# NextReset: Give Codex Usage a Daily Budget A native Mac menu bar tool for checking Codex allowance, comparing reset-ticket plans, and pacing work until the next reset. Author: Anson Ho Published: 2026-10-01 Canonical: https://anson.im/blog/why-i-built-nextreset Language: en Remaining quota answers one question: how much is left? I also wanted to know how much I could use today without running out before the next reset. That is the idea behind [NextReset@TokenPark](https://nextreset.tokenpark.org/), a native macOS menu bar utility for Codex allowance and reset tickets. ![NextReset@TokenPark website showing the Homebrew command and an illustrative allowance dashboard.](/screenshots/nextreset-website.jpg) *The NextReset@TokenPark website, captured October 1, 2026. Dashboard values are illustrative.* ## Put the allowance on a schedule NextReset shows remaining allowance, a reset countdown, and exact ticket expiry times in your time zone. The dashboard compares plans using zero, one, two, or three available tickets. The daily budget is simple: ```text (remaining quota + 100 × selected tickets) / days until reset ``` If 40% remains with two days to go, the zero-ticket plan allows 20% per day. Adding one ticket raises that to 70% per day. These percentages refer to one full quota, not the remaining balance or a token count. The plans assume you use up the current allowance before redeeming a ticket. Redeeming early may discard what remains. ## Show the reasoning The recommendation uses your expected daily capacity, or sampled pace after enough observation. It prefers fewer tickets when they cover your demand and can be used before expiry. This is a planning heuristic. It covers the current reset window and assumes ticket redemption does not move the natural reset date. That assumption has not been independently established; refresh after redemption to read the actual server date. NextReset does not redeem tickets for you. Missing expiry data or insufficient history stays visible rather than becoming a precise-looking guess. ## Keep the integration small The app reads rate limits through the Codex app-server protocol using your existing Codex CLI sign-in. It does not read conversations, run model inference, or collect telemetry. Codex handles authentication and may contact OpenAI; NextReset does not directly read or store login tokens. The app is written in Swift with no third-party packages. It refreshes account data every 30 minutes, with manual and stale-data refreshes. Optional local notifications cover ticket expiry and quota exhaustion. ## Install it Version 0.2.1 is MIT-licensed, signed, and notarized. It requires macOS 14+ and a signed-in Codex CLI with a supported account. Ticket details depend on what the service exposes. ```sh brew install --cask Anson2Dev/tap/nextreset ``` It is an independent community project, not an OpenAI product. [Website](https://nextreset.tokenpark.org/) · [Source and releases](https://github.com/Anson2Dev/NextReset) · [All projects](/projects) --- # PlaudFree: My Recordings, My Models A native Mac app for turning recordings into transcripts and useful notes, with local models or your own API key. Author: Anson Ho Published: 2026-10-01 Canonical: https://anson.im/blog/why-i-built-plaudfree Language: en I use a Plaud recorder for work. The hardware fits my routine. The transcription allowance was the part I wanted to change. I wanted to take an audio file, choose a model, and turn it into notes on my Mac. So I built [PlaudFree](https://plaudfree.com/en/). ![PlaudFree website showing its download, processing options, and illustrative recording workspace.](/screenshots/plaudfree-website.jpg) *The PlaudFree website, captured October 1, 2026. The product preview uses fictional content.* ## A short path from audio to notes The workflow is straightforward: export a recording, import it, transcribe it, review the text, and generate notes from a template. You can play back transcript segments to check a name, a number, or a decision before saving the result. Recordings and notes live in a local library. You can organize, search, and export them. The Mac app does not require a website account. PlaudFree is an independent tool. It imports audio manually and does not connect to your Plaud account. ## Choose where the work runs Local Whisper handles transcription. Local Ollama can generate notes. If you prefer a cloud model, bring your own API key and choose the service for each stage. That choice has a clear boundary: local processing keeps the model work on your Mac; cloud processing sends the relevant content to your selected provider. Cloud calls follow that provider's pricing and terms. Version 0.8.1 is free to download, with no software subscription. Local models do not incur cloud API charges, but still use your Mac's memory, storage, and compute. ## Make it feel like a Mac app The current client uses SwiftUI, AppKit, and AVFoundation. An earlier Electron client remains as a compatibility reference; the website download is the native app. The useful part is the review loop. A transcript needs corrections. A summary needs judgment. Keeping playback, editing, and templates together makes those steps easier to finish. ## Available now PlaudFree 0.8.1 is available as a signed and notarized download for Apple Silicon Macs running macOS 14 or later. The Mac App Store version is still being prepared. [Download PlaudFree](https://plaudfree.com/en/download/) · [All projects](/projects) --- # Why I Built AgentsMail — The 19-Step Gmail Nightmare I tried to connect my AI agent to Gmail. It took 19 steps, 3 security warnings, and still failed. So I built something better. Author: Anson Ho Published: 2026-03-26 Canonical: https://anson.im/blog/why-i-built-agentsmail Language: en It started with a simple idea: let my AI agent send an email. ## The Gmail Nightmare I asked my agent to connect to Gmail. What followed was a 19-step obstacle course: 1. Create a Google Cloud account 2. Create a new project 3. Enable the Gmail API 4. Configure OAuth consent screen 5. Create OAuth credentials 6. Set up redirect URIs 7. Handle OAuth flow in code 8. Exchange authorization code for tokens 9. Store refresh tokens securely 10. Handle token refresh logic 11. Deal with 2FA requirements 12. Navigate "Less secure app access" deprecation 13. Generate App-specific passwords 14. Configure SMTP settings 15. Handle rate limits and quotas 16. Parse Gmail's API response format 17. Deal with label/thread complexity 18. Test... get a security warning from Google 19. Give up. My agent couldn't do any of this. It doesn't have a browser. It can't click through OAuth consent screens. It can't receive 2FA codes. ## The Security Problem Even if I could connect Gmail, there was a deeper issue: **I didn't want my agent reading my personal email.** My inbox has bank statements, medical records, private conversations. Giving an AI agent full access to that? No thanks. The alternative — creating a new Gmail account just for the agent — meant going through the entire registration process again. More phone verification, more CAPTCHA, more friction. ## The Realization Email is the internet's oldest and most universal communication protocol. Federated, asynchronous, identity built into DNS, security built into DKIM/SPF/DMARC. Every system in the world can send and receive email. But there was no email service designed for AI agents. Every existing solution assumed a human sitting at a keyboard. ## One API Call So I built AgentsMail. The entire registration is one POST request: ```bash curl -X POST https://agentsmail.org/api/getemailaddress \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -d '{"agent_name": "my-agent"}' ``` That's it. No OAuth. No Google Cloud console. No 2FA. Your agent gets its own email address, 10 free sends, and can start communicating immediately. ## What Makes It Different - **Zero friction** — One API call, no sign-up needed - **Agent-native** — Designed for programs, not people - **Free** — 10 sends included, upgrade for unlimited - **Encrypted** — AES-256-GCM at rest - **Open source** — [github.com/huberthe-pro/agents-mail](https://github.com/huberthe-pro/agents-mail) ## Try It Install the [AgentsMail skill on ClawHub](https://clawhub.ai/huberthe-pro/agentsmail), or tell your agent: ``` Install agentsmail.org/skill.md and register a mailbox for yourself. ``` Your agent will have its own email in 30 seconds. --- *AgentsMail is open source and free. Built with Cloudflare Workers, D1, and TypeScript. [Check it out on GitHub](https://github.com/huberthe-pro/agents-mail).*