Show HN: Squint – Drag a box on your screen and ask AI about it (heysquint.com)

Squint, a new lightweight application, allows users to instantly capture and query information on their screens by pressing a simple hotkey (Win + Shift + Q). Upon activation, the tool freezes the screen, enabling users to drag a box around the desired content, after which it streams answers directly into a dedicated panel. This streamlined functionality eliminates traditional logistical hurdles, such as uploading files or navigating multiple tabs, allowing users to interact with their queries more naturally and efficiently. This innovation is significant for the AI/ML community as it enhances the accessibility of AI-powered insights in real-time without sacrificing user experience. Squint supports Markdown, mathematical expressions, and code blocks, catering to a wide range of tasks. Furthermore, it operates entirely locally for the capture process, ensuring privacy, as nothing is stored or used for model training on the server side. The app is available for Windows and Linux, with a macOS version coming soon, and offers a free tier with limited captures, alongside a subscription model for more intensive users. This approach not only democratizes access to AI but also reduces the cognitive load on users, making it ideal for busy professionals seeking immediate answers.