The iPhone "Icon Ceiling" has been broken: is this the beginning of the end? - <AUTHOR> http://justinhileman.info/article/the-iphone-icon-ceiling/

<comment><USER2> I feel like yesterday's announcement has left a news vacuum that is trying to be filled.

The announcement was not so amazing that the cheers are deafening; nor was it so disappointing or controversial that the opposite occurred. So, instead we're giggling at Jimmy Kimmel videos and long iPhone photoshops.

Perhaps this is why Apple hasn't announced the iPad mini yet -- to make sure the iPhone 5 gets a bit of time in the limelight. If it was announced yesterday, few people would be talking about the new iPhone today.

<comment><USER3> In addition to the announcement not being that amazing in absolulte terms, the leaks this time were pretty much 100% exactly right.

Apple's big reveal was that the iPhone 5 was, in fact, pretty much exactly what everyone expected them to announce for the past half year or so.

yawn.

<comment><USER4> I enjoy that the media hypes the iPhone release and then bashes it for not living up to the hype.

What is the next thing on the hype horizon? The iPad mini?

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER5> As usual xkcd provides just as much insight, <http://xkcd.com/605/>

And for something a bit cruder, but even more phone related [http://www.buzzfeed.com/jwherrman/the-day-smartphones- stop-g...](http://www.buzzfeed.com/jwherrman/the-day-smartphones-stop-getting- bigger)

<comment><USER6> Sums up this article _perfectly_. Hilarious, thanks for sharing! :)

</comment></comment><comment><USER7> Anyone can make a larger smartphone display. But if you go large for large's sake, you end up with a phone that feels oversize, awkward, and hard to use. iPhone 7 features a 7-inch display designed the right way: it's bigger, but it's the same width as iPhone 4S, 5, 5S, 6, 6G and 6GS.

<comment><USER8> I don't know why everybody claims that the iPhone has the "perfect" screen size[1]. I have never had a problem with any android phone size... they are larger, but nobody ever considers they aren't just larger for larger's sake.

I appreciate the larger screen, not only for the extra space on the keyboard but because I like the extra display. My pockets aren't miniature. They can fit a slightly larger phone. Sitting down with any phone in my pocket is uncomfortable, so I always take my phone out of my pocket. Screen size for pocket size is not an issue.

My thumb is not tiny, and can reach across an extra inch. I don't know how far away the guy in the linked article holds his thumb, but I have always been able to reach across every android I have come across, without a problem. The -times I notice that I cannot reach across don't matter because most apps that are designed well don't put tiny buttons on the side of the screen.

I would enjoy a larger android with the iPhone retina resolution more than an iPhone with the retina resolution.

[1][http://www.iphonehacks.com/2011/10/iphone-4s-no-4-inch- scree...](http://www.iphonehacks.com/2011/10/iphone-4s-no-4-inch-screen.html)

<comment><USER9> As a counter-point, I bought a Nexus S (4.3") when they were first available, I loved it and appreciated the screen size bump from my older Nexus One. But when my employer gave me a Galaxy Nexus (4.7"), I thought the screen was too large. I can still use the phone, but a lot of one-handed uses feel awkward or strained because my thumb can't reach the top of the phone without having to first reposition the phone in my hand. When I go back to my Nexus S, I miss the size and clarity of the larger screen, but I love having the smaller and lighter device in my hand, and it's so much easier to use.

While I still prefer the Android OS, I think Apple has struck a good balance in the iPhone 5 by making the screen larger and a proper widescreen resolution (I love being able to watch Netflix fullscreen on my GNex), and the hardware design looks amazingly good. I just wish I could run Android on it instead of iOS.

<comment><USER10> I needed to get another phone weeks before yesterday's iPhone announcement, so I went with the Galaxy Nexus, since it is contract-free and affordable.

Attempting to select multiple emails, one-handed across the screen with my thumb, has lead me to drop the phone several times.

Fortunately it is built like a cheap plastic tank. Dropping it is part of how I introduce it to people. "Remember when you used to drop your phone and the back and battery would go flying off, but the phone would be fine?" _CLUNK_

<comment><USER11> From a physics perspective isn't a flying battery a good way to dissipate energy?

<comment><USER12> (That was the point)

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER13> The iphone 7 prototype looks like a good start but they can take it much, much farther. A quick calculation: my arm is roughly 34 inches long and an icon row is about 1/2 inch. Factoring in for hardware chrome they could squeeze in maybe 64 rows for a whopping 256 apps on the home screen! There is TONS of room to grow here.

<comment><USER14> They could add rails for the arm, like for the guns in Taxi Driver, except you could slide the iPhone up and done your arm. That way you could still reach everything with your thumb.

<comment><USER15> This suggests an augmented reality approach where the icons are arrayed on a curved 2D surface in front of you, with your iPhone being just a window onto it. Or, heck, why a surface when you could have the whole sphere surrounding you? I'm pretty sure we could pack thousands of icons onto that, and just think of the awe-inspiring demos.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER16> If you read the whole thing, this seems like some very clever satire.

</comment><comment><USER17> The only reason iPhone 7 mockup looks weird is because our laptops' screens are not tall enough.

I predict Macbooks Airs in 2014 will be 28 inches tall and will display the new iPhone 7 photos flawlessly.

<comment><USER18> You jest, but I'm afraid we're going in the other direction. 4:3 laptops are all but dead, and spotted an extra-wide (~21:9?) laptop at Best Buy the other day.

<comment><USER19> Personally, I'm looking forward to CinemaScope (2.66:1) A/R displays.

<comment><USER20> I for one would rather see a 4:1 display so that I could watch Napoléon (1927) in its original format.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER21> When I started reading the article, I thought 21 icons meant they overflowed the first screen, and that the phone shipped with one icon on the second screen. That seemed very un-Apple-like and interesting. As soon as I realized that number includes the four in the dock, and that there are still three spaces left on the first homescreen, suddenly it seems like a non-event.

</comment><comment><USER22> This is extrapolation like the ones with Glenn Beck at the blackboard.

<comment><USER23> THAT'S THE JOKE.

</comment></comment><comment><USER24> Very well written, measured and well-paced satire. I think the picture at the end is unnecessary, but understandable.

</comment><comment><USER25> Question: Per this article, what iPhone version will be able to reach to the moon?

Assuming: Increase in icons is quadratic over time. Each iPhone version requires an extra 8.6mm in height to hold the extra icons. The distance to the moon is ~240,000 miles. The length of the iPhone 1 is negligible.

Step One: Regress the data from the article to get the equation "y = 3.25x^2 - 27.65x + 76.95", where y = # of icons and x = iPhone version number.

Step Two: Convert equation to mm. 8.6mm increase for every 5 icon capacity (difference between iPhone 4 and 5) => multiply our equation by 8.6mm/5 icons => new equation is "y = 5.59x^2 - 47.558x + 132.354", where y = mm.

Step Three: Solve for x when y = 386,242,560,000mm (240,000 miles in mm).

*Answer: The iPhone 262,864 will be able to reach to the moon, opening up a key market for mobile users in the year 330,592 AD. It will debut with a little under 225 billion apps, too.

</comment><comment><USER26> There's also the iPhone 10, the tallest iPhone yet!

[http://9.mshcdn.com/wp- content/uploads/2012/09/iPhone-10.jpe...](http://9.mshcdn.com/wp- content/uploads/2012/09/iPhone-10.jpeg)

And iPhone 20:

<http://5.mshcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/iphone-20.jpg>

Thumb actions might be a little hard there.

<comment><USER27> Both of those have potential as interfaces for music.

<http://www.stick.com/instruments/>

After looking a bit at the above site, I'm also thinking that they have potential as interfaces for teledildonics. (This is both serious and a joke at the same time. This goes for the whole field.)

<comment><USER28> Speaking of music, that'd be a reasonable approximation of an <http://www.eigenlabs.com/> \- and it wouldn't need a separate laptop to act as speakers :P

<comment><USER27> Wow, that's cool. It's an instrument from a 1980's sci-fi novel!

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER29> I started reading this with my usual skepticism. (It isn't hard to believe that some of this could come from the likes of zdnet, or cnet.) I started to crack a smile at the exponential growth graph, then with the picture of iPhone 7, I absolutely lost it! too funny

</comment><comment><USER30> IBM has a patent on this. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:IBM_SImon_in_charging_stat...](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:IBM_SImon_in_charging_station.png)

</comment><comment><USER31> I would say, it's not only icons count, but the screen aspect ratio also. Now it is more to a stripe than to a square. Having an unpleasant feelings about this, and the future of Apple.

</comment><comment><USER32> On that note, why can't we change the icon size already? I think I've clicked enough 1 hour ago | flag | 23 comments links by now to handle at least twice as many icons on screen...

</comment><comment><USER33> The site isn't loading. Does anyone have a summary?

<comment><USER34> Mirror: [http://justinhileman.info.nyud.net/article/the-iphone- icon-c...](http://justinhileman.info.nyud.net/article/the-iphone-icon- ceiling/)

<comment><USER35> Back (hopefully for good?)

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER36> If Steve Jobs was still around, i'd predict that Apple would wait a few years after Google Goggles. They'd work to get it right, and the future smart phone wouldn't have a screen at all.

In post-jobs world though, its going to be a me-too game.

<comment><USER37> I think you mean Google Glass. Goggles is their app for scanning photos and identifying things.

<comment><USER38> Google Goggles used to be site previews, IIRC.

<comment><USER37> I think those are called Instant Previews.

<comment><USER38> Now, maybe, but back then...

<comment><USER37> Ahh, gotcha. Yeah, I had no idea they'd called it Goggles, but that wouldn't surprise me.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER39> The iPhone 5 is ok.Tomorrow i order one and have fun the rest of the Year :)

</comment><comment><USER40> Blog seems to be down: [http://thequeue.org/cr?id=http://justinhileman.info/article/...](http://thequeue.org/cr?id=http://justinhileman.info/article/the- iphone-icon-ceiling/)

<comment><USER35> Back now.

</comment></comment><comment><USER41> I have a feeling that pg should include an algorithm that penalizes submissions whose titles end in a question mark. (For the articles that aren't sarcastic, at least.)

<comment><USER42> Or the more extreme version: Add a single reply, "No.", and close the comments.

</comment></comment><comment><USER43> Check out the "iPhone backup shootout" under Related Articles. Hilarious!

</comment><comment><USER44> The manipulation present on that "projections" graph alone is nauseating.

<comment><USER45> You know it's a joke, right?

...it is a joke, isn't it? Oh god I hope so.

<comment><USER44> Exactly.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER46> The sky is falling! Quick, run like a chicken with your head cut off!

</comment><comment><USER47> It was already broken with groupings.

</comment><comment><USER48> I hereby invoke Betteridge's Law.

</comment><comment><USER49> Broken link?

</comment><comment><USER50> Is this a well written satire?

</comment><comment><USER51> Are you f*cking kidding me? This is like tabloid trash.

<comment><USER52> Did you notice the satire?

<comment><USER51> I did not.</comment></comment></comment>


George Soros May Face a $6.7B Tax Bill - <AUTHOR> http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-30/george-soros-s-tax-bill

<comment><USER2> > "At a time of massive wealth and income inequality, we need a progressive > tax system in this country which is based on ability to pay," Sanders said > last month in Washington. "It is not acceptable that a number of major > profitable corporations have paid zero in federal income taxes in recent > years, and that millionaire hedge fund managers often enjoy an effective tax > rate which is lower than the truck drivers or nurses." \- > [http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/29/politics/bernie-sanders- > announ...](http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/29/politics/bernie-sanders-announces- > presidential-run/)

In other news GM CEO earned $16.2M in 2014 - [https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9468108](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9468108)</comment>


Bossless: why neo-feudalism in IT is passé - <AUTHOR> http://no-kill-switch.ghost.io/bossless-why-neo-feudalism-in-it-is-passe/ <comment><USER2> I have a boss that I report up to. But for day to day work, my work chunks are come from 4 os us discussing what needs to be done and doing it. The so called creative work comes from one member who is our scrum product owner. We all act like peers.

My reporting boss leaves us alone and yet loved this as he can take credit for our great work.</comment>


Why Are We So Fascinated by Cults? - <AUTHOR> https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2018/05/21/why-are-we-so-fascinated-by-cults/ <comment><USER2> If they weren't fascinating, they wouldn't be cults.</comment>


Iran shoots down US drone in international airspace, Pentagon says - <AUTHOR> https://www.cnbc.com/2019/06/20/us-drone-shot-down-by-iranian-missile-in-international-airspace.html <comment><USER2> Article: A U.S. Navy Broad Area Maritime Surveillance drone was shot down in international airspace, according to the Pentagon, which has called the incident an unprovoked attack.

HN Poster: Iran shoots down American drone in international airspace in unprovoked attack</comment>


Own video streaming platform on web, tablet and TV - <AUTHOR> https://fastocloud.com <comment><AUTHOR> Here test website: [https://fastotv.com/auth/login](https://fastotv.com/auth/login)

Android players: [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fastotv](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fastotv)

iPhone players: [https://apps.apple.com/us/app/fastotv/id1486741808](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/fastotv/id1486741808)

test account: email@example.com 1111</comment>


How to make Free Voice Call from Web browser  - <AUTHOR> http://latestgeeknews.blogspot.com/2008/03/how-to-make-free-voice-call-from-web.html

<comment><USER2> The model is different, but this reminds me of <http://www.jaxtr.com></comment>


Google: Introducing The Endangered Languages Project - <AUTHOR> http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2012/06/endangered-languages-project-supporting.html

<comment><USER2> Here's a better link to the actual project. <http://www.endangeredlanguages.com/>

This is really awesome. One of my good friends is a linguist, and when I first started learning about languages, I couldn't figure out what all the hype was about. Yeah languages are dying... So what? A single language where I could communicate with anyone in the world would be the best, wouldn't it?

A language is like a toolbox for idea transmission, we want to share what we see on the inside, and language is one of our best ways to do it. It's the most universal, it's one of the first things we learn, and it has the ability to incite the most powerful imagery (books vs. a movie).

Say a language is the average mean of a group of people's ability to speak to one another. These people were likely geographically isolated and their language developed on it's own, they saw things in the world and described them with their language. Their culture, their ideas, their perceptions of the world are all encoded into their language. When all the native speakers of a language die, we lose more than just the language, we lose the insights that the language carried, a language that was likely crafted over many thousands of years.

Take for instance color blindness. Attempt to explain to someone with color blindness what colors look like. It will never work, they will never experience what you experience, but they can share your experience through your description of colors, they can imagine what the world could be like if you give a good enough description. We lose analogies for human thoughts when languages die, and if we ever want to begin to understand what a consciousness is, preserving these analogies is an absolute necessity. We could wonder for millions of years whether or not a language could ever come to be that didn't have counting words, but luckily we found the Piranha[1] that do just that [2]. It's like all the species we're losing in the rain forests, what if the cure for cancer was present in one of the now-extinct mushrooms? What if we never could find the cure for cancer because we just didn't have that mushroom? It likely won't happen for cancer, but for consciousness we need every piece of information that we can get.

[1] [http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/04/16/070416fa_fact_...](http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/04/16/070416fa_fact_colapinto)

[2] <http://phys.org/news/2012-02-math-words.html>

<comment><USER3> There are definitely many important things about languages, but I think attempts to preserve traditional language communities have significant risks and downsides as well, if we're talking about maintaining communities of people speaking them living in the present day, as opposed to scholarly study/preservation (the latter of course has little downside besides time/effort). I'm one generation removed from a dying/nearly-dead language myself, and am vaguely regretful not to be speaking it, but also feel a bit lucky to have "escaped" from it into a larger, less-dying language community, and in particular to have (mostly) escaped the cultural aspects of being an aggrieved minority fighting to preserve some ancient spark of glory.

My grandfather's first language was Pontic, a sibling of modern Greek (both descended from ancient Greek, but not mutually intelligible), and it could be fairly called the language of his community even once almost all of them were, erm, "displaced" to Greece (<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_genocide>). But he was actually pretty against transmitting it to future generations, because of the strong cultural conservatism that he found among a large proportion of those trying to keep it alive. As you say, it's not just a language, but everything it's tied up in isn't good, either: it was often tied up in things like a strong purist/anti-outsiders/anti-ethnic-mixing mindset, a general anti-West, anti-modern-world outlook, and irredentist nationalism (recapture the old homeland from the colonialist Turks, etc.). He'd just as rather his kids grew up as modern Greeks and lose some of that baggage, in part because he was politically left-ish, and in part because spending your whole life looking for ways to preserve/avenge the 1910s, instead of moving on to a focus on being a Greek citizen in the late 20th century, seemed unproductive. That definitely loses something, I'll admit, but I'm not sure the alternative is better; to some extent you run the risk of having people live their lives as some kind of frozen-in-time living museum, a box I'm glad not to be living in.

<comment><USER4> Some of these attitudes are familiar with the Irish language aswell.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER5> Semi-unrelated, am I the only one astounded at how effective Google was in making the Blogger reading experience as terrible as it could be? <http://cl.ly/HaPS>

Weird layouts, loading screens, horrible gesture-based interface for touch devices, etc.

I miss the static blogs.

<comment><USER6> Blogger doesn't load at all with JS disabled (noscript). Insane.

</comment></comment><comment><USER7> They missed Venetan[1].

It's considered vulnerable by UNESCO[2], but it's not even recognized as a language by the Italian governement (just by the Venetan region).

As almost all pre-unitarian Italic languages, it's not being thought, degraded as 'dialect' and is being discouraged as an idiom for ignorants.

There's a very ample discussion to make about these issues here in Italy. If anyone wants to know more, I'll try to answer. Here or in a more appropriate venue.

[1] <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venetan_language>

[2][http://www.unesco.org/culture/languages- atlas/en/atlasmap/la...](http://www.unesco.org/culture/languages- atlas/en/atlasmap/language-id-1021.html)

<comment><USER8> That is not entirely true. However, I think the issue with defending the language is that its more fervent supporters are using it as a confrontational political leverage instead of just plain culture.

</comment></comment><comment><USER9> For a minute there, I thought it was about endangered programming languages. Well, this is far better, looks like a very interesting project that I would like to follow close.

</comment><comment><USER10> There's a language around my hometown that only about 250 people speak: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwakwala>

The community is doing a great job at keeping their language alive. A few of my friends took Kwak'wala classes in middle/high school.

Here's what the language sounds like: <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNECt4ViNjY>

</comment><comment><USER11> Let's not forget Microsoft and supporting all their products in languages such as Irish and Welsh. P.s Welsh isn't on the map of endangered languages (oops).

<comment><USER12> And yet there is no Vietnamese version of Windows (or any other Microsoft major product as far as I can tell.)

<comment><USER13> [http://www.microsoft.com/vi- vn/download/details.aspx?id=1703...](http://www.microsoft.com/vi- vn/download/details.aspx?id=17036)

Maybe not complete retail version, but still something.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER14> Every endangered language we can categorize is an insight into our more primitive selves. Languages reflects so much of a society's culture, and so many of these languages come from isolated areas that have had little contact with the developed world.

</comment><comment><USER15> It seems like they're missing some Chinese dialects which are mutually unintelligible from mandarin. Maybe they aren't endangered, but China only teaches mandarin in schools.

</comment><comment><USER16> That sweet map in the background was made by Vizzuality, keep on rocking! (no affiliation on my side apart from knowing them and being a fan).

<comment><USER17> thanks man, actually the complete site was made by vizzuality

</comment></comment><comment><USER18> Great initiative</comment>


Ask PG: what websites do you reccomend to learn to build web based software? - <AUTHOR>

    What website do you recommend for a beginner in a programming to learn to  build web based software?
  how long does it take to turn into having a skill necessary to develop web based software?
   what programming language do you recommend to learn for the purpose of building a web based company software?
   Are there website that are 100% totally free to learn to build web based software?
    is it so hard to learn to code?
      why do most university undergraduate students in IT and Computer Science can not build web based software considering it looks like its their field.
 <comment><USER2> Web based software is not just one language, minimally, you have to get proficient with HTML, a programming language, and (if needed) a database engine.

Add on to it if you want it to look better add on CSS, or run nicer on the browser add in Javascript.

Each of those technologies takes time to learn and even more time to become adept at them.

As far as what language, that depends on what you (as a developer) will find out most proficient in, as well as the ultimate purpose of your project. Some languages/platforms are easier/harder to do certain things with.

Yes there are websites that are 100% free. Once you figure out what you want to learn, it gets easier to find the sites to help you.

Its not easy building web based software a) Undergraduates in IT/Computer science understand the concept but may not have honed their skills enough to make something as polished. b) They may lack the systems knowledge of the project in order to effectively write a workable solution (i.e they well know how to build a database but no idea on making one covering all the ins and outs of construction management).

It will take years before you are really proficient. Sometimes you will get lucky, but the most part is learning and try try again till you get it right.

</comment><comment><USER3> 1\. [http://ruby.railstutorial.org/ruby-on-rails-tutorial- book](http://ruby.railstutorial.org/ruby-on-rails-tutorial-book)

2\. 1 month

3\. Python/Ruby

4\. See 1.

5\. No. You just need time and persistence. Unless you want to build the next Google/Microsoft. Then yes it is hard.

6\. This is because they are not interested in building web based software and are not taught to build web based software. IT/CS is not about building web based software. Just as Mechanical Engineering is not about building cars.</comment>


Apple now lets apps send ads in push notifications - <AUTHOR> https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/4/21165087/ios-apple-push-notification-advertising-marketing-now-allowed-app-store <comment><USER2> No replies and no conversation on such a serious matter?

<comment><USER3> it's opt-in by default with an opt-out which seems reasonable. If you don't want ads, dont opt-in</comment></comment>


Unexpected Honey Study Shows Woes of Nutrition Research - <AUTHOR> http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/27/upshot/surprising-honey-study-shows-woes-of-nutrition-research.html <comment><USER2> We need to figure out a way to categorize research topics, fields of science, and conclusions by how firm we consider the results to be.

I listen to absolutely nothing of what comes out of the field of nutrition science. I am aware that this may make me some number of shades less healthy, but the savings in time is well-worth it.

I consider all nutrition studies to not be science, in the same way that I consider a kid pulling ants apart with tweezers to be not science. The information gleaned is of no practical value. What little there is that is of worth ends up getting baked into laws and regulation, so again, I don't have to worry about it. (e.g. mercury is bad for you.)

I may be interested in somebody's self-experimentation results. Tim Ferriss wrote about the slow-carb diet, I gave it a shot, and lost weight with it. I similarly lost weight with the intermittent fasting diet. Do I care about the relative health effects vs. the so-called Standard American Diet? No. All I can see, all I care about is whether it makes me lose my excess fat.

The human body is too complex for any nutrition study to approach a causative standard of rigor. It's impossible to control for all the variables.

<comment><USER3> > What little there is that is of worth ends up getting baked into laws and > regulation, so again, I don't have to worry about it. (e.g. mercury is bad > for you.)

I largely agree that "nutrition science" does not have rigorous standards. One of the reasons for this is that it's very hard to test hypotheses, legally, on people. And there's an over reliance on self reporting.

Now, I personally find your tolerance for what would be considered unsafe way too low. High doses of mercury will kill you very quickly. Low doses of many things, legal things, will kill you slowly.

<comment><USER4> Most really harmful stuff is either banned / controlled already, or the dangers are a part of common knowledge. You don't get research articles that "touching live wires contribute to sudden unexpected heart attacks".

As for "kill you slowly" things, there's slowly and there's "so slow that you may as well ignore it". Cigarettes and asbestos belong to the former group and guess what, they're controlled and people know about the dangers. Dietary stuff sits squarely in the latter - most of the "causes cancer" stuff won't have _any_ noticeable effect on you in few decades, and if you eventually die of cancer it _still_ won't be clearly connected to a particular lifestyle choice.

It's basically paranoia coupled with inability to multiply probabilities (or knowing one should do so).

<comment><USER3> And a very strong underpinning for your stance is that the origin of cancer, for instance, is yet to be found.

And for the lay person I agree.

The problem is that it isn't black (poison, electric shock) and white (broccoli).

For the sake of the gray argument let's ignore e-coli and smoking. A good example here is consumption of sugar. It's not regulated because it's not poison in the short term.

So saying that it's okay to eat as much as you like because the CDC does not consider it poison is probably not the right way to go.

Now picking between a Paleo or a Vegan diet. I think we can agree...

<comment><USER4> > _So saying that it 's okay to eat as much as you like because the CDC does > not consider it poison is probably not the right way to go._

I didn't mean that. That would be going to absurdity in the other direction. We know that "sugar is bad for you in the semi-long run" as well as "breaks teeth in the short run", so there's a reason to limit it. As you say, this isn't black and white.

> _And a very strong underpinning for your stance is that the origin of > cancer, for instance, is yet to be found._

I don't think origin of cancer will be in any way directly related to the food we eat; it would be like saying that the reason a tyre is flat is because of a nail factory in China. The underpinning of my stance is basically pure pragmatism - if something commonly used would _actually_ give you cancer, it would be already controlled or banned altogether. The effects most of those overblown "X contributes to cancer" papers talk about are so small that you can absolutely ignore it, because the probability of getting cancer from described X is smaller than getting hit by a car driven by the researcher who wrote the paper, who was distracted by the news about a lottery he just won.

People need to learn to ignore stuff that's so unlikely that it's insignificant. It's funny, because the definition of "insignificant danger" is pretty much "so unlikely that you can ignore it".

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER5> There's a huge difference between a) not finding an effect, and b) finding that there is no effect. The former is the default result, and is what you get when your test lacks statistical power (from having a too low sample size). It sucks that the former often gets reported as the latter in the press.

<comment><USER6> On the other hand, honey is mostly glucose + fructose in about the same ratio as table sugar and HFCS.

Seriously. If two things are chemically the same despite being from different provenance, chemistry teaches to expect identical behavior for the most part. Sometimes trace elements change things significantly. Why anyone would expect that of honey though, wishful thinking?

<comment><USER7> But it's all natural...

It's bad enough when they're talking about one sugar being healthier than another, but it really gets strange when they start comparing table salt.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER8> this reminds me of this study that shows how easy it is to fudge the results if you use flawed methods:

[http://io9.com/i-fooled-millions-into-thinking-chocolate- hel...](http://io9.com/i-fooled-millions-into-thinking-chocolate-helps- weight-1707251800)

</comment><comment><USER9> I think the short lived research timelines is like the rest of the world is heading towards. There's immense pressure in both industry and the world of investments to yield quick results which suit the perception the funding entity is looking for. From the researchers perspective, they'd need long term funding for their research so that the results of various sweeteners could be studied over time. I'm not sure who would fund this.

<comment><AUTHOR> There is an entire section of the popular research establishment devoted to "meta-studies" that find, consolidate, and review past research of a topic, judging each for rigor, reproducibility, elimination of bias, etc. Since these studies are separately funded, there is less risk of bias or exaggeration of results. If experimental results hold up to this scrutiny, broader, more dramatic conclusions can be made. The nuances of this (and potential complications) were discussed in Carroll's Healthcare Triage video about the worms and replication [1]. These are easier to trust (and safer to report on), since the heavy lifting is done by the meta-researchers rather than the time- pressured, under-paid pop-sci writer who is trying to fill a word-count quota.

[1] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SCFlYlNlLQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SCFlYlNlLQ)

</comment></comment><comment><USER10> Already posted at [https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10453401](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10453401)

<comment><AUTHOR> HN asked me to re-post since the original didn't get much attention before it fell off the front page.

</comment></comment><comment><USER11> There's a huge problem with honey labeling—often the packaged product labeled as honey is indeed mostly a cheaper sweetener.

<comment><USER12> Just to add a little more context, the international honey market is incredibly fraught; lead, antibiotics (including chloramphenicol, which can cause fatal reactions in humans) and artificial sweeteners are all commonly found in Chinese-sourced honey, much of which is transshipped through India and East Asian nations. The upshot: buy from local honey producers with known quality.</comment></comment>


How Ray Suarez Really Caught the Global Health Bug (Gates Foundation) - <AUTHOR> http://www.cjr.org/the_observatory/how_ray_suarez_really_caught_t.php?page=all

<comment><AUTHOR> The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has been spending $3 billion annually on "global health" since its foundation in 1994 and there's been quite a bit of concern about how this money translates into influence.

E.g. it richly funds malaria research, dollars which are hard to come by otherwise, and I remember speculation that this could be or has been used to curtail FOSS deployments at universities where some of their researchers are receiving such funding.</comment>


Denmark's government wants to seize valuables from Syrian refugees - <AUTHOR> http://www.vox.com/2015/12/17/10326178/denmark-refugee-jewelry-valuables <comment><USER2> Well, at least there's no word on them taking their gold fillings as well. That's good.</comment>


Founders Have a Right to Rule - <AUTHOR> https://justinetunney.com/founders.html

<comment><USER2> Fascism 2.0, now with annoying ligatures instead of blackletter.</comment>


Make A Game (maga) is a node.js framework for multiplayer games - <AUTHOR> https://github.com/stagas/maga

<comment><USER2> Can the latency be improved ?

Reminds me of <http://holiday2010.ogilvy.com>

        The game-engine, collision and logic run on
        the server in JavaScript running on Node.js.
        The clients are simply rendering information
        sent from the server, and sending off keyboard input.

<https://github.com/hyperandroid/CAAT/>

<https://github.com/BonsaiDen/BiSON.js>

[http://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Source_Multiplayer_N...](http://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Source_Multiplayer_Networking)

<comment><AUTHOR> Also, in this case the clients are predicting and rendering the entire game state based on input from all other clients. It is also enviroment agnostic and you can run the same simulation on the server with the same code and be in sync.

</comment></comment><comment><AUTHOR> Demo: <http://stagas.com:8555></comment>


3 Surprising Lessons from Ditching My Car in Los Angeles - <AUTHOR> https://medium.com/@miccohen/can-i-live-a-year-in-l-a-without-a-car-b0287ee5fcfb <comment><USER2> I'm surprised the bus was never an option. Los Angeles has a pretty good bus system.

Or light rail now that the Expo Line is open, though you need to be going to certain places for that.

</comment><comment><USER3> When I read that article, I started to feel the tears running down my face... Author's experience has some deep points.

You didn't read the article yet? Go and do it. Watch the video too. It's worth it.

</comment><comment><USER4> Something quite annoying about anyone writing in themselves in the third person.</comment>


Data - DOM binding using ES6 Proxies - <AUTHOR> https://gist.github.com/potch/7882068

<comment><USER2> Nice example. I think proxies are really going to clean up a lot of the Javascript binding libs out there.

Any idea what's been holding back the adoption of proxies? It's still only implemented in firefox: [http://kangax.github.io/es5-compat- table/es6/#Proxies](http://kangax.github.io/es5-compat-table/es6/#Proxies)

</comment><comment><USER3> For this specific problem Object.observe will offer a better solution, but for now Object.observe is only supported in Chrome while proxies are only supported in Firefox. Not that it matters in any way, as IE is far far behind..</comment>


Ask HN: How to get initial funding for an idea? - <AUTHOR> I have a few ideas I think are really good. My job pays me well but the better ideas I have cost a lot of initial money to develop even a small proof of concept. As I understand, VC's want some proof of concept and market acceptance testing before a seed round. Banks require some proof of business proposal validity as well. I have no rich friends or family, how do I get to the stage where I can even think of applying to YC or other VC firms?
To be clear, The ideas I have in my opinion are not high risk (worst case you break even after a few years).
Apologies for my ignorance if there are better  sources out there. Asking here because I have received valuable advice on HN from asking similar "noob" questions. <comment><USER2> > _" To be clear, The ideas I have in my opinion are not high risk (worst case > you break even after a few years)."_

It's good to be optimistic, but not naive. The worst case is that none of your ideas will ever generate a single dollar of revenue. Actually, I would even say that the most likely case is that you will never reach break even.

With your naive assumption you can get into unnecessary debt and now the worst case is that you lose all your financial reserves.

> _" the better ideas I have cost a lot of initial money to develop even a > small proof of concept."_

I would think very hard to find a way to validate these ideas without that much of initial money. I am honestly don't trust your judgement now that it is impossible to even test without a lot of money. But if that's really true, it means that you want to build something that requires a lot of deep expertise and/or infrastructure (like a new self-driving drone or a new drug). The only people who get money to work on these kind of projects are researchers within a big company or entrepreneurs with an impressive track record of success (think Elon Musk).

So maybe these ideas are not for you.

<comment><AUTHOR> So, it is nothing on the scale of that. But things like land,real- estate,equipment are cash intensive. For example one of my better ideas will work with an app and a lot if infrastructure. But even at a very small POC it will cost at least $50K which isn't an earth shattering amount but still too much for me.

</comment></comment><comment><USER3> Rather than build your idea, which you say requires a lot of money, prove that people want to pay for it. You CAN do this without building the idea.

This will force you to get out there, actually talk to potential customers, and sell it. This is one of the hard parts of executing on an idea.

I know one entrepreneur in your boat who recently cold outbounded with a PowerPoint and some design mockups, and managed to get a number of LOIs signed from buyers in his target market. That proved to investors that 1) people wanted it, and 2) he could sell it. He raised a non-trivial sum from a known VC firm.

<comment><AUTHOR> You have a really good advice, I think I need to work on my salesmanship or find a cofounder. Actually collecting stats sounds nice, maybe a video clip of actual in person consumer interview might help too. Answering the market demand question is where I struggle. Many of my idea are not proprietary so anyone can pay someone more experienced to knock me off which worries me. Thank you!

</comment></comment><comment><USER4> Validate your idea by getting users. Site building tools are ubiquitous now if you want to test out anything ecommerce.

For everything else, you can use a Google Form or just go out walking around town surveying people and seeing if they'll sign up to your list based on telling them your idea.

Ideas are not valuable unless you can show that you can execute on them and you don't need much money to show that, at least to start.

<comment><AUTHOR> But here is the thing, if I have a site to validate my idea,what stops someone with more resources from knocking me off before I get funding? Execution speed is important, but I can validate by asking potential customers and doing some leg work, I thought that was not enough for funding and loans

<comment><USER4> Well, true that investors will ask how well you can capture the market you are targeting. However, what that really boils down to is whether or not the investors believe you can execute well. Actually, sometimes investors will throw _more_ money at you if they think it is a competitive market but believe that you can become the market leader first. After that, if you do well at building a good brand, then you'll get customers based on that, regardless of the competition that pops up.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER5> Have you talked to a lot of people who would be the customers/users of said "ideas" in an attempt to validate them? Remember, casually asking family, friends, or co-workers about such things is very unlikely to provide real feedback.

Highly recommend this book on the topic: [http://momtestbook.com/](http://momtestbook.com/)

</comment><comment><USER6> Initial funding will come from yourself, friends or family. If you are trying anywhere else it would be a waste of time.

</comment><comment><USER7> IMO, you should always sell the product before you have it. Prove that people are willing to throw money at it.

There are a few tricks you can try - you can put up a shopping cart that crashes into an 'out of stock' dummy page and then track the number of people adding to cart. You can put up a few real world banners, track how many calls you get, then tell them that the system is down. You can visit people with a powerpoint presentation.

Don't be a tire kicker though. Just do it as if you're going to do it, then move fast to secure it.

Another easy trick is to look at what people have hacked together. Everyone has a competitor. Yours is likely an excel sheet somewhere. The competitor for the first car was the horse. The competitor for combat planes were balloons and zeppelins.

<comment><AUTHOR> I think it really depends on the product, selling goods and online services is easy but having a brick and mortar component is what makes the costs skyrocket. Perhaps I should try things with a low barrier to entry at first.

<comment><USER7> Sorry, that was not very well phrased. What I mean to say is that startups are about minimizing risk.

A business model canvas helps you highlight what hypotheses you have. You go through them and minimize each one. Often the highest risk hypotheses are regarding costs and income model.

Seed funding is originally about just about getting enough funding to prove all the hypotheses. You can validate food by finding a delivery partner. Fashion can be placed in clothing stores. Film can be started with YouTube. Just a minimum viable product for each.

I'm not sure exactly what sector you're doing, but there's another model you can consider for brick and mortar. The product developer designs something, stockists (logistics/management/mentoring) buy in bulk for about 30% of retail price, agents (sales) buy from stockists for about 70% of the retail price. You end up with a 8x markup but it's a really low capital model because the people at the end of the chain give you the money.

VCs only take super high returns; they are experts at reducing risk and tend to not value something moderate risk. There are VCs for non-tech companies as well; you want a VC who's a pro at reducing risk in your sector.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER8> If your idea is not labour intence (e.g. bringing new drug to the market) then you can do mvp within weeks or several months depending on how much corners you can cut.

If you can't code then probably you can save couple of thousands and ask for help from someone else (e.g. hire overseas labour from low cost of living areas to build the mvp for you).</comment>


Analyzing 425 days of "hot" HN articles using only standard shell commands - <AUTHOR> https://inventropy.us/blog/analyzing-hacker-news-articles-using-only-bin-sh <comment><USER2> It's not really fair sayin "using only /bin/sh" when you are using a lot of GNU tools and even AWK. Still nice work though!

<comment><AUTHOR> You're right! Updated the title accordingly</comment></comment>


Yandex open sources CatBoost, a gradient boosting ML library - <AUTHOR> https://techcrunch.com/2017/07/18/yandex-open-sources-catboost-a-gradient-boosting-machine-learning-librar/ <comment><USER2> > gradient boosting — the branch of ML that is specifically designed to help > "teach" systems when you have a very sparse amount of data, and especially > when the data may not all be sensorial (such as audio, text or imagery), but > includes transactional or historical data, too.

That's some strange definition.

<comment><USER3> Weird, yeah. Seems like a roundabout way of trying to preemptively answer the "why not deep learning?" question omnipresent among ML newcomers. The bits identified aren't really wrong: you could argue that gradient boosting's comparative strength is that it works well (often out-of-the-box, with little tuning) on structured data sets, including relatively small data sets. Hence the good performance on Kaggle-type problems, whereas deep learning is ahead in audio/text/image/video data; and hence the lack of gradient boosting being used on ImageNet-type problems.

But these points all belong in some section entitled "why use gradient boosting instead of another ML method?", not in a definition of gradient boosting.

<comment><USER4> Seems that deep learning can benefit from gradient boosting too (at least, from a computational perspective).

[https://arxiv.org/abs/1706.04964](https://arxiv.org/abs/1706.04964) "Learning Deep ResNet Blocks Sequentially using Boosting Theory"

(As for the lay-man description: I thought boosting performed better out-of- the-box on dense data than on sparse data, because most feature sub-selections for bagging are on zero'd features)

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER5> The benchmark scores seem to have been measured against Kaggle dataset which makes the scores more reliable and also with Categorical Features support and less tuning requirement, Catboost might be the ML library XGBoost enthus might have been looking for, but on the contrary, how come a Gradient Boosting Library making news while everyone's talking about Deep learning stuff?

<comment><USER6> I think its because of three reasons:

1\. Yandex is annoucing a new ML library and that makes it news because Yandex is well established

2\. Gradient boosting is quite effective and popular

3\. Not everything has to be about deep learning

<comment><USER4> Adding to 1.: This came out of MatrixNet research, which was state-of-the-art (and well-guarded) for years.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER7> Catboost is implemented in C. Does anyone know how stuff like this is run at scale over multiple machines ? For example, if I want to run a distributed computation in spark - I use some primitives that are distributed in nature.

But how does someone use Catboost across a cluster of 10 machines ? All the help documents are heavily single machine. Is there any kind of infra- framework that will distributed the jobs across all the machines running Catboost, etc ?

<comment><USER8> Last time I did something in C requiring spreading work across a cluster of machines it was with MPI(CH). Docs available at mpich.org. This was Monte Carlo simulation for hyper-dimensional (~8 IIRC) asset allocation and thus the simulations were easily divisible—recombining was just simple arithmetic—and the network I/O was minimal.

Interesting tidbit (to me anyway): This was 2006, before you could use something like AWS for the purpose and we were trying to keep costs to a minimum. (IBM had their "public one" grid but it was unusable.) The Core 2 Duo processor had just come out so I hired an intern from Cal—now a PhD and brilliant engineer at Netflix—to figure out the optimal overclocking rig and we built 32 chassis consisting of just motherboard, RAM, NIC, custom cooling/heatsink, and power supply. The problem was then how to deploy these in a colo. At the time there were some low end providers at 200 Paul willing to get creative with a cabinet so I found a machinist (metal worker?) able to cut some custom aluminum shelving on top of which we could stack the ATX cases. Rigged the boxes up to network boot off one of the nodes, compiled our application with Intel's C++ compiler to take advantage of the SIMD/SSE3 instruction set, and away we went running billions of simulations on a startup budget.

<comment><USER9> If you were using a distributed workload (not clear form your comment if you were) curious if you tried out multiple NICs per machine. By 2006 there already were mutliple queues per machine, but prior to that, multiple NICs were sometimes helpful.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER10> _"Reduced overfitting" which Yandex says helps you get better results in a training program._

So that's awesome...

The benchmarks at the bottom of [https://catboost.yandex/](https://catboost.yandex/) are somewhat useful though. I do remember when LightGBM came out and the benchmarks vs XGB were... very selective though.

<comment><USER11> I love both lightgbm and xgb. together they make a good ensamble. should be interesting how this one turns out.

<comment><USER12> Interesting idea to ensemble them. The main difference is the way the trees are constructed, right? Do ensembling them is kind of like saying "I don't know which one is better, so screw it I will do both an average the results", right?

<comment><USER13> Hey! CatBoost team here.

Yes, stacking different gradient boosting algorithms works well on practice. One example is a just finished kaggle-like competition: [http://mlbootcamp.ru/round/12/sandbox/](http://mlbootcamp.ru/round/12/sandbox/) where mpershin stacked CatBoost with LGBM and got the 7th place.

The kernel for this solution can be found in one of our tutorials: [https://github.com/catboost/catboost/blob/master/catboost/tu...](https://github.com/catboost/catboost/blob/master/catboost/tutorials/mlbootcamp_v_tutorial.ipynb)

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER14> Thanks OP, I really like this part of the whole article - 'It also uses an API interface that lets you use CatBoost from the command line or via API for Python or R'</comment>


Ask HN: I lost interest, what should I do? - <AUTHOR> I have started a startup and worked very hard to make it successful until it got funded recently but as soon as partners came in the pressure increased 100 times and all of a sudden I am doing job in my own company. I have lost all the interest in work as well as company. I am very depressed and started drinking everyday just to sleep without feeling worst and directionless. I stopped going to office leading me to question my existence and having suicidal thoughts. please help me find a purpose in life. <comment><USER2> Hi there,

It takes a fair bit of courage to open up about such issues and seek help. I want to start by saying that I respect you for doing that and that it's a step in the right direction :)

I think the first thing is to speak to your local doctor or GP about how you're feeling. If you're currently feeling absolutely overwhelmed, they are the people who are best equipped/trained to help and provide short term solutions. May I ask if you've considered or already tried this approach?

Cheers

</comment><comment><USER3> I've no experience with your situation. However, when I am burned out, I travel to mountains to hike/trek. I disable all communication apps on phone including email. Funny thing is, after I come back, sometimes I forget passwords. That's how I know I have been totally out of it.

I would suggest you take some time off and do something that you enjoy. Something different from what you do everyday.

</comment><comment><USER4> Find something, anything positive to focus on. Then continue to focus on that positive thing. If your mind wonders to something negative, bring your focus back to the positive thing. Perhaps you are focusing on a recurring set of negative thoughts? Reprogram your self with positive thought and you will will your self into a different set of feelings. I've been through something similar, and there are many things to do. I didn't like the thought of seeing a counselor, but having found good genuine help I wish I had started sooner. I like being in the sun, eating fresh fruit, and going out on walks. The basics can help. If this sounds silly, try it and find something that works for you. There are so many helpful posts others have commented. If nothing else helps, ask God to help you? You are more precious than this world.

</comment><comment><USER5> Hello there yasbhagchandani

Lots of people get suicidal thoughts, it's nothing to be ashamed of. Lots of people get depressed. Lots of people find that they have lost their reason to show up for work when their startup changes into a larger company. Lots of people develop problems with sleep and drink.

You're not alone in facing these problems. Other people survived all these things and became happy again, and you can too, no matter how crazy or difficult that might seem to you just now.

Well done on making your startup successful. If you don't have an interest in that work any more now that it's changed, are there some other things you would like to work on? What would you do if the startup never existed? What would you do if you were completely free to pick any job in the world today?

Many of the things you feel are duties or obligations probably aren't, they just feel that way. You don't need to stay with your company; you can start another. Or you can take a career break and try some other work that gives your days value and meaning.

It sounds like working there isn't a source of joy to you any more. OK, you're free to leave the job any time you want. Anyone who tells you that you _have_ to stay is wrong.

Have you spoken with a doctor about the feelings you're having? They will be able to give you advice and support in the short-term (less dangerous than alcohol) until you find your path again.

I know that in some cultures there is a stigma about seeing a doctor about depression. Ignore any stigma! The main thing that matters is finding your way back to happiness. A doctor will be able to help you to see the way more clearly and will give you directions to help you on the way.

It's probably best not to make any immediate changes until you speak with a doctor, but you can start making plans for things you want to do in the future that you think will make your life happier.

> please help me find a purpose in life.

Here is one to try: live for other people. Take joy from helping others and being kind to everyone you meet. Don't set your measure of success by what you have, but by what you give. Whenever you make someone else smile, you can smile with them.

Are there any jobs you could do that would help you to serve that kind of purpose?

Your former startup doesn't exist any more. Your old job doesn't exist any more. You are no longer tied to them. You can thank your colleagues and start a new job or a new company tomorrow if you want to. You can be free of that particular burden any time you choose to be.

</comment><comment><USER6> Its a mission to get a company up and running, let alone to get it funded. I assume you worked your ass of for it and succeeded against the odds. You started with nothing and created something under duress, well done.

Burning out is a bitch. Your not alone, its something that a lot of us have went through. Take a break, take stock. Seek your doctors help or at least talk to good friends and let them know how your feeling - right now. Thats what they are there for.

Later you may be back in the company and happy. Or off somewhere else and happy. Doesn't matter really. Burning out is just your bodies sign that you need a personal refactor before adding more features. And by fixing it your giving yourself the foundation for the next crazy thing your gonna achieve :)

Get well soon man.

</comment><comment><USER7> It's okay, most people don't wish to get rich, most people wish to be the boss and run things, you just discovered which part you fall into. Since you don't wish to get rich, walk away and start something new, next time don't accept funding.

</comment><comment><USER8> Many years ago, an unpleasant family member owed me money and I had tried in vain to get it back, until someone pointed out that the cost to rid myself of the negative experience and person was to view the amount owed as a sunk cost and to walk away. From the moment I saw it this way, I felt relieved and happier.

I know a funded startup is much larger in scope but perhaps the cost of your sanity and well-being is walking away (as user random_comment says at the end: "You can be free of that particular burden any time you choose to be.").

<comment><USER9> [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3L1Tokh3Pg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3L1Tokh3Pg)

I think you'll really enjoy this clip and this movie

<comment><USER8> Thx. I remember seeing it when it came out, and again some years later. A classic.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER10> My experience is that you need to be easier on yourself. That 100x pressure you feel, my guess is that mostly that's yourself. Do the minimum to get by and be easier on yourself till you feel like you are capable of more.

</comment><comment><USER11> Take some long walks, do some thinking, breathe. You might have to pivot as the company grows, your role will evolve. Try applying the 80/20 rule to things. Think of it as an opportunity to grow a new skill set.

</comment><comment><USER12> Maybe it's time to take a vacation and get some space from the company and try to reflect on what's wrong.</comment>


An Observatory For Everyone - <AUTHOR> https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1824284036/an-observatory-for-everyone-0

<comment><USER2> Well, there is already one "Observatory for Everyone". Of course, I'll forgive the kickstarter person for not knowing of it. It's small and it's in Lincoln, Nebraska, USA. (Full disclosure: That's where I live, too.)

"Hyde Memorial Observatory is, as far as we know, the only observatory anywhere that is: built, furnished and operated entirely by donations, devoted exclusively to public viewing, completely free of admission charge, staffed only by volunteers. Hyde is open every Saturday evening, year round." \-- [http://www.hydeobservatory.info/](http://www.hydeobservatory.info/)

So, I do support the new observatory, but I'd encourage folks to consider investing in the existing one.</comment>


7 Boston Startup CEOs Boil Their Company Culture Down to One Word - <AUTHOR> http://www.xconomy.com/boston/2009/09/01/7-boston-startup-ceos-boil-their-company-culture-down-to-one-word/

<comment><USER2> None of them chose "crap", what a suprise.

You may as well ask people to sum up their CV in one word, it would be just as useful. Everyone will just think of the most positive word possible.

Synergistic, Adventurous, Vibrant, Cool, Magical, ... hmm.</comment>


My Halloween costume will FaceTime you - <AUTHOR> http://www.imarionette.com/

<comment><AUTHOR> We're experimenting with virtual presence using iphones and face time. If you add your facetime id, you'll get called by 1 or 3 "avatars" all roaming a large Halloween party in Seattle. They have masks with iphone inset on the face and integrated powered speakers so you can fully interact with party goers. Tell your avatar where to go and what to do. Would love feedback on the experience or how this concept could be improved.</comment>


San Francisco Homeless Project and Two Inspiring AltSchool Students - <AUTHOR> http://blog.altschool.com/san-francisco-homeless-project-and-two-inspiring-altschool-students <comment><USER2> These guys deserve high praise. They have an idea and try to realize it. I want to believe that houses will be constructed. And many homeless people could live comfortable. But I have some doubts about project extension. I heard the similar few years ago. And earlier. Many funds pay for soup kitchen and housing. Thousands of volunteers try to improve the standard of living of homeless. But theirs number grows every year. Maybe it needs to find new decisions?</comment>


Adobe Patches 23 Critical Vulnerabilities in Flash Player - <AUTHOR> https://threatpost.com/adobe-patches-23-critical-vulnerabilities-in-flash-player/114740/ <comment><AUTHOR> It's pretty scary to see this many critical vulnerabilities in a patch, then consider all the other widely-used software and the cumulative sum of their vulnerabilities.</comment>


Ask HN: Why are websites warning me about their cookies? - <AUTHOR> <comment><USER2> It's a (slightly excessive) reaction to the EU cookie law.

IANAL but as far as I can tell, it's only required when you have cookies from third parties outside your control like Google Analytics.

If you only use Cookies to login it should not be necessary.

</comment><comment><USER3> European Union regulation: [https://www.google.com/search?q=eu+cookie+law](https://www.google.com/search?q=eu+cookie+law)

</comment><comment><USER4> It's a law in some countries.

Where it isn't--remember that some people don't "trust" them.

</comment><comment><USER5> EU law & regulations require that you warn about cookie usage.</comment>


Looking for team members for crypto collectible app - <AUTHOR> Hey everyone. Over the past 8 months I built Dolli. Dolli is an app that allows people to purchase, collect, and sell digital art tied to the blockchain. These collectibles are called Dollies. It abstracts everything blockchain and the goal is to appeal to the mainstream. Dollies are purchased with a credit card and you don't need to know anything about crypto to collect Dollies.
Currently the app is unpublished in the app store. I am still in the process of finding a bank who is willing to process credit cards for a company dealing in digital art tied to the blockchain.
I am the sole founder and engineer on the project. I have developed the smart contracts on the Ethereum blockchain, the mobile app, the backend, and the landing page.
There's currently around 350 people who have shown an interest in the app and reserved a username, however since I haven't found a bank to work with these people are still waiting...
With that being said I am looking for co-founders, or anyone who may be able to bring something to the table and has an interest in this. This would be for equity only.
Email me email@example.com
www.dolli.io <comment><USER2> ERC721 is the future of collectibles IMO. Great job getting this built. Have you posted on Ethereum-related Reddit forums? You could try /r/ethdev</comment>


Great thread about smart development overall (C++ development in particular) - <AUTHOR> https://twitter.com/Evanfchan/status/1080242863185682432 <comment><AUTHOR> Roll-up of thread for much easier reading at [https://twitter.com/threadreaderapp/status/10804083489845575...](https://twitter.com/threadreaderapp/status/1080408348984557569?s=20)</comment>


Steve Blank talks to entrepreneurs about the customer development process - <AUTHOR> http://www.marketing.fm/2009/11/23/steve-blank-event-in-nyc-entrepreneurs-discussion/

<comment><USER2> I just watched Part 1 on my lunch break and took the following notes. BTW, that scrolling twitter widget is really annoying, but you can just jQuery(".widget").hide() if you're using Firebug.

Enterprise software

1/20 prospects will meet all 5 characteristics & therefore are earlyvangelists

1\. have a problem

2\. know they have a problem

3\. actively looking for a solution

4\. already cobbled a solution out of piece parts

5\. have or can acquire a budget

Giving away betas don't get you relationships. You need to have an Early Access Program, they pay full price, make them partners, have them help you "define features"...that you were going to build anyway

VCs fund hockey stick growth

Make sure that your goals for profitability & your investor's goals for profitability are aligned. e.g. don't want $10mm/yr when your investors want $100mm/yr

Early adopters who use product but don't pay are part of your MARKETING BUDGET but are not customers. They have not given you money.

You have no idea who on the org chart will buy until you confirm your hypothesis by trying to sell

Notes on part 2 after lunch tomorrow ;)

<comment><AUTHOR> Thanks for these notes - it would have been helpful for me to document each video but I wanted to get them online and posted. Sorry about the widget - viewing in full screen or listening to the audio should solve this issue. Looking forward to seeing the second video notes.</comment></comment>


Coalition Seeks Revisions to Potentially-Restrictive Wassenaar Proposal - <AUTHOR> https://cdt.org/blog/coalition-seeks-revisions-to-potentially-restrictive-wassenaar-proposal/ <comment><USER2> > The US has been slow to implement the new controls, lagging behind the EU > and other Wassenaar nations who adopted them soon after the conclusion of > the 2013 agreement.

Hacking Team is from Italy. It doesn't look like the Wassenaar Arrangement had much of an effect on them.

<comment><AUTHOR> It seems that they got a license from the Italian Government to export their items to other Wassenaar countires: [https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2015/07/07/leaked- documen...](https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2015/07/07/leaked-documents- confirm-hacking-team-sells-spyware-repressive-countries/).

Although it will be interesting to see if anything in the recent dump shows them violating the terms of that license or committing other Wassenaar violations between 2014 when the EU implemented it and now.

</comment></comment><comment><USER3> Another discussion on this, based on Google's official comment and their take on it: [https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9918862](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9918862)

</comment><comment><USER4> Off topic, but anyone else irritated by the extraneous hyphen in the headline? "… Potentially Restrictive …" is completely clear.

<comment><AUTHOR> Fixed.</comment></comment>


EightOS: Open-Source Operating System for the Bodymind - <AUTHOR> https://8os.io/ <comment><USER2> There is a video from th 35C3 on that website which gives a primer to what it is they mean, and where he also explains that "operating system" is to be understood as a metaphor for the patterns, habits and reflexes that guide our own (human!) actions.

[https://8os.io/body-35c3-hackers- conference/](https://8os.io/body-35c3-hackers-conference/)

Essentially, this seems like it combines ideas from Tai Chi, Aikido, mindfulness and a bunch of other sources to reflect upon the automatisms we all necessarily develop and have developed.

It sounds a bit esoteric, but not more so than other martial arts, which also similarly suggest to help us develop insights that apply beyond the martial art itself.

<comment><USER3> Yeah redirecting moves look a lot like Tai Chi or Systema, and the practice where the video where they continuously stay in contact reminds me of Contact Improvisation dance.

</comment></comment><comment><USER4> The post uses loads of buzzwords without explaining anything concrete that they do. It also sounds like a cult. How did this post make it to the top? Sincere question.

</comment><comment><USER5> Please tell me that this is a parody. I don't want to live in a world where this is sincere.

<comment><USER6> Why? Even though it makes me clueless, i dont see how it's more crazy than many other things people do to themselves, others, and the environment. Having a few crazy people doing some physical and mental exercises and calling that Operating Systems (as far as my understanding of it goes as of yet) is neither the craziest nor the most dangerous thing i've seen on this planet...

</comment></comment><comment><USER7> Sounds a bit like a modern version of Scientology, or perhaps just an art project?

</comment><comment><USER8> > Using the agile approach we develop the education technology based on > embodied understanding, bringing the body back into the equation in this > digital age.

Can someone please tell me what this sentence actually means.

<comment><USER9> Could be the physical body (e.g.: smart watches that track steps)?

At first, I thought it could be the body politic.

So, in short, not too sure, as well. =[

</comment></comment><comment><USER6> Where are the sources for this Open Source System?

Anything public is vague, (ab)using computer science terms for something that as i guess so far seems more like a physical/mental practice, and everything that could help to understand it better is not public but offered to be bought.

</comment><comment><USER10> I don't understand a word of this.

</comment><comment><USER11> This.. looks cool as fuck..?, but I don't get what it really is or how it works or what you're supposed to do. Found these slides which are pretty helpful, though: [https://c3lt.de/media/bodymind-operating- system.pdf](https://c3lt.de/media/bodymind-operating-system.pdf)

edit: basically it looks like using the physical motion planning aspects of dance and a kind of martial arts to alter how you do stuff

<comment><USER12> Been running for a while, it seems

[http://polysingularity.com/8os/](http://polysingularity.com/8os/)

<comment><USER6> This makes it more clear...

Especially, it seems its not software to run on a Computer.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER13> How is this first? (at time of writing, 10 points in 35 minutes)

All comments show incomprehension.

This smells like bots!

<comment><USER14> "Upvote first, open later" probably

<comment><USER13> This is my first guess but it became stable shortly after (15 upvotes).

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER15> This shows how the copmputer-related metaphors ("programming" in psychology, "multi-tasking" during office work, "algorithm" for any procedure, ...) are getting stronger and stronger.

</comment><comment><USER16> If this isn't parody this looks like the beginning of s cult.

</comment><comment><USER14> TL;DR: it's not for machines. [https://8os.io/product/manual/](https://8os.io/product/manual/)

<comment><USER13> THANK YOU! Now I understand.</comment></comment>


Ask HN: How do you take care of security risks at your startup? - <AUTHOR>

I work in a startup. We have very limited knowledge of security. The only thing we have done to ensure safety of our infrastructure is to install firewall. We are planning to install openvpn and block ssh on all servers on public interface. We currently use key based ssh.
We have idea about XSS and SQL injection, so I think we can handle that.
How do you manage security at your startup? What are the best practices?
I know that security in itself is very big issue. But till we can hire a security guy, we need something to prevent naive attacks. <comment><USER2> Hey there, my name is Dylan. I work on the Application Security team at Accuvant LABS. We're one of the largest infosec firms, and we serve tech companies and the Fortune 500.

If you'd like advice about this, I'd be happy to give you (free) help with what you need to get started and ensure you're not vulnerable.

I wrote a basic but helpful checklist for startups to follow here: [http://breakingbits.net/2015/02/28/security-for- startups/](http://breakingbits.net/2015/02/28/security-for-startups/)

The broad strokes are ensuring your developers understand the most common security mistakes, how to avoid them in your tech stack and how to follow best practices in the SDLC to minimize the likelihood and impact of security flaws.

If you'd like any more help, feel free to reach out to me at email@example.com.

<comment><AUTHOR> Thanks I will certainly get in touch with you

</comment></comment><comment><USER3> Some ideas for a general strategy: * Check TLS/SSL [https://www.ssllabs.com/ssltest/](https://www.ssllabs.com/ssltest/) * Use Https, HSTS * Have a security response page if someone found a problem * What to do if your application was compromised, be prepared for the worst * Check and update your software regularly * Review changes in your software regularly if it impacts your overall security strategy * Keep a security checklist in your codebase * Do your own code audits, just read it again after a few days and ask the right questions * Remove all credentials from your codebase * Read about the "new" security headers here: [https://github.com/twitter/secureheaders](https://github.com/twitter/secureheaders) * Know what kind of/how many requests your API/web app gets, maybe throttle or block some

</comment><comment><USER4> Some best practices:

1\. keep all software on local machines up to date, and make sure you run virus scanners. many of today's malware will infect your machine so that it can do things like grab your Filezilla XML for a larger botnet.

2\. keep all software on remote machines up to date, and use malware scanners. I can't tell you how many times people get hacked from having outdated WordPress plugins etc.

3\. if you are small, services like sucuri.net are great for basic malware scanning and removal.

4\. have some sort of HR policy regarding passwords and security. things like if someone gets fired, removing their email address and changing their passwords.

that's what I've got off the top of my head!

<comment><AUTHOR> securi looks interesting. thanks</comment></comment>


Local computer security expert investigates police practices - <AUTHOR> http://www.seattlepi.com/local/418746_video.html <comment><USER2> Shame the police can't be forced to give everybody their arrest tapes on a usb stick as a matter of policy.

<comment><USER3> On a similar note, it's a shame that erasing tapes regarding matters still under investigation in the name of a retention policy doesn't appear to be considered as seriously as destroying evidence should be.

<comment><USER4> They didn't erase the tapes though. It sounds more likely that they just automatically err on the side of 'provide the least amount of information to people outside of the precinct as possible.' So when someone submits an information request that's past the '90 day retention policy' they just automatically deny it without checking whether or not it really was erased hoping that the request ends there.

The rest of the lies are just a bunch of PR backpedaling because someone called them on their bluff.

<comment><USER3> > They didn't erase the tapes though.

But they said that they did. I'd prefer it if they'd be in more trouble for destroying evidence on something that is ongoing than claiming a retention policy. This would provide an incentive for them not to claim that data is destroyed.

<comment><USER4> > _But they said that they did. I'd prefer it if they'd be in more trouble for > destroying evidence on something that is ongoing than claiming a retention > policy. This would provide an incentive for them not to claim that data is > destroyed._

It's not like the police station operates as a single unit (always in sync). There are multiple people doing multiple jobs. It's entirely possible that the person fielding these information requests didn't know that this was part of something on-going.

In reality, it wasn't even on-going anymore. He filed the information request once the court case was over, and before he filed the current suit against the police. At that point there was no way for the police to know that he would file a suit against them, and to their knowledge all of the pending cases that involved those recordings were over with.

I'm sticking with the idea that the person fielding these requests automatically denies requests over 90 days without checking whether or not the recordings were _actually_ removed. This could be due to formal (or informal) department policy, or just individual laziness.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER5> Sticking it to the man -- great; hitting passers-by with foam balls and laughing at them -- not so great.

<comment><USER6> _Rachner was wearing a faded t-shirt, jeans and leather jacket, and didn't remotely resemble the guy who misfired the ball, who wore English golfing duds, a Tattersall's hat and fake orange sideburns._

Doesn't sound like he had much to do with the golfing incident, the police was just ID'ing everyone they came across, he just had the audacity to refuse to comply.

<comment><USER4> It sounds like he was part of the 'urban golfing' group. He wasn't arrested for hitting the guy with the ball:

       Arrested instead, based on victim identification, was
       security researcher and computer cryptologist David
       Hulton of Seattle. The city attorney dropped the
       misdemeanor assault charge, but only after Hulton spent
       $2,500 on a lawyer. Hulton has joined Rachner in his
       project, helping to pay for attorney Stockmeyer's
       expenses, because he said, "I want to effect change."

The guy that got hit by the ball also didn't seem to think it was as big of a deal as the police made it out to be:

      The sponge ball victim Gabriel Scott Clark, then a
      Seattle coffee house worker and now living in Miami,
      said he was surprised by the multiple arrests: "I didn't
      think it would be that big of an issue. I was just mad
      at the one guy."

The police never even got the right guy:

      Marcus Johnson of Los Angeles apologetically admitted in
      an interview that he sliced the ball that hit the victim.
      Police never detained or identified him, but he and others
      said Johnson was "in the thick of things" when police
      arrived.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER7> I recall reading that you can't refuse to provide your name to a police officer.

<comment><USER4> It obviously depends on the local, state and federal laws where you live. In this case, the Supreme Court of Washington State says that it's unconstitutional because it gives too much power to law enforcement. It could be different elsewhere.</comment></comment>


Linux Mint 16 "Petra" MATE released - <AUTHOR> http://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=2493 <comment><USER2> If you've already upgraded before, keep doing it this way:

$ sudo sed -i 's/raring/saucy/' /etc/apt/sources.list

$ sudo sed -i 's/olivia/petra/' /etc/apt/sources.list

$ sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

$ sudo apt-get upgrade

$ sudo shutdown -r now

More from here: [https://gist.github.com/hgomez/7074150](https://gist.github.com/hgomez/7074150)

</comment><comment><USER3> I've been a fan of Mint for years, but 15 was a wreck for my box. I've been looking forward for the upgrade for months.

And by 'wreck' I mean it's entirely workable but with annoying bugs. I was hoping to be able to engage the developers (of Mate really) but they closed my bug without comment. I switched to Cinnamon and it was much better but still has some bizarre behavior centered around X stability AFAICT.

I'm hoping for the best with this release. When it works well it's awesome.

</comment><comment><USER4> In the last couple months I've tested elementary, pinguy, and the mint 16 MATE RC. I think I'm actually going to stick with it because it's the only one of those three that supports seamless multi-monitor/single setup (like recognizing the hdmi output immediately without changing a setting), proper suspend/hibernation, and probably some other hiccups in others that I've forgotten.

Very happy with Mint.

FYI: These were my first experiences with linux so they were also beginner- friendly.

<comment><USER5> I have a dual install of Mint on my machine precisely because of its seamless HDMI support. It was the one thing I could never get working properly on my primary OS, but Mint did the trick right out of the box.

</comment></comment><comment><USER6> _" Linux Mint 16 features MATE 1.6, MDM 1.4, a Linux kernel 3.11 and an Ubuntu 13.10 package base."_

So based on Ubuntu 13.10 which means EOL in July 2014.

I'm looking at the LTS release of this distribution (based on Ubuntu 14.04) as a _possible_ replacement for CentOS 6.4 with wider package choices.

<comment><USER7> Does this mean it includes Canonical spyware?

<comment><USER8> I don't think so, I use Mint in part because it removes some of Canonical's garbage- and I really like Cinnamon.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER9> I've been having a good experience with Mint 15, I like Cinnamon, and I plan to install Mint 16 Cinnamon on my next laptop.

</comment><comment><USER10> I've never upgraded before, just started out fresh. But y env got pretty complicated so I'd like to try an upgrade. What's the experience with the "Fresh upgrade"[1]?

[1]: [http://community.linuxmint.com/tutorial/view/2](http://community.linuxmint.com/tutorial/view/2)

<comment><USER11> A fresh upgrade is just backup, plain install, restore. It's super reliable but somewhat inconvenient and time consuming.

A package upgrade is easier for friends of the command line but runs the risk of leaving your computer with an inconsistent package selection or configuration. And it's less used so bugs are more likely.

I tried a package upgrade for 14->15, worked great. _shrug_ I did 15->16 a few days ago reinstalling fresh (wanted to disable encrypted home directories, figured this was the easiest way to do it). Worked great too.

</comment></comment><comment><USER12> Great, if they only provided decent support for older versions. I'm using the LTS release on my desktop, but pretty much all software besides Firefox and Thunderbird are at least three months behind.

The LTS should be good till 2017, but it's already far behind in 2013.

<comment><USER13> Heh, well that's the point of the LTS release. It gets security updates and patches, but those releases are not designed to stay current.

If you want current software, don't run old releases.

<comment><USER14> I've encountered this sort of logic before. It is certainly one way of defining "long term stable" but a more useful definition is that packages go through more extensive interoperability testing prior to being made available, so they are 3 - 6 months perhaps behind the current stuff but not years behind.

It is perhaps one of the biggest challenges for me on a Linux desktop, constantly having to choose between 'everything works' or 'has current features'. Which is not a choice I need to make with commercial desktops.

<comment><USER15> It's not a choice you are _given_ for proprietary desktops. New features are almost always the domain of point releases. The linux distros have just decoupled that so you know what you are missing if you wait.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER16> Does this bump up LMDE also? Is there any connection between the release cycles?

<comment><USER17> It looks like LMDE used "update packs" which are snapshots of Debian Testing. The website doesn't indicate when those packs are released; however, there should be a way to get packages straight from Debian Testing for a full rolling release distro.

</comment></comment><comment><USER18> I've been using Crunchbang Linux and I prefer it over Linux Mint, Ubuntu, etc.

It's super lightweight, incredibly efficient, and gives me just what I need.

</comment><comment><USER19> Naive question: visually, this looks like all Mints before it. As an Ubuntu and OSX user, I'm not sure I'm liking the 'retro' Linux UI style.

For a distro like Mint or Ubuntu to hire a professional design team for the OS to provide an aesthetic and holistic UX comparable to OSX / Android - is the stopper just budget or is there something technical in X/Mir that stops that from happening?

<comment><USER20> > _Naive question: visually, this looks like all Mints before it. As an Ubuntu > and OSX user, I 'm not sure I'm liking the 'retro' Linux UI style._

If you don't like the look of MATE, then don't use it. The _entire point_ of MATE is that it is something for people to use if they don't like what self- described UI experts did with GNOME after version 2.

Seriously, I'm not kidding: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MATE_(software)#History](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MATE_\(software\)#History)

If you want new, experimental, or 'professional', go look for it elsewhere.

(I do not use MATE, GNOME 3, Unity, or KDE.)

</comment></comment><comment><USER21> What does this provides me over Ubuntu?

<comment><USER22> Absence of Unity.

<comment><USER21> Unity provides best UX on Linux so far, or have other desktops catched on? Last time I checked Cinnamon (tried it on Arch Linux though) and Gnome Shell both lacked the depth of design compared to Unity.

<comment><USER23> ?

(I and many others really prefer kde3/4, gnome 2 (and even 3) as well as mate and cinnamon and some light weight wms over Unity)

<comment><USER24> User experience isn't objective.

<comment><USER25> exactly his point</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment>