Show HN: Screen memory without screenshots, just text to Markdown
A new macOS utility called Ambient Context records window text to local markdown files to provide a searchable memory for LLMs. The tool is currently in early development and requires manual compilation via Node, Rust, and Xcode.
Why it matters
It represents a growing trend of 'personal AI memory' tools that leverage local LLMs to improve productivity by indexing user activity.
A macOS menu bar app that keeps a written record of what you work on, for your own LLM to read.
While the eye in your menu bar is open, Ambient Context reads the text of whichever window you have focused (via the macOS accessibility tree, every few seconds) and appends it to a plain markdown file: one file per day, in a folder you choose. Point Claude Code or any other agent at that folder and it can answer "what did I work on Tuesday?", build memory about your projects, or write your standup for you.
Early and unsigned. There is no notarised download yet (Apple Developer enrolment is in progress), so for now you build it yourself, which takes about two minutes:
You need Node , Rust and Xcode Command Line Tools.
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