The New York Times to Begin Charging for Web Use on March 28 - <AUTHOR> http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/18/business/media/18times.html?hp&pagewanted=all <comment><USER2> I work for the Times as a developer so I'm going to stay out of this conversation other than trying to correct or inform. I'm keeping my own opinions to myself (as best as I humanly can).

So with that said, here are 3 links I received that shed more light on this:

"A Letter to Our Readers About Digital Subscriptions"

<http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/18/opinion/l18times.html>

"Digital Subscriptions and Premium Products"

[http://www.nytimes.com/content/help/account/purchases/subscr...](http://www.nytimes.com/content/help/account/purchases/subscriptions- and-purchases.html)

More Info

[http://www.nytimes.com/subscriptions/Multiproduct/lp0145.htm...](http://www.nytimes.com/subscriptions/Multiproduct/lp0145.html)

I hope they prove useful and informative.

<comment><USER3> Long time coming. Great product and great service. They're fighting for the survival of the paradigm.

<comment><USER4> _Long time coming. Great product and great service. They're fighting for the survival of the paradigm._

What is that paradigm? I think some news outlets, mostly business, have proven people are willing to pay for valuable news, the WSJ comes to mind.

The NY Times has a mix of hard news and soft opinions, their main problem is that almost the same news is available from many free sources around the Internet.

So I am genuinely perplexed as to what the paradigm is?

<comment><USER3> The paradigm is one news outlet having reporters all over the country and the world covering things that may or may not make ripples in financial markets, but may be just as or more important. It's one outlet having the breadth to well cover a breaking event with disparate news aspects (the Japan earthquake being a good example) that touch all manners of people and businesses across the globe. Every decent-sized metro daily used to have bureaus in Beirut, Israel, Egypt, etc. There are plenty of reasons, some of them good, that this is no longer the case. The New York Times is one of the last vestiges of that age and I don't think that nostalgia is the only reason we should root for its success.

The only thing that guarantees that success, as Rupert Murdoch has pointed out, is sustainable profitability. I think the Times' move to charge people for their coverage will ultimately be successful, just as the efforts of the FT and WSJ have been and, to a degree, as NPR's has been.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER5> Workarounds aside, I won't pay. It's totally a fair price, and so is the $5-20/month the 100 other services I use are asking me to pay. But in the aggregate I can't afford it. The web has allowed us to become readers of many perspectives, and this movement (regardless of whether it's right or wrong) will push us back to identity subscribers.

<comment><USER6> > "The web has allowed us to become readers of many perspectives, and this > movement (regardless of whether it's right or wrong) will push us back to > identity subscribers."

Most people have not used the web to become readers of many perspectives; rather, they've used it to find media outlets that conform to their preconceived biases. The web has allowed niche voices, who previously couldn't find a large enough audience to be economically viable when media distribution was geographically limited, to thrive. While paywalls might exacerbate this a bit most people are already de facto "identity subscribers."

</comment></comment><comment><USER7> I'll probably pay. The NY Times is my main news source, and I think it's worth $15 a month. I want newspapers to survive. If that means they need to have online subscribers, then so be it. Good things cost money. I'm worried that the alternative will be news sources that optimize for pageviews alone.

Where I live, getting the NY Times paper delivered to me every day would cost me $5.85 a week (<https://www.nytimesathome.com/checkout.php?step=1>). So this is actually cheaper than a physical subscription.

<comment><USER8> Most media outlets optimize for page views. Though in print and on TV it's known by a different term than 'page views.'

<comment><USER9> NYTimes.com has had the ability to read an article all in one page (and set that as the default) for years.

<comment><USER10> How?!

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER11> It is more expensive than Netflix or an Amazon prime account. They're different things, of course, but it seems too expensive to me. I'd probably subscribe at about half the price, but at $180/year, I'll just clear my cookies and/or read the Washington Post.

I work in the news media (public broadcasting), and right now the public still sees reporting as an inexpensive commodity, especially online. Ironically, I think public broadcasting is set up much better to garner supporting revenue from the public than for-profit media, since we have a history of doing so, and people inherently understand and relate to our support model. We still give away our content for free, too, even if you don't pay. The NYTimes is never going to be able to guilt me into paying the way NPR or PBS will.

<comment><USER12> You cannot compare it to Amazon/Netflix. They are not creating any of the content. NY Times is. The price includes the cost of content creation and delivery.

<comment><USER13> Cost of delivery has gone to near 0 when amortized, but this is more expensive than some of their dead tree subscriptions.

I know paper isn't as expensive as some might think, but most people see that as real value. By stripping that away and keeping the price the same, I think many people are going to feel ripped off by comparison.

<comment><USER2>
      Cost of delivery has gone to near 0 when amortized

You're kidding? Feed services, hosting content is free? Lets also add in the developer salaries for this amazing electric free delivery system.

I assure you it is not near 0.

<comment><USER13> Heh I'm aware that devs aren't free, being one myself, but a few devs can create a content distribution system that rivals the reach of a many, many million dollar printing and delivery infrastructure. Reasonably priced servers can serve up a shocking amount of content when caching is used properly. So, much closer to 0, and the marginal cost of a reader is effectively 0.

<comment><USER2> Okay - as a dev you should know that hosting is not cheap. Does it cost Twitter nothing to 'delivery' its content?

As someone who can peak behind the curtain, I assure you that its not free. Maybe cheaper than physical home-delivery of thew newspaper, but its not cheap.

<comment><USER13> It should be surprisingly cheap in relative terms, not necessarily in absolute terms. I would imagine that the NYT is much more cacheable than Twitter, given the nature of the site.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER14> I hope Google News adds support for hiding sites that put their articles behind paywalls (perhaps manually on a per-user basis, like they've added support for in search results). I see lots of WSJ articles on Google News, and oftentimes I click on them before looking at the source, only to end up facing a paywall.

This problem's only going to keep getting worse as more sites start erecting paywalls, and there are plenty of people like me who have no interest in paying for an online news subscription and would appreciate the ability to completely hide those sites.

<comment><USER12> All you need to do to read those articles is to paste the title of the article into Google and click on the first result from wsj. it will take you straight to the full article.

<comment><USER14> I didn't realize that would yield a different result from clicking on the article from a Google News page (isn't the HTTP referrer Google either way?). In any case, that seems like too much trouble (unless there is an extension to automate it), so an option to hide certain domains from Google News would be very helpful.

Not to mention there are certain news sites (Fox News, for example) which I have no desire to visit regardless of whether they are employing a paywall.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER15> Given that I read the Times on my iPhone, iPad, and computer, I can subscribe for $35 a month, or apparently I can subscribe to 7 day delivery, which includes all of the above, for $22 a month and throw the paper away when it arrives each day.

Clearly their pricing policy is off by an order of magnitude. Paying $35 a year for everything makes sense. Paying $35 a month, given economics and the market for online subscriptions, is nuts.

</comment><comment><USER16> You can get free digital access if you have _any_ form of home delivery. I can get weekday delivery for $14.80 for 4 weeks, or Sunday delivery for $15 for 4 weeks. That gets you the full $35 digital product. I'll probably get the Sunday times delivered.

<comment><USER17> I've seen a few other publishers do this too, and it seems hopelessly perverse. If the digital edition has zero advertisements, then I can understand that it reflects the true cost of production ( _qua_ newsgathering, writing and editing).

But it's still going to create a perception among the public that the online readers are subsidizing the print readers to a certain extent, and indirectly the printing and paper companies as well. And for those who care about such things, the ongoing consumption of about 100,000 (farmed) trees annually. If online readers get a better deal by subscribing to the paper version and putting it straight into the recycling bin every day, then the NYT is encouraging them to consume in the most wasteful way possible. This also reduces the value to advertisers, who are going to start discounting the subscription figures proportionally to 1/(web_traffic_growth/online_subs_growth).

This isn't helped the options of NYT + smartphone edition, NYT + tablet edition, and NYT + everything edition (crossword puzzles and other NYT products excluded). Where is the NYT + no frills edition? I do read news on my phone, but I prefer a bare minimum summary of important events in that context. But apparently I must purchase a mobile app I don't want and would never use in order to have subscriber access via the browser.

</comment></comment><comment><USER8> That's fitting. I need to log-in to read about their change to a pay-only model!

[update]

Though:

      wget -qO- 'url' | less

gets me to the content just fine...

[summary]

Beginning March 28, visitors to NYTimes.com will be able to read 20 articles a month without paying, a limit that company executives said was intended to draw in subscription revenue from the most loyal readers while not driving away the casual visitors who make up the vast majority of the site’s traffic.

Once readers click on their 21st article, they will have the option of buying one of three digital news packages — $15 for a month of access to the Web site and a mobile phone app; $20 for Web access and an iPad app; and $35 for an all-access plan.

<comment><USER2> Actually, from experience, your curl request will work fine but then you'll hit the login page after a few goes (8?)

</comment></comment><comment><USER18> "The 20-article limit begins immediately for readers accessing NYTimes.com from Canada, which allows the company time to work out any software issues before the system goes live in the United States."

We usually have delayed launch dates in Canada (like iPhones and iPads). Really caught the fuzzy end of that lollipop.

That said, I'm almost certain I'll start paying.

<comment><USER19> Yeah, my reaction was "gee, thanks". It's started counting for us and I've just burned two reading about the damned paywall.

I paid for TimeSelect before, but I'm not sure I'd pay again: I just don't read enough from the Times to justify the cost. If I find that I need more, then I'll happily pay it (and it looks like it'll be pay-as-you-go).

</comment></comment><comment><USER20> The NYtimes is a great publication but it can't simply be "now we are going to charge for this". There has to be some tradeoff. For example, lately they have been running a huge expandable ad at the top of their homepage and, quite frankly that looks unprofessional and is annoying. So if as a subscriber they can get rid of some of that and several other undesirable ad locations ( I realize advertising will still be a part of their business model) then it may be an ok proposition. The tradeoff though is that their articles will be reaching a smaller group of readers, even with the 20 free a month.

</comment><comment><USER21> I don't know whether they will succeed but I think it's great that they are trying.

<comment><USER22> They aren't trying, they are flailing around in desperation. When you start toggling all the levers to see if one of them works you've given up trying to understand and respond to the problem rationally and you're just hoping beyond hope that some darwinian mutation based process will save your bacon. Most of the time it doesn't work.

There is no easy band-aid fix for the disruption of the traditional news media. A successful "newspaper" equivalent in 2020 will bear little resemblance to what we consider a newspaper to be today. That alone should be obvious. But instead of changing with the march of history the NYT has decided to change as little as possible and hope that things work out for the best. They may stave off immediate doom but their plan is too shallow to stave off long-term doom.

<comment><USER23> I can't see how you could come to this conclusion, but I'll play along...

What do you envision the "newspaper" of 2020 will look like? HuffPo? Please. That rag is 75% unadulterated opinion pieces and biased claptrap.

To me, you sound like someone who is complaining that you're now going to be expecte do pay for a high-quality product that up until now you've been receiving for free.

I /pay/ for the WSJ, The Economist, and Forbes on Kindle. Before that option was available to me, I paid for those subscriptions to be mailed/delivered to my home. I'm /exactly/ the kind of customer that they want, because I have money to spend and I will hand it over if I find value. I think their advertisers appreciate the difference. Compare the quality of reporting between your average local "free" newspaper and the NYTimes (or almost any other major newspaper).

Personally, I applaud the folks at NYTimes. They've been dealt a tough hand and they are doing their best to stay relevant.

<comment><USER24> I too am willing to pay for relevance, but not for news as they are filled with the same stories, spin, stupid opinions and not nearly enough stories that actually matter (when was the last time the nytimes destroyed a politicians who had done something illegal?) are wetted by experts (witness the current comments about the neuclear stuff in Japan where very little is actually know but everybody is writing about it) and completely free of spin.

Fix those issues and I pay.

<comment><USER25> The last time NYT destroyed a politician who had done something illegal was March 10, 2008.

[http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/07/nyregion/07prostitution.ht...](http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/07/nyregion/07prostitution.html)

<comment><USER24> Thats the best defence of newspapers I have seen in a long time, but that is still:

2 two years ago

almost certainly not the worst thing that has been done (and not even very close either)

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER26> I unloaded on the New York Times in a comment about 2 days ago, but I have to say that I'm pleasantly surprised by this approach.

It allows them continue to make ad revenue as well as get subscription money from people who really like their service (unless I'm not understanding it clearly).

The only thing I'd suggest is prominently displaying a counter for the user saying 'you have x pages left before you must subscribe to access this site' or something like that .. that way they're not taken by surprise when they can't access a story any more.

</comment><comment><USER27> Why is it $15 for a smartphone subscription, but $27.99 for a Kindle subscription that some days even doesn't include all the articles from print?

</comment><comment><USER28> First I thought terrific. I would definitely pay a monthly fee to read the NYT without ads. But then I learned I have to pay and there is still advertising.

I definitely will miss reading the paper but I am betting in less than six months the wall will disappear. Any takers?

</comment><comment><USER29> I feel that if they are going to charge, charge for the big investigative and in depth pieces that you can't just get elsewhere. Some of the shorter stuff, which is rehashed over many different news sites is a lot harder sell for payment.

</comment><comment><USER30> I feel like I read more than 20 articles a month just from various links, but not enough to make it worth $15/mo. If they had some option to increase the number of views for the rest of the month for $5 or less, I'd at least consider it.

<comment><USER2> Depends on who's links are sending you to the site. From the e-mail I got:

      Readers who come to Times articles through links from
      search, blogs and social media like Facebook and Twitter
      will be able to read those articles, even if they have
      reached their monthly reading limit.  For some search
      engines, users will have a daily limit of free links
      to Times articles.

<comment><USER31> So someone spoofing a referrer link with curl would have free access?

Or are you also checking those referrer links somehow, to make sure they're legitimate?

I also take it from your other reply about curl (<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2336371>) that you're using ip address, as opposed or maybe in addition to cookies to enforce the 20 articles per month limit.

<comment><USER2> First, this isn't a project I worked on directly so bear that in mind in that I cant address specific points (but will update if I learn the answers).

I will say this much; its expected that many people will find away to get around the paywall via plugins, curl, whatever. There are no illusions about that.

However this is not typical of your average user - that much I've seen. While I'm sure this will happen, and it might be easy for many, it will not be something I'd expect of most users and no something that will impact subscriptions IMHO.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER32> I think 20 articles a month is actually quite fair, this covers most of the uses cases of reading an article because X linked to it. It is a happy middle ground.

I wish them the best of luck, although I don't think it will work out.

</comment><comment><USER33> 5 article per day limit for people visiting from Google.

Won't this get them dropped from the search results for presenting different content to users versus Googlebot?

<comment><USER34> Google is _not_ going to pick that fight.

They only have one competitive risk: government regulation. The only way that happens is if their PR as cuddly bunny hugging geeks in bathrobes made of organic llama hair get destroyed. People hoping for good PR cannot afford to be an existential threat to the NYT.

Now if you or I did it, on the other hand... well, _maybe_ their First Click Free policy covers us, but I wouldn't bet my business on it.

</comment></comment><comment><USER35> After visiting the Newseum last summer in D.C., I fully support things like this. We need entities still doing journalism and not just creating content.

</comment><comment><USER36> Do you think they would use cookies to track usage? If so, I'm predicting that many more people will learn how to clear their NYT cookies.

<comment><USER37> I expect they'll still require a basic free account to read your free 20 articles per month, and they they'll track it based on your account.

<comment><USER38> But people could just create a new free account once they reach the 20-article limit. Perhaps they are hoping that readers will not be clever/motivated enough to clear cookies and re-register...

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER39> 1\. Go to your local library.

2\. Learn how to use their proxy for patrons working from home.

3\. Browse NYT site like normal.

<comment><USER40> Or you could you know, pay for content you enjoy instead of abusing public services to shirk paying for content.

<comment><USER33> How, pray tell, is it abuse to use services funded by the taxes that you pay?

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER41> How will this affect instapaper, read it later, readability, etc. Does this limit apply to curl access?

<comment><USER42> I think Instapaper's bookmarklet scrapes the page if it's behind a pay wall, very clever.

Edit: To clarify, by scraping I mean if you are logged in and can see the article the bookmarkelet will grab the contents of the page.

<comment><USER2> I talked to Marco awhile back about how it works and if I remember correctly, this is not in fact the case.

Instapaper honors access. If you have access to that Article it will save it, if not then you won't get it.

<comment><USER43> What he meant is that the bookmarklet will actually scrape the content from within your browser and submit it to Instapaper if you have access and Instapaper's crawler doesn't. Marco has discussed that functionality on the Build and Analyze podcast.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER10> I wonder if Times Select users who paid their annual renewal fee about a month before nytimes.com reverted to free again will receive any credit toward this new pay scheme. Hypothetically speaking, of course.

</comment><comment><USER44> 1896 to March 27, 2011: "All the News That's Fit to Print"

After March 27, 2011: "All the News thats Fit to Find Somewhere Else for Free"

<comment><USER3> Don't be so sure. The Times is one of the few outfits where this approach may actually work. Look at the WSJ, another such outlet -- 1 million people pay $100/year for online access (no paper). That's $100M/year, which makes a big difference at a newspaper. That's a lot of extra reporters.

<comment><USER45> There is a demonstrated market that will pay for financial news. Perhaps not so much for general news.

<comment><USER46> Good point. Makes one wonder how many of that 1 million subscribers are doing it at their company's expense.

<comment><USER17> Lots, but it's tax-deductible.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER47> As someone who doesn't use the NYT as a primary source of news, but frequently ends up there through links, I'm curious to see if/how soon I'll reach the 20 article limit.

<comment><USER48> From the article:

Not all visits to NYTimes.com will count toward the 20-article limit. In an effort to ensure that as many as possible of the Web site's more than 30 million monthly readers are not deterred from visiting, The Times will allow access to people who visit through search engines like Google and social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. There will, however, be a five- article limit a day for people who visit the site from Google.

<comment><USER47> Regardless, I'm just interested in seeing how often/if I'll run into any ANY new limit NYTimes.com has.

If I don't, then this change won't matter at all.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER49> I like the content, but $196 a year is more than I'm willing to pay -- it's twice the yearly cost of an "all you can eat" streaming Netflix subscription.

</comment><comment><USER50> This would be the price of emerging 'do not track' policies and a hostile climate towards advertising targeting. The money's got to come from somewhere.

<comment><USER13> I don't think it's fair to pin this on disruptions in attitudes towards advertising. The much bigger factor is that they're an industry that once had and was structured around having a near-monopoly on mass information distribution (diluted by radio and TV). Now they suddenly find that they don't even have a majority hold on that anymore, and have lost almost all of their leverage with people that want to advertise things, and it's a problem that's been getting worse.

</comment></comment><comment><USER51> Will this affect the Google Chrome app?

</comment><comment><USER52> Will they prevent multiple people from sharing the same account?

</comment><comment><USER52> This better include full access to their crossword puzzle app.

</comment><comment><USER48> If I were to pay I would expect to receive only content, not ads, but I really doubt that would be the case, so other sources await.

Edit: Although there is a pretty big loophole..

From the article: Not all visits to NYTimes.com will count toward the 20-article limit. In an effort to ensure that as many as possible of the Web site's more than 30 million monthly readers are not deterred from visiting, The Times will allow access to people who visit through search engines like Google and social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. There will, however, be a five-article limit a day for people who visit the site from Google.

</comment><comment><USER53> Adios, NYT. You won't be missed.

</comment><comment><USER41> First to predict complete and total failure, followed by a quick about-face back to the ad-only model.

<comment><USER54> Pretty sure people have been predicting that ever since they heard this was coming.</comment></comment>


Ask HN: How do I teach myself design? - <AUTHOR>

I've advanced enough just by looking and trying to understand what makes other sites so appealing.
But I feel that I am at an impasse. I have no training at all in color-theory, design, or anything like this. The learning process is so different from what I'm used to, I think.
If I need to know how to do something in an API, I look it up. If I'm new to a language, I read a book.
I understand that just doing it over and over is pretty much the process for anything, but I feel that I could use some refinement now, rather than later. <comment><USER2> 1\. Get inspired. Keep bookmarks of interesting beautiful designs you like. Think about what makes it beautiful. Similarly, think about why you don't like any particular design. How it can be improved.

2\. Learn. Learn both practical things like HTML5, CSS3, Graphics Design for web(icon/logo etc) and theoretical things like color theory, grid system, UX design, etc. Read books, blogs, html/css code for it.

3\. Practice. Use what you have learned to design some sites. You can design your own sites, templates, or redesign some existing site you like.

4\. Share your work with other people and get their feedback. Make improvements based on their suggestions.

5\. Rinse and Repeat. Be patient. Like all arts, designing improves with time and effort put in.

Some resources you may like to use -

<http://www.awwwards.com/>

<http://www.smashingmagazine.com>

<http://www.cssmania.com/>

<http://dribbble.com/>

<http://www.uiparade.com/>

<http://patterntap.com/>

<http://ui-patterns.com/>

<http://developer.yahoo.com/ypatterns/>

<http://www.welie.com/patterns/>

<http://www.alistapart.com/>

<http://siteinspire.com/>

<http://designingwebinterfaces.com/explore>

<http://www.reddit.com/r/webdesign>

<http://forrst.com>

<http://paulstamatiou.com/startup-web-design-ux-crash-course>

[http://www.slideshare.net/Wolfr/design-for- developersonlinev...](http://www.slideshare.net/Wolfr/design-for- developersonlineversionlong)

<http://52weeksofux.com/>

</comment><comment><USER3> Most people often attribute design to making something pretty, or using photoshop, or tweaking a color, true design is about functionality not aesthetics.

At the core of it design is functionality done right. Most of my engineering/programming/logical friends look at me strangely when I try to explain this but it is true.

It's about human interaction, what is your desired response, how will people react to this, how will it be used, etc.

Color theory is only important because it invokes certain emotions, font's because it conveys they tone you are speaking in, using lines and the other elements of design all work together to lead they eye and evoke a desired response.

There are a lot of things out there that are considered good design but are ultimately useless in achieving their goals, these are simply works of art done in a designed style and not true design.

It's about purpose and intention.

I'm willing to bet you know more than you think you do, that you've been exposed to so much design your whole life that your guesses would be more educated than you think, and that coming from a background in software your ability to run tests (like A/B tests) would be invaluable.

To conclude, everyone thinks that design is art but really it's psychology combined with rapid iteration(thumbnail sketches) and lots of tests (color swatch tests etc) based on best guesses. That and most great design just rips off something else anyways.

</comment><comment><USER4> Read books & blogs on design, design a lot, throw a lot away, find small projects to work on to hone your skills, dissect other designs, design more, throw more designs away, build up your font collection, build up your photoshop layer styles collection, talk with other designers, learn how to make wireframes and write the content before you start to design, find a design mentor who will help you learn, design more, throw away more designs, find non-profits you can do some free designs for, find some startups you can design for, google about color theory and font theory and read up on it, learn how to design around themes (an "underwater" theme, a "cartoon" theme, a "western" theme), design more, throw more away...

</comment><comment><USER5> I am an advocate of looking at what makes pieces you find are designed well, and keeping a "scrapbook" (for lack of a better phrase) of those patterns. Then as you design you can refer to those scraps for things that worked in UI, design, or just enhanced experience. While I don't advocate copying, I think its always better to stand on the shoulders of giants than to start from nothing.

<comment><USER6> Here's a nice site to get you going on scrapbooking: <http://www.csszengarden.com>

</comment></comment><comment><USER7> Same here, but I have learned that first start understanding UX and usability and then with the help of frameworks like bootstrap(there are many)anyone can easily put up a nice layout.Once you have that then it can be improved with nice graphics,logos and images.

</comment><comment><USER8> You could try to apply your current learning pattern first; read books on color theory to get going. Another thing that could be fun for you just to get going is to re-design services you like and try to improve them, in your eyes.

</comment><comment><USER9> I clone ideas from Dribbble. Great resource for people looking to learn and create stimulating visuals.</comment>


Bose Headphones Spy on Users, Lawsuit Says - <AUTHOR> http://fortune.com/2017/04/19/bose-headphones-privacy/ <comment><USER2> (Created an account to post this) I downloaded the app on android and listened to a few songs on Spotify to find out what information was being sent.

While the app is running, the app sends a HTTP (edit: HTTPS) request every time the track information changes or the volume changes. When the track information changes it sends the artist, album and song name. When you change the volume it sends the new volume level.

Every request includes standard meta-data such as

* An _anonymous-id_

* Device serial number

* Information about whether wifi or cellular are connected and carrier name

* Device name, model and manufacturer

If there is interest I will write a blog post about potential ways to stop the data collection without removing the app :)

<comment><USER3> Did you packet sniff what is being sent out? Or do you have some intermediary running on the device itself?

Just curious if it was difficult to do. If more people knew how to, maybe this sort of activity wouldn't sneakily happen as often.

<comment><USER2> Unless an android app uses certificate pinning ([https://security.stackexchange.com/questions/29988/what- is-c...](https://security.stackexchange.com/questions/29988/what-is- certificate-pinning)), it is usually trivial to MITM its traffic passing through your phone.

Provided you own and have physical access to your phone, you can use any number of proprietary/open free/costly tools to do so. (E.g Fiddler [http://www.telerik.com/fiddler](http://www.telerik.com/fiddler), Burp [https://portswigger.net/burp/](https://portswigger.net/burp/) and mitmproxy [https://mitmproxy.org/](https://mitmproxy.org/))

In this case I used fiddler, all I had to do generate a custom root certificate (Be warned this is not a good idea in general, look up super fish if you want an example of why installing custom root certificates can be bad), install that certificate on my device and then proxy my device through the computer running fiddler.

This process is far better documented here [http://docs.telerik.com/fiddler/Configure- Fiddler/Tasks/Conf...](http://docs.telerik.com/fiddler/Configure- Fiddler/Tasks/ConfigureForAndroid) if you need any more help or advice let me know

<comment><USER4> I recall older versions of one of those (forget which) generated a non-unique custom certificate, meaning anyone who had used it could be MITM'd with the same cert. It was changed later on, but it's a risk if you go with something poorly designed.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER5> Reading about spying headphones on website where video with sound starts automatically and continues to play when pressing pause (but jumps to right corner, just like hoaxes for Windows 95 where "start" button evaded mouse) — we're living in _adtechpunk_ world.

<comment><USER6> Enable the tab mute button that's existed in chrome for years but is still hidden:

Go to URL chrome://flags in a new tab Search for the 'Enable tab audio muting UI control' flag Hit the 'Enable' link Relaunch Chrome when prompted (on Chrome OS a full restart is required)

Now you can click the little speaker that appears next to the tab's close button when a tab is playing sound to stop that tab from playing audio.

God knows why this isn't enabled by default, somethingsomething advertising money...

<comment><USER7> I wish they also had "mute all other tabs."

<comment><USER8> Sounds like a simple enough addon :)

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER9> Hmm, not pleased, we have two sets of the 35 earphones and I use the app - well, I have to, else I can't change some settings on the earphones. This is totally overstepping the boundaries of what earphones/headphones should be doing. Any company that collects my data and moves it from under my purview to theirs should have to display or expose this data in the exact form that it's collected to the user, so we can see exactly what it is. Not cool.

<comment><USER10> This reminds me of a bluetooth toothbrush I just bought that requires my location to be enabled to change the settings via the oral b app which is required since this model has less buttons than others.

The reason why I bought a bluetooth toothbrush was for a wireless hardware clock, brushing timer, and ranking system which also really doesn't work correctly even with the app.

<comment><USER11> > The reason why I bought a bluetooth toothbrush was for a ranking system

We are truly living in a modern fall of rome. We will choke on our bluetooth enabled toothbrushes, 700 dollar juicer machines, our fucking fitbits. We've ravaged the earth to adorn ourselves with decadent shackles and we will reap the consequences with fake tans and ultra clean teeth.

In the past year I've gone from being an environmentalist to a big fan of the end times. We're going to eat ourselves out of a home, and a few billion years later, the Earth will still be here, not missing us at all. Fuck it, get three bluetooth toothbrushes next time.

<comment><USER12> >reap the consequences with fake tans and ultra clean teeth.

Fake tans are better than cancer and ultra clean teeth sounds like it would cut down on dental issues.

<comment><USER13> When you get a fake tan, how much of what chemicals is your body absorbing that all don't cause cancer?

Something like 70% of Americans are vitamin-D deficient. Get some damn sunlight.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER14> Ok, this is DEFINITELY NOT cool (+ the fact I own those and I have the app installed).

One small note of optimism (but not coming from Bose) is this: [http://imgur.com/a/ezLUi](http://imgur.com/a/ezLUi) (i.e. the iOS on/off setting for Background App Refresh - I have it globally off for the whole device, always). So I don't think once the app is not running that there's an easy/Apple approved way for them to keep running to app to transmit data, etc.

I also just turned off Cellular Data for this...

If someone from Bose is reading this - just wow...

<comment><USER15> It could easily store and forward data the next time you open the app though.

<comment><USER14> Correct, if it has meaningful storage on the headphones - anyone know if that's the case?

In any case, I would encourage everyone to delete the app at this point.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER16> Leave a review, may help warn/notify some 'normal' users about this.

\- [https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bose- connect/id1046510029?mt...](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bose- connect/id1046510029?mt=8)

\- [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bose.monet...](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bose.monet&hl=en)

</comment><comment><USER17> As an aside, who's idea was it at Fortune to have an autoplaying video that, when paused, starts playing again the moment you scroll down the page?!?

<comment><USER18> Don't know but presumably they were awarded a bonus.

<comment><USER19> "SVP of Digital Assemblance Strategy and Social Media Marketing"

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER20> Is anyone compiling a black-list of companies that implicitly charge users by quietly (or not-so-quietly) collecting their data? This is increasingly becoming the consumer protection issue of our time.

A white-list of companies that do NOT do this could also be useful, especially as alternatives to companies on the black-list.

<comment><USER21> I think that for ANYTHING that requires an app and connection to the internet, we all should take for granted that:

1) data is being collected (e.g. my precious steps/vitals/food intake on fitbit)

2) data is being transmitted to "mother ship" and then sold to everyone that is willing to buy (e.g. why on earth did iOS fitbit app wanted to connect to facebook??? and then I stopped using fitbit - of course I was using a throwaway email and false name/DoB to begin with)

3) data is being correlated and adding more juice to each user's profile (e.g. iOS fitbit app getting my IP, fake-name, throwaway-email, vitals, not-my-iOS advertising identifier)

No way around this. Only using a good hosts file, PMP, and Firewall IP (on iOS and for jailbroken devices). Anyone who runs stock iOS or Android is in the mercy of all "these people".

<comment><USER22> If you jailbreak your device you open yourself up to other threats.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER23> > According to the complaint, Bose ... shared it with ... Segment whose > website offers to "collect all or your customer customer data and send it > anywhere."

Using Segment as an example of an evil destination for data shows that this reporter is under-qualified to cover this story. I am not defending Bose here; just pointing out that the reporter doesn't exactly know the domain.

</comment><comment><USER24> I would understand it if the app were tracking how often the headphones were connected, when they were actually being used, or possibly even which app is playing audio (e.g. how much are the headphones being used for listening to music vs podcasts vs videogames) -- although this should all be done anonymously.

But the idea that the app can detect _which_ music or podcasts I'm listening to, and build a profile from that -- if true, that would be shocking. Can anyone answer, is that even possible via iOS API's?

<comment><AUTHOR> The app shows metadata about the currently playing track, such as title and artist, so it really does look like it has full access to what is currently playing. This is discomforting. What if I am playing a locally synced file "board meeting xyz company case abc something secret in the title.mp3"

<comment><USER25> Or even worse, something HIPPA protected. They could be in for a world of hurt here.

<comment><USER26> Bose is not a HIPAA-covered entity and, if a user is or is working for one, probably they haven't had Bose sign a BAA, so Bose is not in any kind of trouble for any unauthorized disclosure of PHI.

The user, again if they are or are employed by a HIPAA covered entity, might be, though.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER27> I live in Europe. Next year I and all other Europeans should be able to make a GDPR request for information to Bose and, at no cost, get a complete copy of all information Bose keeps on me.

[https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/data-protection- reform/...](https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/data-protection- reform/overview-of-the-gdpr/individuals-rights/the-right-of-access/)

<comment><USER28> I wonder if the UK will keep that particular EU regulation after its exit...

<comment><USER29> "The GDPR will apply in the UK from 25 May 2018. The government has confirmed that the UK's decision to leave the EU will not affect the commencement of the GDPR."

General Data Protection Regulation Introduction:

[https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/data-protection- reform/...](https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/data-protection- reform/overview-of-the-gdpr/introduction/)

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER30> Time to make a playlist full of songs with these names and see if you can crash Bose servers:

[https://github.com/minimaxir/big-list-of-naughty- strings/blo...](https://github.com/minimaxir/big-list-of-naughty- strings/blob/master/blns.txt)

</comment><comment><USER31> Their example of 'shared it with marketing companies, including a San Francisco firm called Segment whose website offers to "collect all or your customer customer data and send it anywhere."'

Thats just an analytics provider.. I wonder if this claim is true, based on that example. Bose could just be collecting app logins, crashes, looking for usability pain-points, etc. Consulting agencies just throw that crap everywhere because it sounds good to a client.

</comment><comment><USER32> This is increasingly more common. Companies building in data collection to products and marketing it as a 'feature'. Especially in cars manufacturers, who are openly offering to sell this data. The unsettling part is most customers don't seem to mind.

<comment><USER33> _The unsettling part is most customers don 't seem to mind._

A lot of consumers don't even _know_ , as we see here.

Those who do know often don't understand the full implications.

The state of privacy and security in modern cars is particularly disturbing, as you say, and really needs a blunt, in-your-face public information campaign and preferably statutory regulation. But that would require the relevant governments to understand the dangers themselves, and I don't think most politicians are any better at knowing and understanding these things than anyone else.

</comment></comment><comment><USER34> wow! I own a couple of these headsets, and while I've never used the app (I don't feel the need to install an app for an headphone device thank you very much), I'm disappointed in Bose.

Does anyone know any other headphone manufacturer that's got as good a sound + build quality as Bose?

<comment><USER25> I'm loving my Sennheiser Momentum wireless phones. However, apparently the current king of the hill is the new Sony MDR-1000X. Better noise cancelling than Bose, and sound quality as good as the Sennheiser.

</comment></comment><comment><USER35> So what are the chances this never goes anywhere thanks to a clickwrap EULA that's shoved into your face in 3pt font the moment the app starts?

"Well, your honor, he agreed.."

<comment><USER36> EULA for other Bose app (Connect EULA seems not to be available online): [https://hearphones.bose.com/eula](https://hearphones.bose.com/eula)

"YOUR USE OF THE SOFTWARE ALSO OPERATES AS YOUR CONSENT TO THE COLLECTION, TRANSMISSION AND STORAGE OF CERTAIN STANDARD NETWORKING INFORMATION, DEVICE USAGE DATA, AND BOSE PRODUCT INFORMATION VIA THE INTERNET TO SERVERS OWNED OR CONTROLLED BY BOSE OR OPERATED BY THIRD PARTIES ON BEHALF OF BOSE"

<comment><USER28> IANAL, but that language does not seem to permit selling of the data to third parties.

<comment><USER37> It doesn't say they cant resell it - or transfer it.

<comment><USER28> I suppose that's really the heart of the matter, isn't it? When _should_ a company be able to collect what would otherwise be private information protected by law? And if they do collect it, what does the law provide as default protections on selling or transferring that private information?

The "Privacy Policy" bits posted by aaronpk [0] only speaks to collecting what engineers would call telemetry information. It has zero mention of collecting other data, and zero mention of reselling the data.

I know the US is relatively weak on such laws compared to some EU countries. This lawsuit might not go anywhere here, but there could very well be a strong case in, say, Germany.

[0] [https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14148461](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14148461)

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER38> What I think would be interesting is: what if a company like this made an app like this, but then clearly stated to users that it'd be collecting data on them and sending it to marketers? They could even pitch it as helping to keep prices "low". How much would this hurt sales? Would it even hurt sales at all? Given the proliferation of "smart TVs" and various IoT devices, I'm extremely skeptical that a company would experience any decrease in sales by simply being honest about their collection of data. The only reason these companies are getting in trouble is because they're sneaky and dishonest and try to hide their data-collection activities. Google has a gigantic business involving collecting user data, without hiding this fact, and they're extremely successful.

<comment><USER39> > Would it even hurt sales at all?

Of course it would. What is the consumer benefit derived from the collection of this data?

<comment><USER40> In the given example the benefit is stated as lower prices.

<comment><USER41> This example would only work if you had the same product in two different price ranges, e.g 350$ without tracking and 300$ with tracking or something similar.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER42> I have the 35s. How does one get in on signing the class action? Or can you only do this after it has gone to trial and has gone in favor of plaintiff?

</comment><comment><USER43> Disgusting... I just deleted the app, however I hadn't opened it for a while, anyone know / can guess if it had still been sending stuff out (e.g. as a background process of some sort)?

</comment><comment><USER44> Timely, considering I was just thinking about buying a Q35 tonight. (Oh who am I kidding, I'm probably still going to do it).

I'm curious if anyone knows a way to temporarily disable/enable apps without having to uninstall them. Android used to have a "Disable" button in the App Manager, but my current 6.0.1 phone isn't showing that for any apps. Am I missing something?

<comment><USER24> I've got a Q35, I installed the app to set it up, but deleted it later, and have never been prompted again or anything, and everything works fine. So I think you can just delete it no problem.

<comment><USER44> I'm sure I could, but I would be missing out on the features I may want to occasionally use/change.

Bose is hardly the only app I would want to block. There are dozens of apps I might use only occasionally - a month or a year might go by between uses. But having to reinstall is just a cumbersome step.

<comment><USER45> You don't need the app. I used it once, just to see what it did.

I downloaded it again just now. Again, nothing I needed, deleted.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER46> Just checked in the app, and they're very clear that they collect data and share it with 3rd parties.

</comment><comment><USER47> Not surprised - I just assume every company that has my data which explicitly says it does not sell your data does.

A side note:

One day I noticed the gps icon on my iphone was lighting up one evening even through non of the apps were using it. I opened up the app drawer to see which app was using it and it was Outlook. I immediately deleted the app and then I saw another app without gps permissions access it.. I got goosebumps immediately and powered off my phone. Without a doubt in my mind I believe there's built in remote access tracking software in IOS. I know I sound crazy and a bit paranoid but I can't explain it.

<comment><USER48> Devils advocate: If iOS did have remote access tracking software built in, why would it tell you via the UI?

</comment></comment><comment><USER49> Avoid Bose headphones because they're overpriced and riding off brand recognition.

Avoid """"smart"""" devices made by hardware manufacturers because hardware manufacturers don't know how to write software.

While I sympathize for the people who are affected by this, everyone should really avoid buying such manifestly bad products in the first place. We should really be doing our best to avoid "smart" TVs, "smart" headphones, and other superfluous and poorly done computerization.

<comment><USER50> If you have a better suggestion for bluetooth + active noise cancelling please...be my guest...

<comment><USER49> If you don't mind IEMs, they offer superior sound blocking to over-ear headphones with active noise cancelling, especially with foam earpieces.

If that works for you, get any decent pair of Shure IEMs (or anything that uses the MMCX connector). Then you can purchase a Bluetooth receiver that connects to any brand of MMCX IEMs. This is nice because now the most expensive part (the IEM) you can keep using for as long as you want while periodically upgrading the wireless component as new technologies emerge.

<comment><USER51> Ok, what if you do mind IEMs?

<comment><USER52> I think he is referring to _In-Ear Monitors_.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER53> Brand loyalty can be tough. As an outsider to Bose, but a Sennheiser fan, that feeling of finding out you were not getting a fair deal in this case is pretty bad. Bummer.

<comment><USER54> Agreed. I've been a Bose customer for over the past decade, buying a new pair of headphones every couple years. While I get that people criticize them for a number of good reasons, I don't mind paying a bit more for a premium product that I use daily. That they offered great discounts for returned/broken headphones has kept me a customer for a long time. In the next year or two I'll probably be getting a new pair of wireless headphones, as that seems to be clearly the way that things are going. Bose would have been a simple choice, but now they're not. As a customer it's frustrating to see companies whose products I enjoy using compromise my trust in them with such short sighted actions.

</comment></comment><comment><USER55> I haven't downloaded the app, does that mean that I was not "spied" on? Is there any indication that Bose could collect data w/o use of the app?

<comment><USER41> Since the headphones only have bluetooth available, it's hard to imagine it transporting the information anywhere without the application, even if the headset still aggregates information.

</comment></comment><comment><USER56> I own both the headphones and the speaker mentioned in the article and have the app installed. It's a sad reflection on the state of privacy, but my first reaction to reading the article was getting excited about possible class action $$. Data collection like this is so commonplace nowadays its hard to be surprised. Still disappointed in Bose though.

</comment><comment><USER57> Lawyerly people - the class action lawsuit defines the class as restricted to customers who bought their headphones in the United States.

Are there rules that prevent a US class action from including non-American customers? How hard would it be to commence a similar class action outside the US?

<comment><USER26> IANAL, but:

> Are there rules that prevent a US class action from including non-American > customers?

Yes; purchases outside the US would generally be governed by the law of the jurisdiction in which they occurred.

> How hard would it be to commence a similar class action outside the US?

Depends on the applicable local law; class action might be easy, hard, or not available at all, depending on the jurisdiction.

</comment></comment><comment><USER58> I deleted the app based on this allegation.

However, can some explain to me how this differs from other app analytics? Or, is the main issue that they failed to disclose this data collection and failed to offer an "opt out" toggle in settings?

</comment><comment><USER59> I skimmed the document but I didn't see any proxied traffic, packet traces or other evidence. What am I missing? Is it normal to file a class-action lawsuit like this without a giant pile of forensic evidence?

</comment><comment><USER60> For those that missed it, a representative from one of the other companies named in the suit helpfully dropped in to provide additional context on their company's part in this. It even had a super positive "happy to answer ... questions" attitude. It was deleted in a few minutes as they realized how poorly that was going to turn out.

The reaction wasn't unexpected. Especially since, while _they_ were supposedly not directly purchasing or selling the data, they did help collect the data that Bose allowed themselves to buy or sell. And the TOS allows for third- party collection and use of data with little restriction.

I did grab a snapshot and the text, but it's quite full of personally identifying information - name, position and company, as well as links to their dropbox account. I think the information is important, but I'll try to leave out those details. Not that it would stop anyone determined to dig through case details.

In any case, maybe this will help people to discuss the points they were making and share their attitudes about them without receiving a massive Twitter storm.

> 1\. The suit implies that [Company x] buys the data from Bose for marketing, > advertising, targeting or profiling. We don't do that. We help Bose collect > event tracking data (like you send to Google Analytics) and send that data > to their product analytics tools (like Mixpanel, Amplitude, Crashlytics, > Crittercism, AWS Redshift, etc.) Analytics tools like this are used to > create reports to understand how a product is being used or how a product is > performing.

> 2\. The suit claims that the event tracking was done unexpectedly and in > secret, but that's not true. We require that our customers (like Bose) get > appropriate customer consent, not collect any data in violation of the law, > and not pass segment any sensitive customer information as defined in > applicable laws. To the best of our knowledge, Bose complies with all of > that. On the main screen of the app, there's a link to "Privacy Policy" > front and center

To be clear, no one thinks that you didn't do your job from the beginning in attempting to cover your legal bases. We're aware that analytics is a valid business. And that it has some valid use cases. But analytics is also an industry that gets abused frequently and doesn't self-regulate.

In this particular case, people are upset because the hardware is not completely functional without the app - so people can't just not use it or "opt out" without losing part of what they just paid a fair amount of money for. No one would use the app except for that functionality, so collecting information on "app use" when the use of the app is a manufactured scenario seems quite unfair for a high-end product.

When collecting data in these scenarios, you need to be explicit about what you're collecting and not deviate from it. Data overreach and intentionally vague language are both received poorly. It _could_ be that they're only collecting audio metrics. But their TOS would also allow them to collect information on every running app at any time (ostensibly it could effect quality) or on phone contacts (like if you made a call using the hardware), device location, texts, calls, and could conceivably transmit even more sensitive information.

All it takes is one wide tie with a bright idea to slip that "feature" in. Furthermore, there's nothing stopping Bose from changing their TOS at a later point. So these "protections" don't really protect the consumer.

Bose chose language that gave them too much potential freedom, and they're paying for that. You just did your job, yes, but honestly the job probably wasn't required for this particular product.

</comment><comment><USER61> So is this only if you're using the app it's able to build a profile? I love these headphones but I believe I only ran the app the first time I used them to pair it

</comment><comment><USER62> That's frustrating. I am glad I chose a different brand of wireless headphones than Bose for yet _another_ reason!

</comment><comment><USER63> This link has an autoplay video with sound. Can we get some kind of title warning on these, like the [pdf] or [1927] warnings? I really don't want to click on these without being prepared. Lacking a better alternative, for now, I'm just flagging it.

<comment><USER64> "This link has an autoplay video with sound."

Are we really getting this finicky now? Like, I'm usually on the more compassionate side of listening to people's concerns, but being offended by a video playing is just... sissified to the max.

<comment><USER65> I don't read your parent as being offended. I'm annoyed by autoplay videos myself. I don't think a tag is necessary, but I understand where they're coming from. Please be a little more charitable in reading others comments. No matter how they post, there's never a reason to make it worse.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER66> Soo. Do we get money? Or smth. I use bose wireless headphones.

<comment><USER67> Yes, look out for your $2.4M check in the mail.

</comment></comment><comment><USER66> So, do we get money or something? That would be nice. I use Bose Wireless headphones.

</comment><comment><USER68> Yet another spying case that could be avoided if people stopped using non-free software.

<comment><USER69> Maybe they should take it a step further and not use software at all.

Also looms are destroying cottage industry and maybe it isn't too late to riot some more against the enclosure of common grazing lands.

<comment><USER67> > Maybe they should take it a step further and not use software at all.

You're being sarcastic, but do we really need an app to deliver sound to headphones? I think that's a solved problem.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER70> Looks like you need to download a special app to enable this "feature"

>The lead plaintiff in the lawsuit is a man named Kyle Zak, who claims he followed the company's suggestion to "get the most out of your headphones" by downloading the Bose Connect app, and supplying information such as his name, phone number and email address.

<comment><AUTHOR> It's the app you're being pushed heavily into downloading (even by iOS itself as it is the "accessory accompanying app" as detected by the OS when connecting the headset), for things like updating the headset firmware and setting the bluetooth device name.

<comment><USER45> Thing is, no other bluetooth device I own needs its name to be set. I don't care. I don't need to change the language. I don't plan to update the firmware frequently, though if I do I can always just download the app, update, and delete the app.

The ONLY feature I can see using is the managing bluetooth devices. I had 4 devices in my list -- old computer, new computer, old phone, new phone. Unless you're around 3+ devices you regularly connect to, its not really an issue.

My computer and phone are the only 2 devices that will be in range so I'll never need to "manage" this. Again, think of all of the other devices that only support connecting to ONE other device and don't need a proprietary app to manage this.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER71> Suing companies for improving your products is not a great idea.

<comment><USER72> ...Whereas underhandedly surveilling people who are naive enough to buy a product from you and then profiting from the fruits of one's panty-sniffing is a brilliant one?

<comment><USER73> That completely depends upon the fine that is imposed, if any at all..

<comment><USER72> Not completely. I suspect the value Bose attaches to their brand name exceeds zero.</comment></comment></comment></comment>


Walgreens Threatens to End Theranos Agreement - <AUTHOR> http://www.wsj.com/articles/walgreens-threatens-to-end-theranos-agreement-1455156503 <comment><AUTHOR> Mirror, if you can't get past the paywall: [http://www.nasdaq.com/article/walgreens-threatens-to-end- the...](http://www.nasdaq.com/article/walgreens-threatens-to-end-theranos- agreement-20160210-01331)</comment>


JsPlumb - <AUTHOR> http://jsplumb.org

<comment><USER2> That's really cool because as the only reader of HN that's on Windows Vista SP1 with IE8, I can confirm that this is the first graphical JS demo posted to HN in the last 12 months that actually works on my setup.

<comment><USER3> Just out of interest, why are you still using such an ancient browser? Any reason you haven't upgraded to Chrome or Firefox?

<comment><USER2> I develop software, and want to be right below the line of the average user (25% of some segments of my market are still on XP).

Though am planning to update soon...

<comment><USER4> Have you considered using VMs for these environments (ie. XP, Vista)? You're potentially leaving a chunk of your users out in the cold if it stops working properly in Windows 7 / IE 9+ / Chrome / Firefox.

(I have no idea if you're doing web or application development.)

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER5> Awesome. This looks really good. How is the performance with many elements?

Since i first used yahoo pipes, years ago, i have a project in mind where i could use exactly this functionality.

I was always to lazy to give it a shot on my own, but i think now would be the right time. I'll keep you updated.

Thank you.

<comment><USER6> My guess is that the canvas rendering mode won't be affected by number of objects like SVG does.

</comment></comment><comment><USER7> I use jsPlumb here <http://live.daisyworks.com/editor.html>

It is a great way to make drag-n-drop widgets that work for pretty much any browser. Simon has done an awesome job with this.

</comment><comment><USER8> I used this and springy (<https://github.com/dhotson/springy>) to make a cool force directed graph editor for state machines in a few days. Performance was great really.

<comment><USER6> Where is it? :)

<comment><USER8> I don't own the copyright to that code, but the springy and jsplumb part was really just a few lines of code.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER9> We recently used JsPlumb on a new product release that we are just about to ship. Truly fantastic library with cross browser support.

Happy to put up a link when shipped so you can see JsPlumb in action.

</comment><comment><USER10> We use JsPlumb to lay out all our search results on DistilBio - <http://goo.gl/PW3iu> It's a slick library

</comment><comment><USER11> Amazed by how well it works on iPad.

</comment><comment><USER12> Awesome have wanted something like this for a long time, just don't have the mastery of JS to create it myself!

</comment><comment><USER13> make sure to checkout <http://neyric.github.com/wireit/> if you like jsplumb

</comment><comment><USER14> This is awesome! Definitely using it!

</comment><comment><USER15> somebody made a mindmapping application with this yet?

<comment><USER16> Yes, used this plus Backbone to make a nice spatial+hierarchical information manager, pretty much a mind map.

<comment><USER17> do you have a link to that?

<comment><USER16> not at the moment but I'll let you know if I ever release it</comment></comment></comment></comment>


Poll & Stats - Do you think Google should hire Matthew Epstein? - <AUTHOR> http://flipter.com/stats/do-you-think-google-should-hire-matthew-epstein/

<comment><USER2> Its irrelevant. The website stunt will probably get him an interview, then his performance in that will determine whether he gets hired.

</comment><comment><USER3> Agreed, It seems like someone should research a company a little more before he judges what kind of employee their looking for.</comment>


Route9.js: A VP8/WebM decoder in JavaScript - <AUTHOR> http://badassjs.com/post/13551173773/route9-js-a-vp8-webm-decoder-in-javascript

<comment><USER2> Neat, but it runs best on Chrome, which already has VP8/WebM.

I'm hoping eventually all the browsers will have something low level and fast enough to realistically do this kind of thing (e.x. Native Client)

A lot of things that need native speeds can be run in sandboxes with a few IO APIs (network, display, user input) just fine. Video codecs are a perfect example.

Imagine being able to link your app to the best available version of HTML6 immediately... or some other application development environment entirely.

<comment><USER3> > I'm hoping eventually all the browsers will have something low level and > fast enough to realistically do this kind of thing (e.x. Native Client)

I don't think Native Client is the solution. For technical reasons, the sandboxing mechanism there has a big cost to entering and leaving the sandbox. The worst case for that is something like a codec, where you constantly stream information in and out. NaCl works better when you have lots of computation and very little input/output.

(That might be fixable in theory, but just as fixable is the speed of JavaScript.)

<comment><USER4> The cost is per transition and transferring a single native array per frame should be cheap. There is no reason a NaCl decoder couldn't limit itself to one write per frame and a single read when more data comes in.

<comment><USER3> One write per frame would potentially be not so bad, that's true. I wonder though if you don't need to do some security measures there that could end up as significant overhead (for example, JS engines have some anti-heapspray techniques that do things to typed arrays - transferring large arrays between the NaCl sandbox and the JS sandbox might want similar things). But maybe not.

Regardless, I think there are more suitable technologies for codecs on the web: A lot can be done in WebGL shaders (Broadway is starting to work on that), and proposed web standards like WebCL and RiverTrail look promising too.</comment></comment></comment></comment>


Ask HN: US business law books - <AUTHOR>

Good day to all. Can anyone recommend a book about the US business laws focusing on start-up problems (i.e. what to avoid, how to not get screwed over etc.)? <comment><USER2> Two good ones:

Edwin L. Miller, Lifecycle of a Technology Company: Step-by-Step Legal Background and Practical Guide from Startup to Sale ([http://www.amazon.com/Lifecycle-Technology-Company-Step- Step...](http://www.amazon.com/Lifecycle-Technology-Company-Step- Step/dp/0470223928/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277482010&sr=1-1))

Constance E. Bagley and Craig E. Dauchy, The Entrepreneur's Guide to Business Law ([http://www.amazon.com/Entrepreneurs-Guide-Business- Law/dp/03...](http://www.amazon.com/Entrepreneurs-Guide-Business- Law/dp/0324204930/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277481967&sr=1-1))

Both of these do a good job of delineating startup issues from a legal perspective. They do so from what I would call a "big firm" perspective, which means heavy emphasis on VC-template-style companies as opposed to the leaner or bootstrap variety. Nonetheless, both do an excellent job of presenting the formal legal questions in practical contexts and both give clear explanations of the main issues involved in a startup from inception to exit.

Edit: The Miller book actually does a pretty good job of covering IP basics and, beyond that, I don't know of any particularly standout general IP book written for business people (there are some pretty good ones covering specific categories such as patent). By the way, as between Bagley/Dauchy and Miller, the Miller book is my personal favorite for startups - it was originally written as a big-firm treatise (multi-volume, with each of 4 or 5 volumes costing $200 or so), dry as dust, and then magically transformed through a fabulous edit job at Wiley into a well-distilled presentation of startup issues.

<comment><AUTHOR> Thank you so much. I saw on your linkedin profile that you specialize in IP protection as well, can you recommend some books from that category as well?

</comment></comment><comment><USER3> These blogs are a starting point:

<http://www.thestartuplawyer.com/>

<http://www.infochachkie.com/roping-in-the-legal-eagles/>

<http://venturehacks.com/archives#lawyers>

<http://www.technologystartuplaw>

<http://www.startupcompanylawyer.com/></comment>


Huawei OS Is 'Set for 2019 and Will Run Android Apps' - <AUTHOR> https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2019/05/21/huaweis-new-os-could-arrive-in-2019-and-run-android-apps-chinese-media-reports/ <comment><USER2> Huawei that doesn't even allow users to unlock it's bootloader is working on their own OS? I think I will pass.

The charm of Huawei, Xiaomi and their likes is their amazing hardware not their spyware riddled softwares.

I bought a Xiaomi mi 9 and the first things I did was erase the Mi ROM and installed AOSP rom.

<comment><USER3> Is there any proof of that spyware claim?

</comment></comment><comment><USER4> Why would the world even trust a Chinese company, backed by Chinese government, which has aggressive ambitions on the world stage, is politically fragile, authoritarian and routinely abuses basic human rights.

I mean, it's not just phones, Huawei deals in telecommunications equipment, has contracts with many European governments etc.

<comment><USER5> > has aggressive ambitions on the world stage

Since its founding, the PRC has only fought two foreign wars, the last one being in 1979, in stark contrast to some other countries I could name. As a percentage of GDP, China spends about half what the US does on its military. It isn't China that has a dozen supercarrier fleets, it isn't China that has 600 overseas military bases, and it isn't China that has established military commands that span the Earth (China's territory falls under the American "Indo-Pacific Command," for example).

One could equally ask why the world should trust a company subject to the United States government. There is much more concrete evidence of American global surveillance than there is of Chinese global surveillance. The United States' foreign surveillance agency, the NSA, has a larger budget than all but a select few nations' militaries, not to mention intelligence services.

When it comes to surveillance, no one should trust any government (as a cute example, the Germans allowed the United States to build its massive new embassy right next to the Brandenburg Gate and the parliament building, and the United States repaid that kindness by installing equipment in the embassy to spy on the German parliament). China is no greater a worry than the United States is, and in practical terms, probably less of a worry. The concerns being expressed by the United States government at the moment are extremely hypocritical, and are driven by a larger fear of increasing Chinese global influence, which will eventually undermine the hegemonic position of the United States in the world.

<comment><USER6> > Since its founding, the PRC has only fought two foreign wars, the last one > being in 1979

That's true only for unusually large values of two or unusually narrow definitions of "foreign war" (Korean War, Burma border campaign, Sino-Indian War, Vietnam War, another war with India, a separate China-South Vietnam War, and then a China-Vietnam war.)

<comment><USER5> The Korean War and invasion of Vietnam are the only clear foreign wars in that list. You've listed almost every border skirmish that China has ever conducted.

* Burma border campaign: a campaign along the China-Burma border conducted jointly by Chinese and Burmese forces, against Nationalist (i.e., Taiwanese) forces. China didn't invade Burma, and calling this a "foreign war" would be a big stretch.

* Sino-Indian War: a campaign along a disputed border with India, on territory that both sides claim.

* Vietnam War: China didn't fight in the Vietnam War. It did lend aid to the Vietnamese.

* "a separate China-South Vietnam War": I assume you mean the "Battle of the Paracel Islands," a small battle fought over disputed islands. Again, calling this sort of thing a "foreign war" is a big stretch.

I'll even grant you another border skirmish:

* The Sino-Soviet border conflict of 1969.

Note how the last conflict on this list is in 1979. That doesn't exactly scream "aggressive ambitions on the world stage."

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER7> Unless this new OS will be open source, I see no reason for anyone to trust it. There have been many other mobile OSes and they have all failed really...</comment>


To See Is To Conquer, Or Is It? - <AUTHOR> http://www.humanfactors.com/downloads/jun10.asp#research <comment><USER2> if it were true that to see is to conquer, there would be an awful lot of turnover.</comment>


Ask HN: How do you apply the teachings of the book E-Myth? - <AUTHOR>

The book is about the franchise model which is a great concept.
But building a profitable venture is such a challenge in itself that there are not many people who can actually apply the concepts taught in the book to turn the business into a franchise.
Yet, the book is a success. Am I missing something in the book that can be applied in a non-yet-profitable venture? <comment><USER2> I love the book myself, but there's also an issue in our field of how you reduce the software development process to something you can propagate in franchise style (by book(s), face to face lessons, whatever). That's just beyond the current state of the art of management(/human nature) and software engineering.

However documenting and following procedures that you learn will work might still be useful. E.g. for face to face sales, not that the typical HN startup does those (see Joel's essay on why software tends to cost < 3K or > 50K (or thereabouts)).

Doing this sort of thing for your web site deployment process certainly would is useful. And a recent HN item talked about a company in which the internal communications was so bad it was in danger of losing a critical client because the programmers had never been told the client needed a major new release.

Anyway, all that said, there's still plenty of good advice in the book for any entrepreneur. Here's what I had to say about it in previous HN threads:

<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1021526>

<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1385190>

and for other discussions you can try [http://www.google.com/search?q=%22the+e-myth%22+site%3Anews....](http://www.google.com/search?q=%22the+e-myth%22+site%3Anews.ycombinator.com)</comment>


Distributed systems for fun and profit - <AUTHOR> http://book.mixu.net/distsys/single-page.html <comment><USER2> Years ago I watched MIT's course 6.033. It is a great way to understand the first principles at hand in distributed / non-trivial programs: [http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/electrical-engineering-and- comput...](http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/electrical-engineering-and-computer- science/6-033-computer-system-engineering-spring-2009/video-lectures/) (also on iTunesU).

If you're just getting started with this stuff, having a solid understanding of these principles is critical. I can't recommend these videos enough.

</comment><comment><USER3> While this subject is full of interesting sub-topics to investigate for real- world use, Parallel Computing is a field much wider than just a DMM. Look at systems designed more than 10 years ago for better ideas about alternative computing models (all the good papers were written by the end of the 20th century). For example, if your "big data" is just computationally-intensive normal data, you might want to look into PVM/MPI or SSI. It's not as sexy, though, because you don't use it in JavaScript.

<comment><USER4> I'd love to see tools like MPI come back into mainstream. For instance, there's some work being done optimizing MPI in java for high performance computing but not nearly as much as what's being done for tools like Hadoop.

</comment></comment><comment><USER5> This is just what I wanted, something that explained me all this amazing world of distributed computing and networking.

If someone could suggest a good book, that'd be interesting too (I've been looking at Unix Network Programming and The TCP/IP Guide for starting with networks).

<comment><USER6> That depends on what level of book, and what you want to learn from it. On "how real distributed systems are built", there isn't a really good book available in my opinion. I liked The Datacenter as a Computer, but it's scope is fairly narrow and is more focused on global infrastructure issues than software design issues. On the math behind distributed systems, Nancy Lynch's book Distributed Algorithms ([http://www.amazon.com/Distributed-Algorithms- Kaufmann-Manage...](http://www.amazon.com/Distributed-Algorithms-Kaufmann- Management-Systems/dp/1558603484)) is my favorite, but it's getting to be quite out-of-date.

Absent a book, there are a lot of great resources online. High Scalability([http://highscalability.com/](http://highscalability.com/)) has a good amount of quality links to distributed systems content, and some editorial content of varying quality. In general, it's a good site to follow if you're interested in how distributed systems are being used in industry. I also like to follow Aphyr's blog([http://aphyr.com/](http://aphyr.com/)), Daniel Abadi's blog([http://dbmsmusings.blogspot.com/](http://dbmsmusings.blogspot.com/)), and Henry Robinson's blog([http://the-paper-trail.org/blog/](http://the-paper- trail.org/blog/)) and Peter Bailis's blog([http://www.bailis.org/](http://www.bailis.org/)).

<comment><USER5> Thanks.

Basically I'd like to understand all this Redis, ZeroMQ, etc. stuff, message passing, queues, etc.

Not sure if there's a book that explains all this, or if I have to do a bit of research by myself.

<comment><USER7> Just started working on an outline. I am no expert, but have faith that I can research and simplify an explanation at the same time :)

[https://github.com/mixu/distsysbook/issues/2](https://github.com/mixu/distsysbook/issues/2)

(Edit: On hold waiting for author to wake up .. see issues list)

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER7> I was skeptical to click this but it's piqued my interest. If it continues as cogently as it began, then the author has my congratulations: it's said that if you truly understand something, you can explain it eloquently to others.</comment>


Show HN: Sciter Notes - HTML/CSS/script but native application in 2 Mb - c-smile http://notes.sciter.com/ <comment><AUTHOR> Was gonna build something like this myself to move away from subscription based services and utilise storage such as Dropbox. Nice job.</comment>


iSuppli: Google's Nexus One Costs $175 to Manufacture - <AUTHOR> http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2357924,00.asp

<comment><USER2> One thing I've never understood about iSuppli is when they price "the Synaptics touchscreen at $17.50"… who's price is that? It's not like Google is going to pay the same price as me going to RadioShack. When Apple cornered the memory market, did they realize that Apple had way better prices then other manufacturers? Do they account for any of this at all?

They seem to throw down per-component prices all the time without showing how they derive them.

</comment><comment><USER3> Gruber had an article about iSuppli a while back: <http://daringfireball.net/2007/07/isuppli>

I wouldn't put too much into this.

<comment><USER4> Well iSupply is being dishonest in forgetting to mention manufacturing costs and all that other over head that goes into making the device but from a purely materials perceptive they may be correct.

<comment><USER5> The iSuppli press release is titled 'Google Nexus One Carries $174.15 Materials Cost.'

The third sentence reads "This total comprises only hardware and component costs for the Nexus One itself and does not take into consideration other expenses such as manufacturing, software, box contents, accessories and royalties."

Your accusation seems spurious at best. Some might call it dishonest.

<comment><USER4> I'm talking about the daringfireball article. Not the posted one. on second look perhaps it's just the secondary articles that are misquoting. If you don't like the word dishonest replace it with exaggerated.

<comment><USER5> You said iSuppli was being dishonest. They weren't. They're not exaggerating either.

iSuppli isn't responsible if daringfireball (or anybody else) mangles their actual statements.

I'll stand my statement that you are dishonest, and at your suggestion I'll add an addendum that you're exaggerating the scope of iSuppli's responsibility.</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment>


Ask HN: Can I move over to JSF from PHP? - <AUTHOR>

I am old timer to technology. My first language was Fortran (I am an engineer) and then C. I did a few websites in PHP. Listening to a lot of boo against PHP recently, I am thinking of moving over.
As I learnt C pretty early, Java comes close in terms of syntax. But, I don't hear Java in casual computing, as much as Ruby (RoR) and Python (Django).What  a pity, Java is sidelined to an enterprise architecture!
With JSF2, Java is poised to be in the limelight. With JSF and some client side javascript code, Java is suited for quick webwork that can scale very well. Guys, what do you think about giving Java its worth? <comment><USER2> JSF appears to be very enterprisey, and not quite what the "popular" web-word views web applications as. If you are moving from PHP to another language because of the "popular" view, the least you could do is pick a framework that won't blow monkey-chunks.

That said, if you're still serious about moving from PHP - which more than gets things done IMO - then I suggest looking at Play Framework[1]. It's pretty awesome, and comes in a Scala version as well.

[1]. <http://www.playframework.org/>

<comment><AUTHOR> I've heard Play framework ver 2.0 is a disaster.</comment></comment>


You Can Negotiate a 3-Day Weekend: a book for devs who want a shorter workweek - <AUTHOR> https://codewithoutrules.com/3dayweekend/ <comment><USER2> Part of me wants Wednesdays off. I get pretty unproductive by Thursday because I want a break, and if I only worked two days at a time, I feel I'd get more done. In fact, I've been working as a contractor recently, and I've been more productive with a 6 hour workday than I was with an 8 hour work day, and I often take a break midweek.

But yes, everything is negotiable, provided you do it on front. I tried to negotiate working from home after working at a company for years and got denied, but we have a few remote workers who negotiated it up-front. Likewise, my coworker negotiated more vacation days (he paid for it with lower salary), but that wouldn't have happened if he didn't make the deal up front.

IMO, the only advice needed for this is to decide what you want before taking a job and make it a condition of employment before you start; it's better to know up front whether the company will grant it, and it's better for them to know you want it as well. In fact, if you want a change in your benefits/work hours, you're more likely to get it (IMO) by looking for a new job than by negotiating with your current employer because for some reason new hires are valued more highly than retention.

<comment><AUTHOR> 1) Wednesdays off are a popular choice yeah: see [https://codewithoutrules.com/2018/01/08/part-time- programmer...](https://codewithoutrules.com/2018/01/08/part-time-programmer/) who talks about it.

2) For _salaries_ it seems like new job is better way to get big bump.

For shorter hours, however, negotiating current job is much easier based on my own experience and research.

3) Deciding what you want is a big part of it, but you can make it a lot easier in many ways, as I discuss in the book. For example:

* Only ask for shorter workweek after you get the job offer.

* Present your skills in the right way (a lot of resumes are just a list of technologies instead of expressing real value of skills).

* Get multiple job offers.

* Make sure you don't give a vibe of not being committed.

etc.

</comment></comment><comment><USER3> Advertisement

</comment><comment><USER4> Is this really a book's worth of content?

<comment><AUTHOR> Author here—

It's about 27,000 words, so about a 100 pages at industry "standard" of 250-300 words a page. So, taken in a literal sense, yes.

Does it need a book's worth of content? It depends.

If you have a lot of experience negotiating quite possibly not, you can figure it out on your own probably (you can learn some techniques from interview I did [https://codewithoutrules.com/2018/01/08/part-time- programmer...](https://codewithoutrules.com/2018/01/08/part-time-programmer/) and [https://stackingthebricks.com/guest-post-how-30x500-alum- chr...](https://stackingthebricks.com/guest-post-how-30x500-alum-chris- hartjes-bootstraps-on-the-side/)).

Some people need more information though, and that's what I've tried to provide.

<comment><USER4> Thanks for the thorough response. How was your experience writing the book? I'm curious to learn about people's process for taking an expertise and converting it into a book.

<comment><AUTHOR> 1\. I interviewed a number of people (and their stories are in the book), both as inspiration for readers and to spot more patterns than my personal experience.

2\. A lot of time spent reading books, and even more importantly online comments from people who have done it (for more techniques) and people who wanted to do it (for questions and worries people have).

That plus personal experience gave me outline of gap between where people are and what they need to be able to do, and skills and information needed to fill the gap.

(There's idea of backward design in education: here are outcomes, which require these skills, which require these even earlier skills, which require these attitudes...)</comment></comment></comment></comment>


Streaming Videos of History Channel's America: The Story of Us - <AUTHOR> http://www.insidethewebb.com/2010/04/streaming-videos-of-history-channels-america-the-story-of-us/

<comment><USER2> Ah bummer, I was hoping that the whole thing would be online... if you have Comcast, though, it looks like it will be on On Demand.</comment>


How I got a blank book to the top of the Amazon charts - <AUTHOR> http://realbusiness.co.uk/news/how-i-got-a-blank-book-to-the-top-of-the-amazon-charts/page:1 <comment><USER2> TL;DR:

After being dissatisfied with his earlier publishing efforts, Shed Simove found a cheap printing house online and used Amazon to sell his books directly, rather than going through a traditional publishing house.

Once he had the book printed and available on Amazon, he enlisted the help of a PR firm to start convincing journalists to write about it and media to talk about it. Together with some good photos and a Youtube video, his sales ended up taking off.

Lessons for hackers: technology is helpful, but marketing is more important than you think it is. Get in touch with people who can help.

<comment><USER3> Your TL;DR misses the most important part of the summary: the book was titled "What men think about apart from sex" and the blank pages were the punch line.

<comment><USER4> I don't think that's very important, though, is it? I've seen these books years ago, one example was a blank book called "What men know about women". His book wasn't even that original...

<comment><USER5> I think it's rather important. It's the equivalent of spending years writing (say) a MMRPG that turns out to attract only a handful of customers, then giving up and writing a fart app that goes on to sell a whole lot.

<comment><USER6> lowest common denominator

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER7> The most important piece of info is missing imo. How much did he spent with the PR firm? It seems it was the whole key in this story, and it's a good lesson for us.

I personally have no idea how much a PR firm costs, or what the lowest amount they take is. Is it $5k? $10k? Or more like $50k? Anyone here have suggestions of cheap but value-for-money PR firms, especially useful for bootstrappers?

<comment><USER8> I asked a guy from a PR firm about this at an event at my local University.

He said getting stories in local newspapers costs about £2000. National press (meaning in the UK, not the USA) costs more. But it costs way less than the $20k I thought it did.

<comment><USER9> That is a made up number

I have had national level press at a cost of £0

Journalists will listen to you if you have something worth hearing

<comment><USER8> I read that Viaweb spent $20k on national press.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER10> Good idea to increase sales of his previous books. It would be good to know the PR costs, but I guess it must be a few thousand british pounds.

The point I like most out of the story is that there is still space to get viral with really limited budget. Creativity and having a plan is key.

</comment><comment><USER11> This is the answer to yesterday's "Why can't I make as much as I make?".

<comment><USER12> That's also a good title for a blank book

</comment></comment><comment><USER13> I'm just impressed that my NaNoWriMo book, which consists of two words repeated over and over, has sold 19 copies.

[http://www.amazon.com/Hipster-Posturing-ebook/product- review...](http://www.amazon.com/Hipster-Posturing-ebook/product- reviews/B001JQLUC6/)

</comment><comment><USER14> Now I'll be _really_ impressed if he manages to get the Kindle version into the top 50.

</comment><comment><USER15> TL;DR: I hired a PR firm who came up with a creative idea to get this novelty product some press coverage.

</comment><comment><USER12> I think he could launch a whole series of notebooks with smart/funny covers. Or someone else could. I don't think it's just the PR in this case. This guy has a good product idea

</comment><comment><USER16> with consumer getting crazier every passing day it becomes harder to guess what people will buy and what not.</comment>


Take Home Programming Interviews Suck - <AUTHOR> http://georgemauer.net/2017/11/03/take-home-interviewing-tests.html <comment><USER2> It all sucks! All-day in-person interview loops suck! Writing code on a whiteboard sucks, coding on a laptop with an audience sucks. All of this stuff has its own biases. Trying to get hired for a tech job sucks. Period.

<comment><USER3> I dont think theyre equally as bad. Its too tempting to try and go above and beyond for a take home coding challenge, end up spending days on it, and get zero feedback. I would much prefer an onsite or strictly timed test than a loose deadline homework problem</comment></comment>


Apple Censoring Apps - <AUTHOR> http://www.sugoisoft.com/blog/2011/05/19/apple-censoring-pubtunes/

<comment><USER2> Just like any other business, they have to work within the framework of the laws of the country they do business in. Alcohol related apps probably violate some of the alcohol laws in the UAE. Messaging apps are also against the law in the UAE. This is why Facetime isn't installed on phones sold in the UAE and Skype (since it is encrypted) is definitely not allowed their as well.

Also, speedtrap apps have just been outlawed in France.

</comment><comment><USER3> The headline is misleading. Apparently, Apple does not sell apps with adult rating in the United Arabic Emirates. This is far from a blank "app censorship by Apple". Especially considering that the censor is more likely the UAE themselves.

More appropriate headline: "Apple filtering App Store based on local law". But that wouldn't be news...

</comment><comment><USER4> Instead of writing a blog post about it, he could have just done a google result to confirm his guess: [http://www.saudimac.com/2011/04/17-apps-removed- from-saudi-a...](http://www.saudimac.com/2011/04/17-apps-removed-from-saudi- and-uae-app-stores/)

</comment><comment><USER5> Company continues undesirable practice, this and more, tonight at 11.</comment>


2011 Predictions: You'll Rethink the Living Room (Web + TV is Finally Here) - <AUTHOR> http://ryanspoon.com/blog/2010/12/12/its-all-about-the-living-room-2011-predictions/

<comment><USER2> It's not "all about the living room". He's got this exactly back-to-front. The living room existed as a shared space because the facilities it provided were either too expensive to provide in more than one place, too inconvenient to do so, or just plain impossible.

Now that we can have watchable screens for a fraction of the price of even a decade ago in every room (often multiple use - I can't remember the last time I watched the actual television but I use a PC monitor to watch something almost every day), why have a single designated room for television watching? Now that we can watch our choice on demand, why be tied to a broadcast schedule or even be tied to the preferences of others? I can put things I want to watch onto mobile devices and watch them when I'm constrained in place, such as travelling to or from work or social engagements. I can choose what to listen to, what to watch, what to read, when and where I want. The idea of going to a single designated room and reaching a consensus with other people on what to do there is by no means objectionable - it's just no longer necessary to always make that compromise. The living room has expanded to every room in the house and beyond.</comment>


A paper notebook that syncs to the cloud, how cool is that - <AUTHOR> http://www.fastcompany.com/3027749/fast-feed/have-a-digital-life-but-love-writing-by-hand-this-notebook-is-for-you

<comment><USER2> why couple this to a particular notebook? i hate those small things</comment>


Show HN: SoloWizard - Configurable Chef Script to Bootstrap your OS-X - <AUTHOR> http://www.solowizard.com

<comment><USER2> I just set up a new dev env on a new OSX, took about 1 day of toying around with a bunch of stuff. Having a preset recipe to follow would have saved me a ton of frustration. When I get another dev machine, will definitely give this a whirl.

</comment><comment><AUTHOR> Hi this is Tom, the author of SoloWizard. I would really appreciate any ones feedback on the product! :)

</comment><comment><USER3> Very nicely done. I'd love a version of this that worked on Linux as well.

<comment><AUTHOR> Thanks, agreed.

If there is linux support, one direction it could go is configurable chef script to setup a linux webserver. Where the sweetspot is those one-off linode servers you have to scrap together for a small project, where a full chef- server would be overkill.

</comment></comment><comment><USER4> You are one magnificent bastard. It looks very cool and sorely needed.

Few things. Firstly it would be nice to use collapsible sections for the FAQ or something to make the page simpler. Secondly it might be nice to mention that you are using brew to install most of the scripts. Just so I know where everything will end up. Thirdly maybe capitalise create.

<comment><AUTHOR> Thanks!

Yeah, the FAQ section is a little unwieldy... I will make a note to clean that up. I will make the 2 small tweaks now (brew/capitalization).

<comment><USER4> Just a thought that maybe you could let some of those Mac Mini colocation hosting companies know about it as well. I am sure this would be a godsend for server deployments and they may already have scripts/free time they can contribute.</comment></comment></comment>