Review My Startup : AppCanvas - Web Development Framework for Non-Programmers. - <AUTHOR>

URL : www.appcanvas.com<p>This is very alpha and quite far from launch but I think an early feedback and guidance from the HNers would go a long way in shaping my strategy from here. <comment><USER2> So I ran into the same problem on Chrome as everyone else, but I fired up Firefox (something I'm increasingly trying to avoid) to give this a try. I'm not completely non-technical, but my coding ability is quite limited. I've tried just about every visual programming platform out there and have yet to find something truly intuitive. AppCanvas is no exception (sorry for the bluntness) but I see a lot of potential in it.

Non-coders want to put as little effort into development as possible. Otherwise they'd be, well--developers. Starting with a blank canvas and the ability to add little widgets seems like a rather common sense approach to this kind of thing right? It confuses the hell out of us. How do you turn this blank screen into an actual _application_.

Of course education and intuitive UI will help with all of this, but I think you could also benefit by having a better understanding of how non-coders think about software design. I believe it was patio11 who made the comment that visual programming's greatest downfall is that it simply addresses the syntax. The designer still needs to understand the logic and data structures driving the whole thing. For example, I wouldn't just intuitively know that when I sign into a service, I become an object of the 'User' class based on a series of logical tests. This stuff matters.

As I said before though, I actually am excited about the potential of this project. I think you're aware of the issues I raised, you just need to iterate(again, and again, and again!). My email is in my profile, please drop me a line whenever you need feedback from a potential user.

</comment><comment><USER3> I can't actually work out how to use it. The toolbox makes it look like it's drag and drop but it isn't. I click a widget, and I just get some text that says "add here"....but I don't know what to do with that.

Also, I added a page called "test" accidentally clicked home, and now the page is gone, but I can't create a new page called "test" and I can't close the dialog to just edit the page I had.

Oh...I just worked out how to add an element. Why do I need to click "add here"? Now I'm clicking it and nothing happens....

Oh...You have to open the properties from the tool menu? Weird.

I like what you're trying to do, but I feel like I'm using Photoshop (You even mention photoshop in your intro), but it doesn't work like Photoshop. If you're going to use controls analogous to other applications, then it really needs to work like those other applications. You have a fairly low tech interface that LOOKS like a high tech application GUI.

In general, considering you're presumably targeting non-coders, it's VERY complicated. In reality, what is the likelihood that someone who doesn't know CSS know's the difference between padding and margin? Or that someone who doesn't know databases is going to be able to link up pagination to a database? You have a "power" application aimed at non techies...but you still need to be a techie to use it.

Who is your target? What problem is it solving them?

<comment><AUTHOR> \- I am targeting both coders and non-coders. People who are willing to spend some time learning a new interface and some new concepts by watching some videos.

\- Want to realize their idea of creating a complete functional app (as complex as Hacker News or Twitter) in few hours.

I agree that at the moment the interface sucks, the tutorials are missing and discoverability of so many features in the builder is super low, and I really need to work a lot more on them than I thought. But, I am excited that you liked the concept and took the time to evaluate it further.

</comment></comment><comment><USER4> Safari not supported when signing up, funny alpha is funny.

The UI for adding elements to the page is not intuitive. Some little "add here" thingie shows up and when I click then it gets added. Took me a while to figure out, I expect drag and drop.

It's cool that one can build a blog/HN, to-do list, but from looking at the builder I don't know how. But the bigger problem is the concept that I should build HN or a to do list from some low-level pieces. I think for designers it looks reminiscent of dreamweaver, where you couldn't build all that much without coding. For others it's probably too many buttons.

I think you should start with a finished template, let's say of HN and edit that to make a blog where users vote on one writer's articles, or a to do list, where you just remove the up/down voting and leave the submission form. Or to make some enhanced HN, add up/down voting conditions when a user just clicks the link, add "label" votes where you can vote for discussion article creates, not just article, then add site sort by quality of discussions.

An app builder is only as flexible as it's presets and templates, but starting with a blank canvas gives the impression that it's some professional tool with a big learning curve. I think you should underline that it's not flexible but enables you to prototype variations on established paradigms easily, so display finished template first.

<comment><AUTHOR> Thanks for trying out. I expected the comments about UI being un-intuitive and I continue to work on them. I think having a brief video walk-through of the interface will go some way.

I agree that one should not build complex websites from low-level pieces and AppCanvas was designed to address this problem from the very beginning.

\- There are page templates (right now not many) which you can base your starting page upon. \- There is a "Widget Gallery" which has high level widgets. \- You can create a custom widget by selecting something and then reusing it.

Thanks for helping me understand how important having templates/presets it.

</comment></comment><comment><USER5> I went to your site, read the FAQ and then registered to test it but was told I needed to download Firefox. I am using the latest Beta build of Chrome.

My only suggestions at this point are to highlight browser requirements before someone takes the time to register; even though the registration form is short.

Secondly, do we really have to use Firefox?

<comment><AUTHOR> Sorry. I just added a popup which will warn you on the homepage itself. The Design interface is very JS intensive and right now I have only tested it properly on FF. I do play to add support for all browsers very soon.

However, the finished PHP applications should run properly on all browsers.

<comment><USER6> While I guess the popup is better than nothing, seeing a window.alert anywhere usually brings up negative connotations (at least for me). I'd just add some text disclaimer on the sign up page - or at least confine the alert to that page. I tried thumbing through your site, but having to click "ok" every time I wound back on the home page didn't keep me on it for long. Best of luck to you.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER7> I think the UX is terribly unintuitive - i hadnt realised that after clicking on a widget to add, you have to click where you want to add it to. A much more efficient and intuitive UX would be to drag and drop, showing a half- transparent version of what would appear in the destination of the drop.

Any half decent GUI driven development is going to have to need WYSIWYG, and currently in your app nothing is.

Sorry if this sounds harsh and critical - i have hope for this app, but it needs to improve before it can compete with the likes of yahoo pipes or blogger's template builder.

</comment><comment><AUTHOR> clickable : <http://www.appcanvas.com>

</comment><comment><USER8> You should have a video walk-through on the site for people who don't want to register now or whose browsers aren't supported (I got an error on Android).

</comment><comment><USER9> I have tried using appcanvas.com, great idea. But you need to concentrate on the UX and UI. Try to concentrate on that.

</comment><comment><USER10> "Web Development Framework" is not very accurate IMO. I would change that to "WYSIWYG HTML editor".</comment>


The Problem With Virtual Goods - <AUTHOR> http://betab.ly/qAe4Vr

<comment><USER2> I would think that playing with real money online would have more complicated legal issues, since you're not just a game, you're effectively an online casino.

For instance, you wouldn't be able to market your game in the states, since it's illegal to have transactions with online gambling services.

<comment><USER3> The legal issues are solved by Betable (<http://developers.betable.com/developers/signin>). Betable already has gambling licenses which have been issued to them by the UK Gambling Commission (<http://bit.ly/mSX3kN>). They act as the backend to your game and handle all gambling related activity and compliance. Because the game just acts as a pass-through front end, and never handles any of the gambling activity, it is not a gambling operator, and therefore, it doesn't need a license. Instead, Betable acts as the operator and is licensed.

Betable supports virtual currency, so if you wanted to market your game to players in the US, you can create a virtual currency version of your game, market it everywhere in the world, and only expose the real-money gaming functionality to players in legal jurisdictions (e.g. those outside of the US, Turkey and Holland).

<comment><USER4> Someone works for betable, I see.

<comment><USER3> Yep, that's why I know so much about the space :)

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER5> I think the author of this article forgot that online gambling is illegal. Or at least, it's illegal for (US) banks to process money coming from gambling websites.

<comment><USER3> I don't think they forgot that. There is a big world outside of the US that CAN gamble and bet LEGALLY online. Using Betable (<http://developers.betable.com/developers/signin>), game devs can reach the massive Ex-US audience (remember, 60% of Zynga's traffic is outside of the US), and monetize them >100X better (traditional online casinos generate about $300/month per player on average) than they currently do using virtual goods, virtual currency, etc.

<comment><USER6> And by "they", you mean you, right? You are the CEO of Betable.

<comment><USER7> So what? if it's true and good for developpers shouldn't he be the one drumming this stuff up?

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER8> Gambling used to be a big business in Second Life (the virtual world), until Linden Lab banned it outright.

[http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Linden_Lab_Official:Policy_R...](http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Linden_Lab_Official:Policy_Regarding_Wagering_in_Second_Life)

<comment><USER3> Now, they could piggy-back on Betable's licenses and legally offer a casino in Second Life.

</comment></comment><comment><USER9> problems with virtual goods are same as problems in stock exchanges witch is also some form of computer game.

<comment><USER5> Ahhh! I'm scared of the stock exchanges witch!

<comment><AUTHOR> @civilian this comment made me laugh :)

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER10> > This new category called Social Gambling Games ("SGG") will disrupt both the > gaming industry

> Betable is working on developing a platform for legally integrating real- > money play into Social Gambling Games

Nice blogspam.

<comment><AUTHOR> I don't think it's "blogspam" to educate the developer community about this opportunity. Betable is basically a hack for both the gaming and gambling industries. It hacks the gambling industry by letting new players easily enter the space to spark innovation, and it hacks the gaming industry by giving small developers a monetization channel that makes MUCH more money per player.

This is huge for game developers because they can afford to build their games faster and market more aggressively if they use real-money play vs. virtual goods. In our article, we mention that it takes a million users at an ARPU of $1 to make $1M in revenue. Many gambling games have an ARPU of $70-$100, so even if you fall in between $1 and $100 and hit, for instance, $10 ARPU, you are talking about an order of magnitude increase in your revenue per player. The flexibility that this will award game developers is awesome, and we think worthy of a post here.

Also, we believe that the best new games that will build on this will combine the best aspect of social games (as we know them) and gambling mechanics. These games will be a merger of the two: Social Gambling Games.</comment></comment>


Is e + Pi irrational? [video] - <AUTHOR> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxA-xD9mUmM <comment><USER2> It's crazy how this apparently simple problem still remains unsolved. I bet it's irrational :)</comment>


Czech climber Adam Ondra has conquered the Dawn Wall in record time - <AUTHOR> http://www.outsideonline.com/2138561/how-adam-ondra-pulled-dawn-wall <comment><USER2> I think that this style of climbing resonates a lot better with the general public because it does such a good job of conveying difficulty.

If you look at a photo of Adam on one of his 9b's [1], it looks like a guy having a really hard time in a really steep place, but there are _holds_ there. You see things that seem like a fella could hang from them.

Compare to the photo in the article, with its dead vertical, mile-high flat granite surface that's, well, kinda bumpy. There is nowhere in that image that the layman could picture himself existing for even a second before falling off.

It's a shame, in a way, that we sort of climbed off the top of the feasible difficulty for this style of route back in the '90s and had to turn to steeper, longer routes. You just don't get the captivating photos like you used to these days.

[1] [https://www.8a.nu/images/news/large/636002137114161240_13320...](https://www.8a.nu/images/news/large/636002137114161240_13320515_786795324755406_315282076536749870_o.jpg)

<comment> saiya-jin true, only those who tried climbing for at least few times do know how much difference the shape of the hold and the angle of the wall makes the difference.

layman can see me climbing some easy overhang in the gym (say 5c) in amazement, but it's basically a series of pullups with some stamina required (yeah, I am not a very good climber). on real rock with similar surface angle, or on some proper route I wouldn't last there for 2 seconds

<comment><USER3> I started indoor climbing about 3-4 months back as there is a gym nearby and I go with one of our devs. My goodness what an amazingly functional sport.

I have such immense respect and awe for those people that can climb such a flat surface. You really realise the insane grip strength and stamina they must have to be able to actually not fall off, let alone climb up.

I am quite happy with my positive holds on a flat surface and indoors though. Youtube bouldering world championships for some insane athletes!

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER4> Keep in mind that although he did it in a single push of 8 days, he has actually been up and down the wall for a lot longer, freeing and aiding every pitch many times. I was on the Nose almost a month ago and I could see his portaledge hanging out there. His accomplishment is really amazing and the Dawn Wall is so damn blank! No idea how these people get so good!

<comment><USER5> Well yeah, but Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson studied the wall for years. That this is Adam Ondra's first trip to Yosemite Valley and his first big wall makes it even more impressive. What an amazing achievement!

<comment><USER6> Adam actually consulted with Caldwell so he had quite a lot of prior knowledge but still, he's only really studied it for a month. Source: [http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/2016/climber- ada...](http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/2016/climber-adam-ondra- dawn-wall-yosemite-success/)

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER7> Plug for _Valley Uprising_ (on Netflix) if you're interested in climbing. The progression of difficulty and (mostly friendly and supportive) competition between climbers is inspiring.

Amazing feat!

PS: Would be happy to take anyone else's recommendations for videos or books too.

<comment><USER8> This is only relevant if you understand Ondra's native tongue (Czech), which is extremely unlikely :-) But for anyone who does speak Czech: this is a rather fun interview, especially if you don't know much about climbing.

[https://video.aktualne.cz/dvtv/mam-lezecky-mozek-sedi-mi- div...](https://video.aktualne.cz/dvtv/mam-lezecky-mozek-sedi-mi-divne-cesty- pady-na-skale-do-lana/r~ccaec1968f9111e682380025900fea04/)

<comment><USER9> Extremely unlikely but possible :) Nice interview, thanks!

For English speakers I would recommend "La Dura Complete: The Hardest Rock Climb In The World" ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1P97VVt6_k](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1P97VVt6_k))

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER10> Every time time someone uses the world "conquer" to describe a climbing accomplishment, a million climbers face palm.

That said, this is a pretty descriptive article describing what happened in a way accessible to fairly general audience. I particularly liked the comparison "it's akin to Usain Bolt also being the fastest marathoner alive. That's the hold Ondra has on climbing." It's incredible to imagine how far this guy might push the sport, given everything he has already accomplished at such a young age.

<comment><USER11> For the non-climbers, conquer is much easier to understand than send.

<comment><USER12> Never heard of send before, is it just short for ascend?

<comment><USER11> In simple terms, yes. More often it is used to mean that you were able to make it up a climb without taking a fall, having your belayer hold you with the rope, or pulling on any fixed gear.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER13> I'm sure this will get down voted into oblivion. I respect the passion of climbing, I really do. However, I never agreed with drilling holes, and placing bolts, in all of these amazing natural structures. Just another thing we have to ruin for human enjoyment :(

<comment> un-devmox For those interested in the bolt or not to bolt debate, the Dawn Wall has always been at the epicenter of this controversy. When Warren Harding and Dean Caldwell did the first ascent they placed many bolts (most were tiny brittle aluminum dowels). Later, Royal Robbins and Don Lauria, made the 2nd ascent with the intention of removing those bolts. But they stopped removing the bolts as the beauty of the climb became apparent.

IMO, as someone who has climbed in the Valley for more than 25 years and has always been a traditionalist, drilled bolts have there place in climbing. It would be hard to convince me that bolts on El Cap or any where else in the Valley have 'ruined' the massif.

<comment><USER14> I get the bolts-are-good and bolts-are-bad side of the argument. When I see them, they remind me of survey markers...you only notice them when they are relevant to what you are doing, and they remind me that someone "was here".

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER15> What amazes me more, right now, is that there are people on HN who not only KNOW about climbing, but actually DO it.

By comparison, I tend to consider a brisk walk too much exercise.

<comment><USER16> Climbing seems to be the developer's sport. It's not team based (beyond your belayer), there's no schedule so you can fit it in around other things, and especially with bouldering it's split into short challenges that are as much mental as physical.

<comment><USER17> If you draw a venn diagram for jocks, hippies and nerds, the point where the three circles intersect is where you find climbers.

<comment><USER18> Frank Sacherer worked at CERN: [http://www.rockandice.com/lates-news/tnb- forgotten-hero-fran...](http://www.rockandice.com/lates-news/tnb-forgotten- hero-frank-sacherer-1940-1978)

<comment><USER19> Bill Shockley won the Nobel Prize in Physics ([https://www.mountainproject.com/v/shockleys- ceiling/10579968...](https://www.mountainproject.com/v/shockleys- ceiling/105799687))

Hans Kraus was JFK's back doctor ([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Kraus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Kraus))

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER20> Here's a google translation of just a few days old Czech article about him from his beginnings as a child. I thought Alex Honnold is the best one and didn't know about Ondra till this weekend although I am Czech as well.

[https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=cs&tl=en&js=y&prev...](https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=cs&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=cs&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reportermagazin.cz%2Fa%2FwYZ2K%2Fadam- ondra-muz-s-pavouci-dna&edit-text=)

<comment><USER21> > "Vymrčel I get it,"

Google translate learnt Czech from people from Prague :)

</comment></comment><comment><USER22> That is fucking amazing. I can't even comprehend what it must be like to be living on that wall for eight days (let alone 19 or 28). The mental and emotional state it must put you in...

<comment><USER23> This has been getting a bit easier, emotionally. He had a phone and Internet (he posted on Instagram from the wall, if I read the article correctly)

<comment><USER24> No amount of internet would change my mental state when trying to sleep on a tiny platform 2,000 feet above the ground.

<comment><USER25> It seems crazy, but it is really no different than sleeping in a hotel room or going camping. You initially are uncomfortable and it takes a bit of time for your brain to acknowledge it is safe to sleep in a strange place. Then you realize you are exhausted and pass out.

And unless you REALLY toss and turn in your sleep, you are as safe as your anchors (and if you are doing this, you know how to make anchors. Or are so incredibly stupid that you are trying to win a Darwin award).

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER17> I wonder if in my lifetime we'll ever see a big, sustained free climb go up that surpasses the Dawn Wall. It took Tommy Caldwell 7 years just to unlock it. Testpieces like that don't come around very often.

<comment> saiya-jin it's considered the hardest climb globally in this type of climbing. you won't find such a huge face in himalaya for example. so first we would need to find a tougher one. if you look at the photos/description, there are not many massive polished almost-vertical walls like this one

</comment></comment><comment><USER26> Adam is a total bad-ass and amazing how he's world class in so many disciplines and styles of climbing.

<comment><USER27> Also he is from an amazing climbing family, everybody is freaking awesome at it.

</comment></comment><comment><USER28> As a non-climber: who drills these holes into the wall with the carabiners in them? (AND HOW???)

<comment><USER29> How: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SO4zuO1XSxQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SO4zuO1XSxQ)

Who: Aside from Yosemite, the answer is "it depends", a lot of these are just set up by enterprising enthusiasts, often technically illegally, but few care enough to bother them.

In some parks & locations they're set up by whoever manages the park / owns the area to attract climbers & the business that comes with it.

Some people in the mountaineering / climbing community don't like them since they leave a permanent trace ("take only photos, leave only footprints"), and prefer to use removable versions of these for just the duration of the climb.

<comment><USER30> Dislike is something of an understatement. For many decades, there has been a tit-for-tat war between sport and trad climbers. Sport climbers bolt a route, then trad climbers come along with bolt croppers and remove the protection. In many areas, bolting is carried out under cover of darkness, for fear of violent confrontation with traditionalists.

The Dawn Wall has been a significant battleground in this war. The first ascent was made by Harding and Caldwell in 1970 using bolts and significant aid climbing; A year later, Royal Robbins made the second ascent, chopping off the bolts as he went.

<comment><USER31> I think that's overblowing it. 99.9% of the time, trad climbers and sport climbers and their respective ethics coexist peacefully. There are rock climbing areas that are better suited to trad and areas that are suited to sport, and most of the time those areas are pretty well agreed upon. There are also areas (such as Yosemite) where a mixture of removable gear and permanent gear is most appropriate and in those cases, the general rule of 'removable gear where possible, fixed gear where necessary' is also well agreed upon.

What you're talking about with Harding and Robbins on the Dawn Wall is a clash of ethics that is long in the past. Very few people consider it worthwhile hammering pitons into a slice of blank rock in order to ascend it and aid climbing in itself is less popular with respect to free climbing.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER32> Back the end of September I was photographing folk on the Dawn Wall from down the valley, as we were passing through from the Bay to Park City, heading to a futurist conference...

[https://flic.kr/p/N3KDST](https://flic.kr/p/N3KDST)

<comment><USER31> This is not a photo of the Dawn Wall. These climbers are climbing a route called Tangerine Trip (I believe) which is significantly easier than the Dawn Wall. Climbers climb to the top of El Cap every day, the Dawn Wall has only had 2 ascents.

<comment><USER32> Thanks! I'll correct it.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER33> Are there more photos of what this climb looks like? Maybe a video?

<comment><USER17> Here's Caldwell on pitch 15 last year:

[https://youtu.be/PLd_c4CjG44](https://youtu.be/PLd_c4CjG44)

<comment><USER34> What kind of strength does one have to have on the finger to be able to hold himself with just the tip? I have always wondered. I only saw climbing scenes in movies and have always wondered if people actually are able to work with such little grip and it seems they are.

So for such climbing do they use earlier runs to put the rings (whatever they are call) for the safety lines during the actual climb?

<comment><USER2> In general, when you see a climber bearing down on a tiny crimp that fits the very tip of just one finger, seeming to support his body weight on it, that is exactly what is happening. His feet will be on holds that are considerably worse.

The amazing thing is that if you apply yourself to climbing and train for a few years, you will be able to move off similar holds in similar positions.

It's a pretty cool feeling.

<comment><USER35> As a non-climber, when I watch the Dawn Wall videos, there's an illusion that the surface is 90 degrees sheer, perpendicular to the ground. Understanding that there is actually a slight incline puts those tiny holds in a little more context, moving the concept of clinging to the wall's surface from "impossible" to "outrageous".

<comment><USER36> For some comparison here's Adam Ondra climbing another route. And no, this photo wasn't rotated 90°, it is really an overhang :)

[https://www.8a.nu/images/news/large/636002137114161240_13320...](https://www.8a.nu/images/news/large/636002137114161240_13320515_786795324755406_315282076536749870_o.jpg)

A famous bouldering problem, "Witlness the Fitness" that inclues a cieling:

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PP1AK1Aqis](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PP1AK1Aqis)

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER37> Yeah, but it was also nice to see him struggling with his nervousness. Just like the rest of us. Maybe he's just human too.

</comment><comment><USER38> Following in photos is much better than just reading about Ondra: www.instagram.com/adam.ondra/

</comment><comment><USER39> How it compares to what Alex Honnold achieved on The Nose? Difficulty or size is different?

<comment><USER40> Here's Alex Honnold saying "nope":

[http://www.mensjournal.com/adventure/races-sports/alex- honno...](http://www.mensjournal.com/adventure/races-sports/alex-honnold-on- the-dawn-wall-climb-20150112)

<comment><USER41> Since the original question wasn't yes or no, I was confused by what "saying 'nope'" meant. Here's a quote (from Honnold, but about a different Dawn Wall ascent) from your link that might be relevant:

> People just assume I must be some great climber but I'm like, 'yeah but this > is even harder than anything I've done.' It's really, really hard. The holds > are just a little bit smaller and [a] little bit further apart.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER42> Reading this I am once again fascinated by the link between body and mind. My hands start to sweat as soon as I read the headline.

<comment><USER36> That's what chalk is for :)

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SR1jwwagtaQ&feature=youtu.be...](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SR1jwwagtaQ&feature=youtu.be&t=96)

The whole video is pretty interesting, but may make your hands sweat even more.

</comment></comment><comment> a-l-c-o In what way is this a hacker piece of news ? What's next ? "This cat completes Record Backflip" ?

Please refrain, Thx

<comment><USER39> You can find an explanation here

[https://blog.codinghorror.com/software-projects-as-rock- clim...](https://blog.codinghorror.com/software-projects-as-rock-climbing/)

[http://adaptivepatchwork.com/2011/01/10/why-programmers- love...](http://adaptivepatchwork.com/2011/01/10/why-programmers-love-to- climb/)

[http://breckyunits.com/what-can-a-programmer-learn-from- rock...](http://breckyunits.com/what-can-a-programmer-learn-from-rock- climbing.html)

<comment> a-l-c-o Thank You toppy.

Your second link mentioning problem solving is interesting. But overall I think the comparison is a little stretched.</comment></comment></comment>


OPENdeals - Submit to 400+ Angel groups with one click - <AUTHOR> http://open-deals.com/ <comment><USER2> Nothing says reputable like a domain registered a month ago!

<comment><USER3> <http://OPEN-deals.net> is a way for entrepreneurs to the access the Angel investors that use <http://Angelsoft.net>.

Angelsoft.net, which was started in 2004, is the standard platform for the Angel investing industry.</comment></comment>


Amazon's Android App Store Launches: Test Drive Apps Directly From Your Browser - <AUTHOR> http://techcrunch.com/2011/03/22/amazon-android-app-store-3

<comment><USER2> Man, look at all those one-star reviews for Angry Brids. "My device doesn't have enough space for this app!" "Amazon won't refund my money for some book I bought!" "AT&T doesn't allow side-loading!"

How does any of this relate to the actual app? Someone should be reading these reviews and deleting them, because developers don't want reviews that have nothing to do with ther app making their 5-star app a 3-star app.

Remind me to never give anyone anything for free. They will just whine about it. Better to charge them $10,000 for the app, then charge them for a $500/hour consultant to work around the bugs. They'll whine about it, but then I would be able to afford enough alcohol to not care.

(And no, I have no Android apps. But I just can't get excited about writing one when I see how dumb the average user is.)

<comment><USER3> The Android Market has a similar problem. There is such a large proportion of reviews that are complaints about failed downloads, scare tactics from competitors ("This app installs malware!"), and feature requests ("3 stars. I'll give you four stars once you implement feature X") that it makes me wonder if people with close to 5-star ratings are just buying ratings from farms of people somehow.

</comment></comment><comment><USER4> I'm having trouble parsing this portion of Amazon's developer agreement:

 _3.a. Delivery Commitment for Apps. You will deliver electronically to us (and continue to make available during the Term all versions of all software applications, games or other digital products (including any special or collector's editions) (i) that are designed for the Platform, (ii) for which you have the rights required under this Agreement, and (iii) that are the same versions and editions (except as otherwise provided in this Agreement) that you or your affiliates make available directly or indirectly to any Similar Service._

Does this mean that if I distribute one of my applications through the Appstore, I'm legally required to distribute _all_ of my applications that way?

If so, no thanks. I'm perfectly happy to distribute one app through Amazon's store as an experiment, but there's no way I'm going to sign an open-ended agreement to distribute everything at prices set by Amazon.

If they want every app I write, they would need to earn that through good sales and a lack of shenanigans.

<comment><USER5> > Does this mean that if I distribute one of my applications through the > Appstore, I'm legally required to distribute all of my applications that > way?

That's not (quite) what it looks like to me: I think clause (iii) is just saying that you can't list an app on a competing service unless you list the same version on Amazon's app store. Effectively, it seems they get to sell any app that you want to sell on another app store -- but they're not asserting rights over all future Android apps you might write.

(This raises a question I don't know the answer to: is it possible to distribute Android applications without an app store, in the style of "download this bundle from our site and transfer it to your phone"? Or do the non-developer versions of Android out there require that apps be signed by a central authority before they'll execute them?)

<comment><USER6> people can download and install .apk packages from wherever they want.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER7> If this takes off, it will be HUGE for Android. Everyone will be able to test drive Android apps! If I was going to buy a new smart phone and I had the choice between buying an iPhone on iFaith alone as compared to actually checking out real Android apps before buying the phone, I would probably go for Android simply because I know what I am getting into!

This actually makes me want to try Android (I am an iPhone user)! But I don't live in the States, so… whatever, at least I can fire up a VPN and give those apps a go.

<comment><USER8> Come to the dark side. We have better notifications, customization, and sideloading of apps. :-)

Also, (mostly important if you're not on a Mac) you don't have to use iTunes!

<comment><USER7> Not just yet, the force is still strong with me. But with this latest announcement of Amazon, a great disturbance of the force could be felt :-)

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER9> It seems the App Store is disabled for european (or german atleast) customers.

Sometimes i wish we were back in 1998 where the Internet was the same everywhere. :(

<comment><USER10> The store is down for everyone right now, so if it just redirects to the homepage you should try again later..

<comment><USER10> It's back up now:

         • Amazon Appstore is only available to customers located in the United States

So I guess you're right :(

<comment><USER11> I'm from Belgium but I even put a one-click address in the US, and the apps can't be downloaded (even free ones).

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER12> This is why everyone (including those who love their iProducts) should hope Android becomes/remains successful. Innovation like this only comes when the competition is fierce. Being able to test drive apps on the web site itself looks like a killer feature (as long as it works reasonably well). I'd love to see someone compete with Apple's App Store and raise the bar on the selling experience, if only to see how Apple will respond to it.

<comment><USER13> I hardly see further fragmenting the Android ecosystem as being overly innovative.

<comment><USER12> Sorry, what part of my comment are you replying to?

The part where I said the Amazon App Store's Test Drive feature was innovative? Or something else?

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER14> Just searched for "Amazon App Store", it's way too early in the morning (in ireland) for freaky results

<http://i.imgur.com/2W3UK.png>

<comment><USER15> Dude, WTF!

<comment><USER15> So serious around here, was referring to the picture...

<comment><USER16> You're getting downvoted because "Dude, WTF" doesn't add anything constructive to the conversation.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER17> I'm noticing a lack of Android-ness with the Amazon apps. For example:

I just downloaded the Amazon store on my Nexus One and started downloading Angry Birds Rio. The first thing I noticed is that, while downloading, there's no ongoing notification like the Android Market has. If I navigate away from the Amazon Appstore there's no indication I'm still downloading anything at all. There was also no notification when it finished downloading; I had to manually re-open the Amazon Appstore, then it gave me the standard "installing an app" screen.

Even though I have the Amazon Kindle app installed and syncing, Amazon hasn't set up an entry in the Android "Accounts" list, as the official Twitter and Facebook apps have.

Also, the "menu" widgets are non-standard. This may seem like a minor quibble, but it just adds to the "We're Amazon, we do things our own way" vibe I'm getting.

I still plan on occasionally using the Amazon Appstore, and I can't speak to the "test apps in your browser" functionality yet, but I can't see it replacing the Android Market long-term.

</comment><comment><USER18> You must stay signed in to your Amazon account to use the app though.

I can't see how Google or the EFF would be pleased about it if it's for analytics.

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/?&no...](http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/?&nodeId=200551840#using)

<comment><USER19> Does it mean you can't use the applications offline?

<comment><USER20> Not sure what it means, but I just launched Angry Birds Rio and it ran fine in airplane mode.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER21> I think this could potentially be huge - the Market is less than awesome. The integration with the Amazon Experience has the potential to change completely the way people find apps - recommendations for apps related to whatever I'm searching for could totally change the way I find them.

Not being able to use them offline would suck though.

</comment><comment><AUTHOR> Seems the test-drive feature is disabled or not working (for me at least). The tech behind how they got this to work is cool and could end up being a competitive advantage vs. other app stores.

</comment><comment><USER22> Why does Techcrunch never provide any deeplinks? It's annoying as hell.

</comment><comment><USER23> On my device (Motorola Droid), you need to first enable unsigned applications in the system menu. Amazon guides you through this process very well on their website, but still, I suspect that a lot of nontechnical folks will dropoff due to the complex one-time installation process.

Do any people with better droid-fu know if it _always_ has to be this way? Will future version of the Android App Store be able to have a more seemless install process?

<comment><USER9> There will probably pre-installed versions of the store on some devices, but besides that it's the only option because selling an app store through the android market is permitted.

<comment><USER24> I agree that I believe the main focus for amazon has always been pre-installs on devices - similar to how they now pre-install the amazon mp3 store on a large number of devices.

It also isn't a case of enabling unsigned applications (I believe all applications still require a developer signature), but a case of enabling installs from somewhere besides the google android market. Google won't let other "app store" type apps on the android market on purpose, so it is unlikely that the rules will be relaxed or changed unless they have a philosophical/competitive change of heart.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER25> I think this is going to be wildly successful. The one free premiere app each day is going to have people coming back frequently. Once they get some carrier/handset agreements to have the Appstore preloaded, this is going to blow up.

And I think it's the way it should be. Google needs to concentrate on the platform, let Amazon and their expertise in ecommerce handle this part.

</comment><comment><USER26> On one hand, I'm thinking fragmentation is a problem.

On the other hand, Google has been slow on improving the Android Market -- interface doesn't allow discovery of noteworthy apps and I can't sell apps from my country yet.

</comment><comment><USER27> While the "Test Drive" is cool, the killer thing is that apps are reviewed, which should lead to much better quality. Just submitted our app this morning, and the process was pretty nice.

</comment><comment><USER28> I wonder when Amazon is going to release their own Android device?

</comment><comment><USER29> So, this competitor of google's own app store might be the best thing that happened to android platform.

</comment><comment><USER30> It also doesn't work on AT&T.

<comment><USER17> I'm using it on my AT&T Nexus One right now. Maybe there's some restrictions on actual AT&T-branded/subsidized handsets?

<comment><USER31> Android phones you buy directly from AT&T have sideloading disabled. I believe you have to root the phone to turn this feature back on.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER32> I can't see any App Store links yet, maybe regional rollout?

<comment><USER33> Works for me: [http://www.amazon.com/mobile- apps/b/ref=sa_menu_adr_app1?ie=...](http://www.amazon.com/mobile- apps/b/ref=sa_menu_adr_app1?ie=UTF8&node=2350149011)

(from Ireland)</comment></comment>


Getting visas to attend programs like YC - <AUTHOR>

Hi all,
A group of us were interested to apply for the YC program in the summer but were detered because of visa issues.
All three members in the group currently have full-time jobs and two of us are on H1-B visas. The third member of the team is a U.S. citizen. Quitting our jobs to attend YC fulltime is therefore difficult as two of us will lose our H1-B status and will not be able to stay in the country.
I read on the YC website that people from other countries have been able to participate in YC before. I was wondering if anyone knows anything about this? What visa status were they on? Is there a temporary business visa available for this sort of situation?
Also, if you are facing similar problems, feel free to comment.
Thanks <comment><USER2> We're in Canada and we're wondering the same thing. People here we've talked to don't know much about it, but we're assuming there must be something available since YC has funded Canadians before I'm pretty sure. I figure they'll let everyone know when they're accepted what forms need to be filled out.

<comment><USER3> For Canadians, the quickest method is the TN Visa (<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TN_status>).

<comment><USER4> Self-employment is neither allowed or particularly well defined, so applying for a TN is a risky proposition.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER5> <http://germany.usembassy.gov/germany/visa/vwp.html>

There's a large list of countries for which a stay of up to 90 days for business or tourism does not require a visa.

<comment><USER6> A temporary business visit under visa waiver or one of the B categories does not, as far as I'm aware, allow you to "work" except under certain circumstances.

Meetings, sales calls, repairs, market research, and similar activities are not considered "work" and are allowed. It would need to be investigated whether R&D (which, effectively, is what you're doing when working on a YC project) is allowed.

<comment><USER5> There's a pretty good list here of what's allowed and not allowed:

[http://vkvisalaw.wordpress.com/2008/02/23/what-"business"-ca...](http://vkvisalaw.wordpress.com/2008/02/23/what-"business"-can- you-do-on-a-b-tourist-visa-or-visa-waiver/)

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER7> Our guys were just on Tourist Visas the whole time and are now going for O1 and J1 respectively. Not sure how it works differently if you have an H1-B first though.

<comment><USER8> If you've not been on VISA previously you might be able to apply for a J1, the application time is fairly short but for a non-established company the authorities will have to do a "site-visit" to check that you are an established company.

</comment></comment><comment><USER9> You probably get a grace period after you leave your jobs that might be close to the 3 months required for YC. At least as a start.

<comment><USER10> There is no grace period for H1B, not a single day. If you leave your H1B job, your H1B status is lots immediately.

It might be possible to apply a new H1B based on your YC company, or obtain other work authorization like EAD to be able to work in the US.

</comment></comment><comment><AUTHOR> Thanks for the links and information. It seems like there aren't too many options. The other visa classes seem too restrictive.

</comment><comment><USER11> An H1-B visa doesn't prevent you from switching jobs no?

<comment><AUTHOR> It doesn't. But the company will have to be registered as a U.S. based entity first which may take some time and will only be done after YC starts.

<comment><USER11> You get a grace period if you leave your job right? I just don't see this as a showstopper...you could've applied and dealt with problems as they came up.

<comment><USER12> Actually, no. You don't get a single grace day as somebody else has pointed out below. Plus, even if these guys applied and incorporated immediately, they can't (i.e., the INS will not approve it w.h.p.) sponsor H-1s from their own company (even an H-1 transfer) unless the company receives significant investment. All-in-all, it's certainly a big show-stopper.

<comment><USER11> So how did you guys do it?

<comment><USER12> We were students on F-1 which turned out to be just the right thing to have. We went on an OPT immediately and by the time we needed H-1Bs for ourselves, we had raised enough money to be able to justify the INS that we are a totally legit company capable of paying H-1B level salaries.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER13> Can't you work on it as long as you don't get paid?

<comment><USER8> In practice, yes. Work is generally defined as getting a salary. In theory no, i think</comment></comment>


Antimatter caught streaming from thunderstorms on Earth - <AUTHOR> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12158718 <comment><USER2> Have the scientists published how much antimatter is being produced?

With anti-matter being so exorbitantly expensive to produce, it might even be worthwhile to design a special purpose high-altitude plane with a magnetic scoop to harvest the antimatter!

<comment><USER3> The antimatter being produced is just positrons. They're fairly easy to make: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positron#Production>

Making and storing entire antimatter atoms is the difficult part.

</comment></comment><comment><USER4> Older article and discussion: <http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2092081>

</comment><comment><USER5> That title makes it sound like the antimatter was on the run, avoiding the law or something.

Seriously though, I've always loved that there is a lot we still don't know about thunderstorms and lightening.

<comment><USER6> I did not think that from the title, but after what you've written, I can't help but picture the antimatter as illegal immigrants. I can see the typical reactionary newspaper story now: ' _"They took our joules!"_ One ground-based electron was quoted as saying.'

</comment></comment><comment><USER7> We've actually known about this for a while. I think BBC is covering the Fermi symposium this week so they are putting out some stories from it. (I work for the Fermi collab.)

Also from this same symposium: <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science- environment-13362958>

</comment><comment><USER8> Perhaps it's the other way around--electrons and positrons are produced by (some unknown means), they collide, and this is what causes the gamma ray flashes. Isn't that a possibility? I was surprised they didn't explore it in the article.

<comment><USER9> This is how we know that the initial gamma-ray flash is not caused by positron-electron recombination:

> The dance of light and matter continues when positrons encounter electrons > again; they recombine and produce a flash of light of a precise and > characteristic colour.

So the spectrum of the initial flash is different from the spectrum of the light produced when the particles recombine. Or so I assume from reading the article. :)

<comment><USER10> Right. Electron-positron annihilation produces gamma-rays in a line at a very specific energy (E = m_e c^2 = 511 keV), while the typical TGF spectrum is spread over a wide range of energies.</comment></comment></comment>


Former Apple engineer alleges ethics tanked after 2011 - <AUTHOR> https://www.siliconvalley.com/2018/09/27/apple-went-rotten-after-steve-jobs-death-former-engineer-claims/ <comment><USER2> Actual title of the article: "Apple went rotten after Steve Jobs' death, former engineer claims"

<comment><USER3> So the same thing everyone already claims?

<comment><USER4> I think kerng's comment was motivated by the HN guidelines:

> Otherwise please use the original title, unless it is misleading or > linkbait; don't editorialize.

In regards to your reply: Really? Everyone? The linked article provides little of value IMO. The claims are generally in line with what you'd expect from someone suing their former employer, and the publication doesn't seem to have done anything to investigate the claims.

<comment><USER3> I admit I did exaggerate, but when Steve Jobs died, there were crowds of people claiming that Apple's innovation was gone

<comment><USER4> Yah people have been claiming that pretty persistently since basically the moment he died. It's a pretty common trope, though also pretty worthless since it's impossible to project the decision making of jobs onto our reality.</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment>


A small Lisp-Machine in an FPGA - <AUTHOR> http://www.aviduratas.de/lisp/lispmfpga/ <comment><USER2> The verilog code had been poorly written. For example, it's not common for a combinational circuit to have an input reset. Latches are inferred in some places that can cause unexpected behavior. That's just my observation though. It's cool to see projects like this. Sadly, it appears to be inactive after seeing the project log.

<comment><USER3> Could you link to an example?

<comment><USER4> There's only one example there. [http://www.aviduratas.de/lisp/lispmfpga/code.html](http://www.aviduratas.de/lisp/lispmfpga/code.html)

<comment><USER3> Thank you.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER5> Bonus points for "Wahrscheinlich guckt wieder kein Schwein" \- that triggered some fond childhood memories. ;-)

</comment><comment><USER6> Another thread with a related subject (and more current projects):

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8340283](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8340283)</comment>


Hijack - iPhone Sensors Thru Audio Jack - <AUTHOR> http://www.seeedstudio.com/wiki/index.php?title=Hijack <comment><USER2> _The HiJack energy harvester can supply 7.4 mW to a load with 47% power conversion efficiency when driven by a 22 kHz tone from the output of a single audio channel through the iPhone/ipad/itouch headset port, no extra energy source is needed. The name "Hijack" refers to this energy harvestign method._

Can someone here explain the functional significance of the 22kHz tone? It would be more intuitive if they'd said "an audio signal driven at the headphone port's maximum volume." Why would there be more harvestable energy in a max-volume 22kHz tone than a max-volume 11kHz tone? Or might this be to avoid accidentally blasting the user with a super loud output tone (i.e. in a more audible range) from the device speaker?

<comment><USER3> The tone AC signal has to be converted to DC power supply. A higher frequency means smaller components needed to do the conversion. Size roughly inverse proportional to frequency. So they probably chose close to the highest frequency possible on the audio output.

<comment><USER4> If the samples are put out at CD rates (44.1KHz) then 22.05KHz is the highest AC frequency available.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER5> I think this is a novelty at best.

The electrical interface standards may change between devices (voltage/current sink ability) and even between software releases (power saving etc) resulting in a sudden "it stops working" moment.

The basis of it is also flawed on the fact that it's a workaround for a closed platform at which point it's probably better to just use an open one.

Hack yes. Novelty yes. Don't build anything important with it.

<comment><USER6> Looks interesting...but what is the real application?

<comment><USER7> Prototyping mobile accessories! When you're working with hardware, building things to make things talk takes _a lot_ of time. This makes it easier.

It's also useful for student projects. I got one of the original wiretaps when they were giving away their first batch for a prototype medical device (we didn't end up using it in the end because it was still too much work).

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER8> great idea / technology, lame page. Would love to see a decent article on the topic, with specifications about the minimal number of components to do something useful (enough to use the input jeck ADC in a decent way), and some example application that you can actual build easily with schematics. IMHO a good show case could be a termometer that you can plug to your iphone with minimal components, using a classic temperature sensor that changes the resistance with difference of temperature.

</comment><comment><USER9> I suppose you could use this to make a generic ir remote. That was one of the coolest things that all my old palm PDAs could do, and has always been a big dream feature on the iPhone.

<comment><USER10> That has already been done: [http://rtfms.com/episode-4-turn-your- iphoneandroid-mac-pc-pl...](http://rtfms.com/episode-4-turn-your- iphoneandroid-mac-pc-player-etc-into-a-universal-remote.htm) albeit without HiJack

</comment></comment><comment><USER11> This is really cool! I've been thinking about fiddling with Square readers to read card data, but something like Hijack makes this so much easier.

</comment><comment><USER12> The O'Reilly book "iPhone Hacks" also has schematics and details on how to create a headphone jack interface.

<comment><USER7> ...which requires a Cypress PSoC chip for which you need to buy a $100+ programmer and use their Windows-only IDE.

<comment><USER12> The concept is pretty well explained (FSK mod/demod). Someone enterprising enough can implement it in ways that don't require the Cypress equipment.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER13> What's the advantage of using the headphone connector rather than the dock connector?

edit: thanks all, I forgot about the licensing requirement for the dock connector

<comment><USER14> Using the Dock connector involved paying Apple a licensing fee. This circumvents that, and it's similar (although more involved) to how Square's card readers work.

There is already an iOS serial cable though, which I would think would be a better option for many projects:

<http://redpark.com/c2db9.html>

<comment><USER12> _" Under current Apple policy this cable may not be used with apps sold on the App Store."_

That's an odd condition of Apple's terms. Why is this so? If I go through the process of designing and approving a hardware device, I can't sell an app to go with it? Or do I have to provide the app in tandem with the device?

<comment><USER15> "may not be used with apps sold on the App Store" probably just means "Apple will not approve an application which uses this cable for sale on the App Store".

<comment><USER12> But _Apple approved the cable_. Get the paradox?

<comment><USER16> Where does it say that Apple approved the cable? It seems to me like they're deliberately avoiding any step that requires Apple approval.

<comment><USER12> It's right on the front page.

You can't use the "Made for iPod" label on your product unless it's Apple approved and has an Apple-supplied chip in the dock connector.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER17> Neat, we've been doing that for a while for Android.

<http://phinominal.com/sited/></comment>


Show HN: A library to use JavaScript as the query language for your API - <AUTHOR> https://dev.to/yosbelms/the-library-that-allows-to-use-javascript-as-the-query-language-for-your-api-j9m <comment><USER2> I like it - sounds crazy but (could be :) brilliant.

I suppose there's nothing stopping me from sending an infinite loop "query"?

      func(async () => while(true) {})

<comment><AUTHOR> Yes theres is, its name is watchdog, see [https://github.com/yosbelms/remote- func/blob/master/server/w...](https://github.com/yosbelms/remote- func/blob/master/server/watchdog.ts)

<comment><USER2> Ah, I see it - watching on tick/setImmediate for functions that take too long. Nice!

It's an intriguing concept, I'll be sure to study what you've created and explore its possibilities. There are many aspects I like about it, like being able to use modern JavaScript to fetch/query/filter from the client.

<comment><AUTHOR> Watchdog algorithm explained:

The Runner receivers JS code, I wrote a babel plugin [1] to insert watchdog checks inside each loop (for, while, dowhile), also in each arrow function, that checks each time a function executes.

If the check scope is async, the watchdog awaits for a Promise that resolves immediately to give the opportunity to other functions in the thread, this function collaborative, does not hijack nodejs thread, so, it is allowed to run 10 minutes default.

If the scope is not async, the nodejs thread can be hijacked, so, it is allowed to run 100 milliseconds.

The watchdog stops the function by throwing a TimeoutError if the time is consumed in each case.

Finally, a check in inserted on each `catch`, and `finally` statements for the following cases:

        try {
          // infinite loop
        } catch(e) {
          // infinite loop
        } finally {
          // infinite loop
        }

[1] [https://github.com/yosbelms/remote- func/blob/master/server/f...](https://github.com/yosbelms/remote- func/blob/master/server/function-transform.ts)

<comment><USER2> Wow! Thank you so much for the explanation. This is indeed treating it as a query _language_.

I had originally thought this library is basically eval + Proxy, an approach I had explored before a bit, for running user-written scripts. Funny enough, I've also gone down the road of developing a mini-language, which has a check on each parsed instruction, to have detailed control of its execution.

I didn't realize the "remote function" gets parsed and transpiled on the server.

Using a custom Babel plugin to transform the source, placing a check on each step, that is genius.

Oh, and I see there's an in-memory cache, using the source itself as a Map hash. Practical.

Seeing the depth of thought that's gone into it, I really think you are onto something with this. It deserves more attention than it's gotten so far. I'm sure many people love this kind of meta-level language wizardry.</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment>


Distributing Glassware - <AUTHOR> https://developers.google.com/glass/distributing/index

<comment><USER2> Will Glass allow for an augmented reality experience using the camera?

From what I've read there are limits on what apps can access and when they can use the camera.

I envision being able to look at an object (or person) and have a box drawn around it with possibly more information.

Something like these two links:

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIvnKjxioS8](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIvnKjxioS8)

[http://www.parworks.com/?q=technology](http://www.parworks.com/?q=technology)

I also want to be able to have virtual art on the walls in my home. I know that will be available for version 2 or 3 but what about the initial release?

<comment><USER3> Since Glass just displays a small rectangle at upper right part of your visual field, it's not much use for that sort of application. You'd have to twist your head around until the virtual screen appeared to cover the object you wanted to look at.

Seriously, I'm amazed how many people seem to think Glass can place things anywhere in their visual field, when it's very definitely restricted to a small rectangle, as though you were holding a smartphone about a foot away from your head.

<comment><USER4> It's because the original promo video gave that impression: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSnB06um5r4](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSnB06um5r4)

<comment><USER5> Yeah. That was a concept video created before anyone (even the ad production team) had seen Glass.

Kinda weird that they didn't even get the display position right.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER6> If anyone has glass for me to test on, I would inappropriately love you too much.

<comment><USER2> Best I can do for ya:

[https://www.google.com/search?q=glass+emulator](https://www.google.com/search?q=glass+emulator)

[https://github.com/Scarygami/mirror-api](https://github.com/Scarygami/mirror- api)

[https://glass-python-starter-demo.appspot.com/](https://glass-python-starter- demo.appspot.com/)

[https://developers.google.com/glass/playground](https://developers.google.com/glass/playground)

</comment></comment><comment><USER7> If you have some time and opportunity to work on a Glassware project, contact me - you can find me on [http://qbix.com/about](http://qbix.com/about)

I have some ideas I'd like to implement together if any fellow developers are interested.</comment>


Mexico's Attempt to Save Freud from the Nazis - <AUTHOR> https://thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/mexico-attempt-save-freud-nazis/ <comment><USER2> I wonder how Freud's early reflections in 'Totem and Taboo' would have been effected by living so close to actual indigenous people

</comment><comment><USER3> The attempted tongue-in-cheek close is a bit of a letdown for an otherwise- interesting collection of trivia about Mexico and the Anschluss.</comment>


Adobe May Gift Entire Workforce with Flash-Friendly Android Phones - <AUTHOR> http://gizmodo.com/5529151/adobe-may-gift-entire-workforce-with-flash+friendly-android-phones

<comment><USER2> The phone "may very well run on pure spite, in lieu of the traditional battery."

No matter how badly flash sucks, Adobe at least gets to play the underdog card now.</comment>


Which cyclist hill descent position is superior? (2017) - <AUTHOR> https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/which-cyclist-hill-descent-position-really-superior-froome-blocken <comment><USER2> Perhaps less safe and unconventional, but the "superman" position is not listed in the article:

[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3Iz7ZMALaCY](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3Iz7ZMALaCY)

<comment><USER3> That looks insanely dangerous.

<comment><USER4> It's one of the first things you learn in trick cycling and not that bad, really.

As soon as you know the failure modes of each trick and how to deal with each you're pretty safe. This one only has some that are easily caught. That speed, on the other hand...

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artistic_cycling](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artistic_cycling)

<comment><USER5> If it really is "not that bad", why don't other cyclists in this clip do the same?

<comment><USER6> It may be banned by UCI for the excessive risk. They like to make a lot of rules, like how high your socks can be pulled up.

<comment><USER4> Last time I discussed this I was told that the bike in question here is fixed gear and in such a race you're not allowed to take your feet of the pedals.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER7> On it's face the hypothesis that riders are optimizing for aerodynamics on descent is suspect. The peloton breaks up because the critical limit is the performance envelop of the bike's steering geometry, braking and contact patches. It's not that aerodynamics don't matter at all, it's that good enough is good enough. The margins are elsewhere. Everyone can go fast enough to carry too much speed into a turn and have a bad day.

 _Other positions...provide more equal distribution of body weight over both wheels_

This is a suspect optimization premise. Weight distributed to the rear wheel means less weight on the steering wheel and greater eccentric forces when steering...i.e. a reduced front wheel contact patch required to resist higher eccentric loads.

An interesting difference between the photographs and the 3D models is pedal position. The photographs show high-low. The models use a midpoint. The high- low position puts the high foot next to the seat post where weight shift steering will create the least torque on the frame and the feet stay "under" the rider as much as possible shortening the levers creating stiffness.

It looks like Froome's position maximized the amount of force he could exert to keep the handle bars steady and center of mass low -- when going downhill the further forward the rider, the lower their center of mass (all things being equal).

<comment><AUTHOR> > Everyone can go fast enough to carry too much speed into a turn and have a > bad day.

But if you want to beat someone going downhill you need to get to the turn as fast as possible and then brake. On a steep enough hill aerodynamics are the only thing that determine how fast you go on the straight - you don't even pedal because your legs can't keep up.

<comment><USER8> What matters on curvy descents is how much speed you can bring out of the turn. And that mostly depends on how efficient lines you can pick.

<comment><USER9> They don't do the supertuck through hard corners of course. That would be absolute madness.

Here is a video of Frome descending.[0] There are some hard corners by 6km. He's back up in the saddle and choosing lines through them.

[0] [https://youtu.be/zojjIghKQoM?t=143](https://youtu.be/zojjIghKQoM?t=143)

<comment><USER7> At 3:04 in the video Froome takes a corner in his tuck.

<comment><USER9> Yeah, a left kink. Not a hard corner.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER10> Very interesting, but also needed a mention of the crazy "discesista" that was Paolo Savoldelli [1], I think he won a Giro one year based on a crazy descent like that.

In his case I don't think it was only a question of aerodynamics, it never is, it was also that he seemed to know best how much risks he could take when entering a curve (similar to how Formula 1 cars used to be in the past, nowadays they're too "computerized" for that to matter that much anymore).

[1] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4Kd8XIKoiY&feature=youtu.be...](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4Kd8XIKoiY&feature=youtu.be&t=330)

<comment><USER11> You bring to mind memories of Sean "King" Kelly aggressively descending the Poggio, overcoming a 15 second deficit to win Milan Sanremo in 1992:

[https://www.eurosport.com/cycling/re-cycle-when-sean- kelly-s...](https://www.eurosport.com/cycling/re-cycle-when-sean-kelly-s- perfect-poggio-plunge-won-his-second-milan-san-remo_sto7707054/story.shtml)

<comment><USER12> Same race, different descent, different era, but this was also an eye popping descent

Niccolo Bonifazio descending the cipressa [https://youtu.be/Wb5G-18YLeI](https://youtu.be/Wb5G-18YLeI)

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER13> The article is keen to stress that going super aero on the descents for amateurs is best avoided.

I second this. A lot of descending skill gets learned in teenage years. Those that grow up in hilly areas enter adulthood with innate ability that those who grow up in flat areas struggle to emulate. You can't just take chances.

For absolute amateurs wanting to descend like the kings of The Tour on charity rides the trick is to have properly inflated tyres, so that means using a track pump and not some small hand pump. The track pump has a guage and the tyre has a figure to inflate to.

On a charity ride with properly inflated tyres and some ability to take the correct line it is possible to cruise past people that are in a full aero tuck and pedalling furiously. The chances are that those you pass have all the gear but haven't got that tyre pressure detail right.

Clearly this won't work when riding with people who are pro or have ambition to be pro. But there is great joy to be had when freewheeling down a hill on a boring flat bar old man's bike with mudguards and steel components to pass fully lycra-d riders with fully aero carbon fibre steeds.

<comment><USER14> I've only ever been the most amateur of cyclists, but I find the "Pantani" position (or perhaps the nearest facsimile of it that I can perform) is the most comfortable and stable for descending steep hills at speed. With my stomach on the saddle, I never worry about pitching forward and my arms are aero yet still able to steer.

<comment><USER15> And having your weight back means you can brake a little bit without going over the bars.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER16> Don't get scared off by the LinkedIn hosting. It appears to be a legit, interesting, and thoughtful article.

<comment><USER9> Linking the actual paper would have been better imo

[https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016761051...](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167610518305762)

</comment></comment><comment><USER17> At the macro level this optimization to a local minimum is interesting, but on a larger view it's just sad. Using a recumbent, one doesn't need to bend into a favourable position, one already is in the optimal position. The fact that bicycle races prescribe this aerodynamically and ergonomically suboptimal frame type is damaging to the larger cycling community.

<comment><USER18> Road and track races are all about closely packed pelotons going around tight turns very fast. Recumbents have very poor cornering compared to standard bicycles, and would not be safe. The performance advantage of most recumbents is often overstated as well, because the rider is in a reclining position at maybe a 30-40 degree angle. A rider on a standard racing bike can get their backs horizontal in the drops.

<comment><USER19> You have any actual data to back up those claims? Recumbents own the unfaired bicycle speed records.

<comment><USER20> Respectfully, I think you're both right. Certainly recumbent bikes are aerodynamically efficient, but it's worth considering that in a bike race one also needs to ride uphill, and the instability of a recumbent at slow speeds would be a disadvantage here. I haven't checked, but I suspect most hill climb records would be held by traditional bike frames.

<comment><USER21> I don't think recumbents (at least high-racers) are necessarily _unstable_ at slow speeds. My understanding was that the fundamental problem with recumbents in racing is that, going uphill, aerodynamics matters less. What really matters is applying torque efficiently. And humans are designed to apply torque vertically: we're good at it. So while on the straightaways and downhill recumbents cannot be beaten, they are poor at climbing.

What's frustrating is that we'll never get to see serious comparisons of the two, or of interesting combinations of them, in real races because UCI banned recumbents for the worst of reasons a hundred years ago.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER22> Under heading: "Four conclusions" and as part of conlusion "1\. Froome did not win because his descent position was aerodynamically superior" it says: ". . . When you have a lead when you start descending while others are still climbing at lower speed, your lead only increases until the others start descending."

Your lead in meters would increase, but not necessarily in time difference?

<comment> jerome-jh It is quite important to be aero when leading, or otherwise when isolated in a descent, in order to gain speed while being able to rest. Others that are riding in a group may have a sub-optimal position in a descent and pedal to compensate. They will be able to rest on the flat anyway by relaying each others at the front.

</comment></comment><comment><USER18> On longer straight sections in descents, one can also very narrowly grip the bars near the stem. This lets you tuck your arms in front of your torso. Pedaling when you're doing ~70 kph or more can be counterproductive too. It's a lot of work for almost no speed, and it makes you less aerodynamic.

<comment><USER15> A narrow grip results in less torque if you need to control steering. It's true that will be faster, until and unless you lose control. Then it is extremely dangerous. It also positions your hands away from the brake levers (on road bikes).

<comment><USER23> It's no worse than the Froome position, which is about as bad as you can get for braking. You don't want or need to be applying a lot of force to the handlebars at speed, so it's not a big deal that you don't need to have a lot of torque on the handlebars. At high speeds, you really want to be controlling the bike by shifting your weight slightly.

As for the tight in position, It's actually pretty easy to move your hands from the beside the stem position out to the brakes as long as you're paying some attention to the road ahead.

<comment><USER15> I agree the Froome position is awful.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER24> The FAQ at the end is well written. Even if you are not into cycling, the entire article is very well done. Kudos to the team that made this.

</comment><comment><USER25> They never account for fatigue. On long descents your neck and arms will get tired. The downward back is especially stressful on your neck to hold your head so you can see forward. This means changing to a less aero position to rest your neck and arms. Some positions may be less aero but also put less strain on a rider that may be 4 hours into a race already.

<comment><USER26> So true. Which really makes that Pantani position solid, as you are resting chest on seat and eyes are forward.

<comment><USER27> Yeah when mountain biking something extra steep, Pantani is the only way.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER21> Because of draconian UCI rules put in place to satisfy political whims of the 1930s, we are required to consider only positions like these rather than other, much more aerodynamic ones. The danger lies in people starting to think that these are _good_ positions. They are not: they are horrible. But professionals are forced to use them in racing.

</comment><comment><USER28> I am not into racing/professional cycling. But two honest questions:

1\. Some positions look super forced. Do cyclists really hold their body in this position?

2\. When it is going down steep my major concern is to be TOO fast, not too slow. I mean what kind of speed to they have on they way down?

In fact, when I was in my mid teens, I cycled over this mountain in France. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mont_Ventoux](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mont_Ventoux)

Once you are at the apex, it is down for like 20km. Your biggest worries will be your breaks. We were a group of youngster and some had back pedal brakes. Most of them went up in smoke. They had to use a rope to drag a small tree behind the bike as a way to slow motion in the end. No kidding.

<comment><USER29> Disc brakes on bikes makes stopping more effective that a stick on a rope

<comment><USER28> I mean, you drag a small tree beyond you to slow your speed. If your back pedal braked has become fully dysfunctional and your consumer grade front wheel cantilever brakes is all you have left for a 20km descent, good luck!

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER30> Interesting. I feel so vindicated now :-)

When bicycling downhill during good weather, on known routes and acceptable traffic I always tried to reach anywhere between 80 to 85 kph, and one time even reached 93kph!

That _Pantani_ position was something I instinctively went for.

Of course that was eons ago, nowadays I'm happy to peak 65kph on flat grounds without headwind, when on a street bike. Which is rarely the case, since I'm mostly riding some vintage city/touring bike for practical reasons, which limits me to something like 45kph if I push it, and when I don't want to be sweaty it's more like 35kph.

</comment><comment><USER31> Interestingly nobody ever thought of Peter Sagan of a good downhill racer. The very best sprinter of course. But his position looked strange, not as strange as Froome's or Pantani's though. And I never thought he'd won any race because of his downhill advances. Only because of his sprinting abilities. Strong bias. But he always had a strong technical team behind him, and that shows.

</comment><comment> jerome-jh I suspect using triathlon bars exceeds the performance of every tested position. Unfortunately there are not allowed by the UCI for inline races. Progress is very slow in some areas ...

<comment><USER32> Cycling is a sport about strategy and athletic power, not about technology. What a bike looks like is fixed so that the best rider wins instead of the best bike winning. You can build a more aerodynamic bike. You can build a lighter bike. The progress would be relentless and all money would be invested there if the rules allowed it. So they don't.

It's the same for many sports. You could use aluminum bats in major league baseball. They don't because they simply work too well. In addition to killing the pitcher if you hit a line drive at him, every hit would be a home run. They'd have to make the stadiums larger and add more outfielders. Why bother? Then they'd make the bats even more powerful, and the process would repeat again. So they just use wood bats.

There are plenty of opportunities to race streamlined recumbent bikes, by the way, it's just not the ruleset in play for the Tour de France. (And of course you can use a TT bike in the time trials.)

<comment><USER33> While that's true, I do wish there would be some "no technological limits" athletic events where they could go all out on technology just to see what the extreme would look like.

<comment><USER34> I think formula 1 comes closest in that regard. There is some insane engineering that is done by top teams. I believe carbon fiber, ABS, disc brakes all came from f1.

<comment><USER35> Maybe in the past, nowadays F1 have lots of technical regulations.

<comment><USER36> They do - but they also have scores of super smart engineers who each year manage to find a certain something - be it a loophole, or just something nobody else thought of.

See DAS this year, F Duct in the early 2010s, the 2009 Double Diffusers (when they were technically banned), Blown diffuser, CF layups that cause the front wing to flex under load etc. etc.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER37> Tangentially related, I could use a better _ascent_ position.

Been popping wheelies trying to climb some of the hills here in Seattle in the lowest gear (22/34).</comment>


Ask HN: How strict is your company on shipping code with known vulnerabilities? - <AUTHOR> How strict is your company about pushing out code with known security vulnerabilities?
How does that vary for internet facing apps vs. internal network only apps.
What is the balance of power like between the business people and security people? <comment><USER2> We have multiple teams who handle security at my company, they lease with our teams to grade and find a solution that suits all parties including clients.

Our planning prioritises anything that is Security or compliance related and patching those things is number 1 priority. You can't ship good product if you're not in business</comment>


The 2015 Analytics Software Market - <AUTHOR> http://techcrunch.com/2016/01/09/the-year-in-analytics/ <comment><USER2> I always wonder what is the future of analytics? I mean there are tons of tools and technologies out there. I feel like competition is very intense for getting share of the market. Everyone, even small scale companies, wants to collect and analyze all data they can.

At my job I use Hadoop, hive and pig for etl and Tableau, looker for visualization. I still feel a very urge that I should learn spark, dremel, ELK stack and more. What about machine learning? That's whole separate domain from BI. Now-a-days almost all companies are getting foot in door as far as ML goes.

I am concerned if this would leave us with more data and less action.

What can or shall one do in order to take action and bring dollar in house ? I mean you can see revenue declining or project it, but if whole sector (eg advertising ) is crunching on spend what is point of spending thousands on analytics software?</comment>


Somewhat annoyed webmaster.. - <AUTHOR> http://rl.se/rt90

<comment><USER2> He may well have a point, but from the wording on that page he appears to be riding it out rather than jumping ship.

That's pretty lax, IMHO. People/companies who don't care about you will mess you around as much as you let them - there's a balance to be had between the one-off hassle of ditching a problem supplier and the ongoing hassle caused by putting up with them. For something as important as your site being reachable, it's a no-brainer.

[copy-pasted note: Yes, I know I'm hell-banned. I'm quite happy ranting at the tiny minority who read all comments. It's more for my benefit anyway. I should probably blog.]</comment>