Hacker News Reader

hallzon SolarPi experiment 2: Finally something that works

The Basic Victron SmartSolar has bluetooth built-in (no cable needed) and a mobile app with realtime charge monitoring and history.

The ve.direct cable is for doing more complex things. https://www.victronenergy.com/upload/documents/Datasheet-Sma...

hallzon TP-Link band-steers 2,4 to 5 GHz Wi-Fi even when the radio is off

The author has found a valid bug in the firmware that results from a combination of settings. You would have to test to see if it results in power savings. I would have thought power use was a function of the amount of traffic and clients.

hallzon Our screwdriver took three years [video]

The Wera 816 RA Ratchet Screwdriver is good (I got it in the set). The best part is the quick connect which allows you to use any standard bit with it. Interchangable with your impact driver and if you break one you can just replace it.

The advantage of having the quick connect right at the handle is that the bit shaft is as thin as possible which is really handing for dissassembling products/things where a screw is down in a deep recess.

The ratchet does take a little bit of force to engage which does make it average for pc building.

hallzon Ask HN: What was the one book that you read and it actually changed your life?

With 7+ Billion people on the planet most people have done something similar to any idea. Isn't the point in the book that you can still succeed by creating your own flavor of an idea or selling that idea to a new market?

hallzon I amplified my home's Wi-Fi with aluminum foil

This kind of hack was really popular when wifi was first being adopted. These reflectors work best when they are spaced according to the wavelength. Here is a template I remember seeing years ago:

http://www.freeantennas.com/projects/template2/

hallzon Ask HN: Are there any startups willing to use the ASP.NET Core technology?

I have been using it on a project and it has caused issues. However I think once .NET Standard is released adopting .NET Core won't be a problem. Plenty of other open source frameworks and libraries have similar issues.

Also it is important to realise that ASP.NET Core is not the same as .NET Core (asp.net core can run with .net core or .net 4.5/6).

https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/cesardelatorre/2016/06/28/r...

https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/dotnet/2016/09/26/introduci...

hallzon Ask HN: I'm 28yo. Should I start college now, or get real world experience?

It will be difficult to get a job at a big company without a degree.

If you can afford it studying full time is probably a better experience (lets you focus and enjoy the lifestyle). Otherwise work and study part time.

Good luck!

hallzon $99 “laptop Shell” for Raspberry Pi or Windows 10 Continuum

I like the idea. Having a separate device is a pain - another thing to manage. Also this thing is designed to work with Windows Continuum: http://www.theverge.com/2015/5/6/8560195/microsoft-continuum...

hallzon Soon, Power Will Be Delivered to Your Device by Air

I am guessing this will be a reality about the same time as the clean fusion reactors come online....

hallzon CROBOTS is a programming game, for programmers or aspiring programmers (1985)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colobot

A java programming game in 3D - good fun :)

hallzon How can a senior engineer maximize compensation without becoming “management”?

http://www.kalzumeus.com/2015/05/01/talking-about-money/

Reading this might also be useful.

hallzon How can a senior engineer maximize compensation without becoming “management”?

It can be done but you still have to work hard to achieve this. For example you will have to make a name for yourself outside of your regular work. For example become a Microsoft MVP or similar. Contribute or create projects that are recognised by people in your industry.

Effectively you have to become like a well known actor. So that when someone is starting a project ('movie') they want to hire you for it no matter the cost.

hallzon Ask HN: What info do you web scrape for?

I made a javascript based automated scraper in a win7/vista desktop gadget. It was originally for dislplaying the remaining credit on my mobile. You put in search terms and a website and it scrapes it and tries to return what it thinks you are looking for (weather, stock prices, remaining blance etc). It works ok. I think there is definetly demand for a well made scraper/alert app/service though.

App is here http://robotification.com/creditile/

Also didn't yahoo make a thing for scraping this 'Yahoo Pipes' or something.

hallzon Show HN: DeadMouse – Surf the web with just your keyboard.

It is native in FF. press '/' to search, type in link name and then press enter.

hallzon Ask HN: Can you fix the page expired nuisance

But then how would you know you have been reading Hacker News for too long?

hallzon Ask HN: Tips for a paperless lifestyle?

I would recommend using a credit card that lets you download your transactions for tracking expenses. Unless you really need the detail of the individual items from your purchases. I tried scanning all my reciepts and found it was a waste of time, now I just scan reciepts for things that were over ~$100 that I might need to return under warranty.

If you get a scanner make sure it has full-duplex (scans both sides of the paper), A document feeder and is network based (beware cheaper models where you still need a driver to make it work).

I have a Brother 8890DW, which has scan to email and (I believe) scan to ftp.

If you are low volume I would definitely look at the camera based scanning options, then you can just use your phone.

As for management I just have a directory full of pdf's which I can search in windows. Simple but effective.

hallzon Ask HN: Apart from Hacker News, what else you read?

I Agree, I read it when it first started, now it is totally spammy/scammy/sleazy. He is just preying on 'self help' types.

hallzon Being Bilignual May Boost Your Brain Power

I have always wondered if knowing programming languages counts as being bilingual or whether most languages are just an obscure subset of english? Do non native english speakers find they have to know/learn english to program?

hallzon Poll: Why are you building a web app? (Research for my book)

Ease of Distribution

Whether its for internal coprorate site or the public. If you want people to use it, it has to be a web app.

hallzon Ask HN: How do I find a good factory?

This blog series on getting your stuff made in China by Adam Hocherman might be a good starting point?

http://designtheatre.net/2010/04/01/go-it-alone-how-to-make-...

hallzon HTML5 video chat implemented in Webkit GTK

Getting access to devices client side is definitely going to power the next wave of innoviation on the web. It will essentially remove much of the destinction between a web and native app. It will also put standards based applications on a level playing field with apps using specific API's (eg iphone apps). Well in my opinion at least :)

The big question is how long will it take for most browsers to support this kind of functionality.