Hacker News Reader

fnazeerion What tools are you using for knowledge graph building?

At my company we built this (open source) tool for authoring knowledge graphs https://extensionengine.com/ee-labs/

fnazeerion China can deflate the world’s largest credit bubble in an orderly fashion

I'm pretty sure history doesn't not count orderly bubble deflations. It's like recording non-car accidents. I'm not suggesting this article is likely true, I'm just skeptical that there has never been an orderly bubble deflation.

fnazeerion Basecamp Employee Handbook

And this is different from a vacation how?

fnazeerion Basecamp Employee Handbook

Pretty common.

fnazeerion Anthony Bourdain on not having debt

That charity doesn't exist without our government to setup and run the legal, tax, postal, transportation, employment and other systems that enable the charity. Just sayin'...

fnazeerion GM to build, test thousands of self-driving Bolts in 2018

I agree with the folks who see this as a serious risk to TSLA. If you've driven a Model S or Model X you know that the design, the software and the performance are insane, but the fit and finish (especially of the interior) is like a 1980s Cadillac. When BMW and Benz start making EVs, TSLA is going to be pushed hard and could likely end up becoming a software or powertrain T1 supplier.

fnazeerion Show HN: Send a Custom Postcard to Anywhere, from Your Phone, for $2.99

Pretty awesome! Just used it and it worked easy-peasy! Now if I could only upload a boat load of addresses...

fnazeerion Errol Morris's Secret Weapon for Unsettling Interviews: The Interrotron

We recently completed shooting two online courses (MOOCs) using an Interrotron and I definitely think it makes for a more intimate experience between the subject and the viewer, but as with all tech, the interviewer still matters a lot. It doesn't just magically work. You still have to engage and draw out the subject.

fnazeerion A Third of Valve Is Now Working on VR

I have been using an Oculus Rift for a few weeks and the experience is breathtaking. For example, there is an Apollo 11 educational game where you get to experience the mission from the point of view of Neil Armstrong or Michael Collins. I think it is hard to argue that "experiencing" history isn't far superior than reading about it. And the pure games like EVE Valkrie give you a cold sweat they are so immersive. Just my The cost right now are high, but no more than an iPhone. I think mainstream isn't too far away. My $0.02 at least.

fnazeerion Oculus Rift is Shipping

This makes sense as I installed Booking.com's app about the same time as I upgraded and now I have a brick-phone...

fnazeerion Etsy stock has lost 76% of its value in 9 months

I just test drove a TSLA car today. I "summoned" the car from its parking spot. I then drove around town (in insane mode). Turned on autopilot and the car drove down the highway by itself (changing lanes when directed). Went back and then car perpendicular parked itself.

So, ya, it's basically a software company.

fnazeerion Uber-Style Flight-Sharing Service Shot Down by U.S. Court

Pretty soon I'm going to need an Uber for all these Ubers...

fnazeerion Irradiated: The hidden legacy of 70 years of atomic weaponry

And we are spending another trillion dollars on this?!

fnazeerion Is the doctoral thesis obsolete?

http://www.nature.com/physics/looking-back/crick/index.html#...

Crick et al wrote a 1-page paper (on the structure of DNA) for which they won a Nobel Prize back in 1953.

fnazeerion Germanwings Tragedy: How to protect against mentally ill pilots?

Source?

fnazeerion Sir Richard Francis Burton: Explorer and Scholar

As a kid, I became a fan of Sir Richard Francis Burton via the science fiction novel series by Philip Jose Farmer called the Riverworld.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Jos%C3%A9_Farmer#Riverwo...

Burton was an amazing character and it's fun to read about his "real" life and contract that to my memories of his science fiction (after)life.

fnazeerion Ask HN: Big company approached our stealth startup – what to do?

This is a great opportunity....to raise $$ from investors. Every startup knows that they have to convince investors "why to invest" but fewer know that they also have to convince them "why now?" Having a company sniffing around the fringes is a big motivating factor for potential VCs. It also can be a serious motivator for the "big company" if there are VCs interested as well. They willingness to acquire you at a premium can be driven by their assessment of the probability of "taking out a well funded competitor".

So, a long way of saying, if you're going to talk with them in detail, make sure that you also talk to some investors at the same time (Google BATNA).

fnazeerion Most People with Addiction Simply Grow Out of It

Interesting point: "The data supports this idea: If you start drinking or taking drugs with peers before age 18, you have a 25% chance of becoming addicted, but if your use starts later, the odds drop to 4%. Very few people without a prior history of addiction get hooked later in life, even if they are exposed to drugs like opioid painkillers."

fnazeerion The Chairless Chair, an invisible chair that you can wear

Sitting is the new smoking. This thing is like the e-cig of chairs...

fnazeerion Business School, Disrupted

Don't forget HBX Live too.

http://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/article/2014/05/28/harvar...

fnazeerion Business School, Disrupted

Sort of like Netflix getting into original content a la Kevin Spacey and House of Cards. Brilliant.

fnazeerion What is the best office design you have seen?

Wow, amazing photos. I'm struck by how pervasive sitting is. Everyone assumes people should sit, but the data are clear that we should be standing.

fnazeerion What is the best office design you have seen?

http://www.businessinsider.com/the-ultimate-office-for-athle...

I am fascinated by this idea of designing a space with the goal of helping employees live longer / happier lives. I would love this for our new space. Is this crazy?

fnazeerion Stanford Ovshinsky: the greatest scientist you've never heard of?

Met and worked with him (briefly) in the 90's. Nice guy. No focus. Lost a lot of other people's money. Probably should have been a professor instead of a businessman.

fnazeerion EdX Source Code Released

Awesome!

fnazeerion How Engineers Are Building a New Railroad Under New York City

My father-in-law is working on this project. I've been having conversations about this for a long time...great to see it in the press...

fnazeerion Dick Costolo commencement speech

Go Blue!

fnazeerion What happened with LEGO

I love it! Summary: Legos seem expensive now because the first time you got them they were free! ;p

fnazeerion Show HN: Everyday.me - a mobile app to record your life and store it forever

Funny, i had this same idea 4 years ago. Bought iCapsule.com. The idea of "generational" digital asset preservation is a big problem to solve. Museums across the world are struggling with this. My guess, is this startup hasn't figured out the problem of how to preserve assets for 25-50 years. That is a real problem. Solve that and I'll be a customer!

fnazeerion Investing in GitHub

Lame. GitHub should have written that they were using Andreessen Horowitz for their money. Without the $100MM would they have written that post, say, if Andreessen was joining their board? Fact is, they're fawning.