Ask HN: What do you wish someone would build?
It's time for another go at this question; we had interesting ideas the last time. What do you wish someone would build, either for your personal use or for your business?
Edit: fixed typo
Edit: fixed typo
534 comments
[ 3.8 ms ] story [ 321 ms ] threadThat's what I'd like to see, though I get most of what I need with webmail a cross-platform, portable email app would be really nice, where I control the data, not stored on someone else's platform, or from a party that doesn't control the platform. Though I do think if dropbox made such an app that used my dropbox for storage space I'd consider it.
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For that matter hosted/paid web apps... You buy an account on the platform with X compute and Y storage for $Z/month, could be built as a shim over DigitalOcean or the like... that just loads whatever apps you pay for, and/or free apps on the platform... you login, use your apps and they stay there, for you to access at-will.
Sounds like https://sandstorm.io/
https://nylas.com/
https://github.com/nylas/n1
I've got so many different emails with different services, having it all under one (nice looking) interface is wonderful.
It's really a shame to see the first effective write once run everywhere platform die like this.
Fastmail specifically is deficient in several ways:
* gmail conversations. it is threads done correctly. Fastmail half-does this but the seams peek through all over the place. Eg you don't have labels, you have actual folders and those two aren't the same at all.
* fastmail search is still mediocre, and is clearly intended to be used via their graphical menu rather than typing folder/label restrictions or other modifiers in the search box.
* A gmail style iphone + android app that works offline
* better polish throughout the app (eg: if something is incorrectly assigned as spam, when you say not spam, message routing rules don't apply to it. If you create a filter, you have no option to apply to existing messages. I could go on and on.)
* spam detection that works way better
Fastmail may eventually be what I want however. They've definitely improved over the last 2 years. Eg they used to use 2fa as a monetization source (10c or so per text message!) and have recently made gmail style 2fa free. They've also turned their settings UI from appallingly bad (it looked and felt like a very junior developer's first js project) to pretty good. Similarly with their rules routing engine.
You: I don't understand AI:. What is so difficult about quantum mechanics! I can solve this question in 0.00076 of a second!
Judgment day happens.
Furthermore many times this topic was discussed here on hackernews, with good insights and further links. Now how to find those?
Take bike brake line, attach one end to the rear window wiper, and route the other end down to where the camera is and use that motion to run smaller wiper over the camera lens. Probably set you back <$10.
For cars without it, use a 555 timer in one-shot configuration+mosfet/relay to drive a small 12v DC motor that is all powered off the reversing lights, so it automatically does 1 wipe every time you shift to reverse. If you didn't want the wiper to spin 360, you can adjust the pulse width of the 555 and use a spring to return. This would also cost about $10.
Not sure if this is a VC scale business, but I think it should exist and I'd love to be a user if someone built it.
Edit: no gambling data. Maybe that's ok, but I'd want that too. Still looks pretty interesting thanks!
http://www.optasports.com
Probably the best strategy is to give people an incentive -- even if only a social one -- to enter and maintain the data. WikiSports, basically.
https://txodds.com/
This of course would violate ToS agreements and various services would try to block it. But if it ran as a local app instead of in the cloud, and it was regularly updated, it would be very difficult to block with either technical or legal means.
Or instead of tiles, it could be single lines like in IRC. Maybe an icon somewhere in there to show if there's an image or video to view. Hover preview?
Nope, never spent any time thinking about it. No, siree. ;)
Each time can be a gateway to a real chat. I don't know what it would be for. But each tile can have a photo, video, text, ads, etc...
Just a continuous stream of content that only ends if no one clicks on it. Max life time (idle) of say 10min.
The problem is, the feed/stream API endpoints for most of the services mentioned above, either do not exist or have been removed.
- FB and Instagram no longer provide them, for sure.
- WhatsApp doesn't have an official API - the last time I test-drove Yowsup, my number was 'blocked' by WhatsApp.
- No idea if there's an API for iMessage, although I get the feeling there mightn't be...
Screen-scraping all of these services is way too much effort for way little reward. Not to mention that FB keeps 'updating' its UI/UX quite frequently and Instagram doesn't show a 'feed' on the web if you login.
- FB messenger is based off the XMPP protocol, so yeah, there might be a way to access it without having to screen-scrape.
- There's a free/paid service called Integrated Inbox which integrates Google's services: http://integratedinbox.com/plans/
That leaves HN, reddit and the Google gang - is it really worth the time to integrate these into one service? Maybe one could build the basic structure over the weekend and then provide an option add-on different sites as a 'plugin'...
Perhaps a machine learning approach could work.
slashdot seemed like it was on the right track, then the simplicity of the like/upvote threw complex out the window. buzzfeed came back with wtf/lol, but its not the same.
- Watched the movie Her too many times
The problem is using those responses to find something you want to read. Tastes and interests change over time. You might be obsessed with electric cars for a month, then want to read anything but electric cars the next month.
That's the problem with using past data in this case; it's not a great predictor of the future. Social sharing of information from actual people is better and we already have lots of that. So what's missing? Why do we feel news "aggregators" like Twitter and facebook aren't good enough?
prismatic always gave me clickbait, it surfaced things that sort of interested me, but i didnt feel fulfilled after consuming them.
conversely, redef.com and aldaily.com and my personal facebook lists, along with hckrnews and techmeme and longform are a lot of work to browse through, but return very high quality results.
They are essentially Apache Spark-as-a-service and have an API that allows you to submit a job on a cluster that you can configure to autoscale: https://community.cloud.databricks.com/doc/api/#jobs.JobsSer... https://community.cloud.databricks.com/doc/api/#jobs.Cluster...
- A version of this watch (maybe even a smart watch) that didn't cost $25,000: https://ressencewatches.com/watches/type-3
They should have build WatchOS from the ground up on a circular/rotational concept, embracing form factor as a distinct form, rather than trying to do iPhone-on-your-wrist.
Missed opportunity, as this watch shows.
Is it just nostalgia? Or do you genuinely want a car that has readily removable doors and windscreen?
What I'd like from the 40-series:
- A no-nonsense materials and rawer, more authetntic appearance. - Less injection molding, obvious ways to remove major panels - An upright sitting position with small pillars and great visibility - Authentic small details, like kick-vents, metal bumpers, metal handles - AK47-like reliability
The old pull knobs were great for tactile feedback when selecting various options and looked fantastic. I can imagine a modern take on that that incorporates the old, tactile UX with a USB-port/Phone app combination that gives you more information and control, allows you to play music (why have a stereo?) utilize a HUD for maps, etc. The phone would provide the additional brains and the vehicle would function fine without it.
There are additional details to get right, such as allowing natural materials to transition between one another (glass, rubber, metal) rather than having class slam into injection-molded plastic in a hidden, impossible to get to fold, and so on.
As I said, this is a very long story. :)
I'm more concerned about entry angles, water crossing depth etc (it rains a lot on bad roads where I live). Also safety, old cars just can't compete traction control and 7 airbags.
Re reliability: is an FJ really more reliable than a modern equivalent car? And for me, I'm not repairing my own AK47 so it's more about cost of parts and availability of expertise, a modern Toyota makes a lot more sense...
I've resigned myself to that, which is why I own a 60-series, which is the closest thing to a modernized 40-series for less than 80k available.
I'm more concerned about entry angles, water crossing depth etc (it rains a lot on bad roads where I live). Also safety, old cars just can't compete traction control and 7 airbags.
The 40 had great entry and departure angles (My 60 has bad departure angles). Most modern SUVs are horrific, really just slightly raised minivans, with all sorts of junk hanging off the bottom to get torn off. I have no beef with traction control, I'd just like a pull knob to engage it.
Reliability
The 40 series was very reliable, and easy to work on by anyone. There have been improvements in machining, seals, etc. and I'd like a modernized, inline 6 turbo-diesel. Since none of this happening any time soon, especially in the states, I had this put in my 60:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woX_shdI2Xc
Email is in my profile, if you'd like to be apart of the alpha once we get there.
A curated "channel-like" experience for Netflix/YouTube shows. There's a LOT of good content out there, but it's hard to filter. And the "channel" experience of surfing and switching between programs has been kind of lost.
A different kind of smartphone, with actual buttons. Or maybe even what one manufacturer (Samsung?) tried to do, splitting the phone experience from the smart experience, with one ergonomically good device for calls, and another for messages and browsing. I also very often want to be looking at my screen while on a call (check mail, google stuff, look at maps).
I also miss the experience of the slide-to-answer on my old Nokia n86, or flip-to-answer like the Motorola Razr. I could also make calls without looking.
there's even news of a crackdown going on in the uk with people who are selling modded boxes http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/kodi-illegal-first-man-...
A lot of the 10ft apps available on e.g. Amazon Fire TV etc fall short here too - I don't want to keep selecting the next 3 min clip, just instantly play me a curated stream.
Mark Cuban had good thoughts on TV vs VOD many years ago e.g. http://blogmaverick.com/2010/10/26/the-value-of-your-time-an...
The issue is not technical, its the usual problem with audio/video content and vested interests - regional locks, contracts, existing cash cows etc etc. Tough for a startup to negotiate deals against Eddy Cue, I see the solution coming from the big tech Cos...
The issue here is rights.
The rights to this content are very tightly controlled, it's very expensive, and contracts are allocated usually in the billions.
It would take a startup literally with billions to 'out bid' some entity for right to a sport, and then make it available.
FYI - if you subscribe to ESPN etc. for cable, I believe they actually do have streaming available, but since I'm in Canada, I can't say for sure.
It's not a technology issue, it's a value-chain issue.
A lot of entertainment markets are kind of screwed up because of this - and how arcane some of the systems are.
It should integrate with stripe and let you configure behavior like adjusting payout percentages after a certain amount of time has passed.
Ideally it would have an admin panel for each referrer so they can see their performance.
It also needs to have pricing that scales from nothing so pre-revenue companies can set it up and only pay when they are making money. Ambassador wants an upfront fee of 5 - 20k plus they have mandatory "success coaching" that is like $200/mo extra. Not a lot if you are already in a successful business but rules them out for me while Im pre-revenue.
I thought it was basically a database of referral programs where Referly was attempting to reach high enough volume to negotiate a rake from the company already offering that referral program. I never saw them offering to setup referral programs on behalf of companies.
edit: The answer to my question is: Yes. Not exactly what the top comment asked for but it was close. https://techcrunch.com/2012/07/23/referly-gets-more-social-l...
Disclaimer: I have never used it.
No more so than a proprietary protocol. All the IM clients and apps are different, just like all the email clients.
What matters is that I should be able to just get anybody's IM address and message them with my client and service of choice.
What? No, if my colleagues and I all decide to use ${CLOSED_CHAT_SERVICE}, the user experience is generally going to be consistent.
> What matters is that I should be able to just get anybody's IM address and message them with my client and service of choice.
This is what matters to you. I don't care what client I use if I can't use it in a way that meets my business needs, like sharing screen shots.
But even in email, if a group of people decide to use only Gmail web interface for example, the user experience is going to be consistent for them as well.
The underlying detail about email being an open protocol will be transparent to them.
In fact, an email client could be designed to implement instant messaging — by sending messages as emails — and if two people both use that same client, the experience would be indistinguishable from an IM service!
You'd still have a conversation history, you'd still have offline delivery, you'd still be able to send graphics and animations and audio attachments and anything else that HTML can render.
(I get that current email protocols may not be lightweight/efficient enough for rapid delivery of a large amount of short messages though.)
Today no company needs any IM, it's only a product (instead of a communication protocol) geared towards the masses. There's little business reason for them to use a standard protocol.
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12578338
From Wikipedia:
> Windows Phone 7's messaging system is organized into "threads". This allows a conversation with a person to be held through multiple platforms (such as Windows Live Messenger, Facebook messaging, or SMS within a single thread, dynamically switching between services depending on availability
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Phone_7#Messaging
great platform decisions, poor app developer support and shitty ecosystem(still haven't considered developing for the windows 10 appstore because of this reason).
When I want really instant messages I've to switch to WhatsApp because Hangouts on my phone takes a minute or two to receive messages (tried all configuration tricks in the book). Just an example where latency with messaging apps is already too high.
They already have all the users, which is really what makes a messaging platform (I won't use a new app if my family/friends/coworkers aren't there even if it has the best clients everywhere).
Skype seems to be trying with the new web and Linux clients but it's too little too late. There is still time to revert it through. If they opened their API so anyone could embed a client on a website, it would be massive.
Just asking, it doesnt seem like it would be that difficult. In fact im sure this used to exist when it was just msn, icq etc.
I want someone, probably Google since they own both a major browser and some of the most popular web applications, to re-invent the entire stack. Steal ideas from GUI-focused languages and toolkits, like QML, Swift, AppKit, etc. Lets pull in a superior scripting language like Lua and widget-layout framework like Qt, and support it natively and securely in the browser, building on everything we've learned in the last 20 years of creating web applications.
AFAIK browsers are popular because they load apps quickly and without an install step. While native apps let you choose your stack. An OS based on IPFS would load big apps quickly thanks to caching, the install step would go away because there is no difference between remote files and local ones and its still an OS so the app can be written in C or any other language built on top of it.
If your first thought is that desire for control is a niche thing, an instance of power users projecting their biases onto the rest of the world and not a concern for some mythical "everyman", you are wrong. Because those normal folk are exactly why Excel even gets a mention.
> If your first thought is that desire for control is a niche thing, an instance of power users projecting their biases onto the rest of the world and not a concern for some mythical "everyman", you are wrong.
Evidence? Sales numbers tend to prove the opposite. It's the whole reason the apple ecosystem makes as much money as it does: it just works and it looks good doing it. Most people don't enjoy having to spend any time on getting anything to work or customizing anything to their liking. They just want it to do what it's supposed to do then go back to whatever it is they find more important.
Now, could a zero-install network of apps kill the browser? I'm not so sure. Developing native apps is a royal pain in the ass right now. But, if something like QML were to get a lot better and easier to use, it could take a dent out of the single page application market.
Well that's great, because those aren't words I ever said. The first person to start talking about customizing things is you.
I'm not going to be nudged into mounting a defense for an argument that I never tried to make.
[1] https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/publication/the-mul...
https://cx.codaxy.com/fiddle/?f=JHuzRB1C https://cx.codaxy.com/fiddle/?f=vwyHzOO1 https://cx.codaxy.com/docs/
> Superior scripting language
We use Python - on the client and on the server (with rich RPC between the two).
> Steal ideas from GUI-focused languages and toolkits
The biggest such idea is that most layouts should be done visually - Visual Basic had this right, and we've been moving backwards ever since. (The web has three, usually four intermediate representations you have to think through to edit your appearance: Template (->substitution->) HTML (->parsing->) DOM (->CSS render->) visual layout)
But, I would love it if RSS made a huge comeback. Twitter, facebook, Instagram, etc., I'd love it if I didn't have to open any of them, but could still follow my friends posts. There's no technical reason for them to be walled gardens, only business reasons, which are at odds with my privacy and general happiness.
Then pay them! Hosting fees are not gratis.
It's unfortunate that something like Contributor can't be done in a peer-to-peer fashion. It requires a huge player with a visible impact on their entire web to be able to "sell" a different sort of web experience. That's actually kinda scary; it reminds me how much power Google has. While I have vaguely positive feelings about Google (and use gmail, Android, etc.), it's not great that one entity owns such a big chunk of the web.
I already have a couple of subscriptions to services that provide music. I don't know if I'll switch to Red; might try it out at some point. I should read up on it; I do watch a lot of tech videos and such on YouTube, and if Red actually supports the people who make them, that'd be great.
So the gist is, that it is not really technically easy to have people move back to email's personal communication. I gave up on Facebook and I am not on any of these other social networks. I'd rather just communicate with people via email or personal text.
Not a fridge with an UHD screen, not a washer with Bluetooth support, not a toaster that talks to the cloud.
Just functional appliances with a level of efficiency that existed 25-30 years ago and can be repaired, rather than thrown away because subcomponents are sealed black boxes with little regard to durability.
And after that, the really hard work: doing the same with printers.
One important aspect is to ditch the electronic interface (buttons, LCD, etc), since it's often the weak point, both for durability and usability.
But IMHO you still need electronic control, for function/efficiency (timers, complex wash cycles, PID temperature control, dirt sensors, etc, etc), as well as usability.
However the UI should be replaced with a single on/off button, and bluetooth; the complex interface becomes a smartphone app or web page, which can be upgraded, hacked, and is in any case much more usable than LCDs, buttons and poorly designed constricted UI. And if there were a few cheap (super-mass-produced) general-purpose standard controller boards in use, rather than each manufacturer/model having a custom board, then repair/replacement of the electronics would be easy too.
As someone who has played the Mega Man Battle Network series [1], I love this idea.
In those games (highly recommended and well worth getting an emulator for), every appliance and machine basically has a universal interface which your "Navis" (think anthropomorphized avatars of Siri) can "jack into" and interact with.
In the real world, I guess something like that could be implemented as:
- Every appliance comes with an standard interface which exposes all its controls and configurable parameters.
- The first time you unbox a new appliance, you register it with your control device (computer/phone/watch.)
- After that you just use any app on your control device (like the HomeKit one on iOS) which supports the standard protocol, to enumerate and view each appliance's controls.
- There could be different levels of access depending on authentication and proximity. Say, a web page might only show you the basic status of all your appliances, but being on the same local network will offer extra controls, while physical contact between your phone/watch and an appliance via NFC will reveal its most sensitive settings.
[1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mega_Man_Battle_Network
Most everything is fixable if you're not afraid of a screw driver and watching a Youtube on how to take it apart.
In reality when I opened up some of my appliances for DIY repair I found them to be incredibly simple and easy to repair after some youtube videos. I am sure there are some examples where an appliance is not fixable but all the appliances I have owned in my life have been.
It doesn't need NetBSD compatibility nor anything from Windows.
:)
A VR app or game that lets me explore (or live in) fictional cities and places from popular works or standalone art. Like Hobbiton, Coruscant, the torus-city of Sigil from Planescape, or the Venice-on-Mars from the Aria manga/anime.
[1]: https://medium.com/@Razengan/virtual-reality-fantasy-tourism...
http://kyoto-vr.com/
How about restricting only to dress shirts and having an automated inflatable dummy that uses steam to "iron" from inside out?
Here in Europe all the dryers I've seen wrinkle so bad they are unusable for anything but underwear. But in the US I've see several instances of these magical dryer that don't wrinkle clothes.
I don't know what is the secret formula of american dryers and why can't they be found in Europe too.
Other than that in my experience clothes do get partly ironed. T-shirt and jeans are fine but shirts still need ironing.