration
- 3D Rendering: Three.js with WebGPU and TSL (Texture Shader Language) for procedural wood textures
- Frontend: React 18, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS
- Website: TanStack Start (SSR), PostgreSQL with Drizzle ORM
- Monorepo: pnpm workspaces (
@cuckoo/app,@cuckoo/site,@cuckoo/ui) - Payments: Stripe
- Hosting: DigitalOcean Spaces for builds and updates
Design Philosophy
Transform time awareness into a joyful moment. Unlike harsh productivity timers that induce stress, CuckooTimer creates a gentle, friendly relationship with time. It’s not about forcing productivity—it’s about mindful awareness and delightful reminders to pause.
Built to be a “productivity buddy” rather than a taskmaster, helping you stay aware of time passing without feeling nagged.