How To Hide Work Distraction From Your Boss With This Device

MacOS and Windows offer a lot of free widgets and apps to help your hide work distractions, like Facebook and YouTube, from your co-workers or your boss. However, they only work well if you always pay close attention to whoever walks by your desk. Now, the Daytripper device will do all the work for you, with a laser tripwire which automatically hides contraband websites or apps each time it is triggered.

The Daytripper includes two simple pieces. The first one is a transmitter that uses the STMicroelectronics VL53L0X laser TOF (time-of-flight) sensor for movement detection. The second piece is a receiver that plugs into a USB port on the computer and triggers a keyboard shortcut automatically (for example, minimizing all current windows) or whatever custom script when it’s triggered by a wireless signal sent from the transmitter.

The device isn’t an ultimate foolproof system. The TOF sensor can work in a range of around 1.2 meters, which means it can span a door frame easily, but it might not work well with larger spaces such as a big hallway. So make sure you place the device in strategic positions. Another limitation is that its scan rate is only 5 Hz, meaning someone that moves fast enough can slip past your defense system.

Apart from the drawbacks, at the price of Rs 4,262, with another Rs 426 if you wish to bypass the soldering and have it pre-assembled before shipping, this device can well save you at work from getting caught.