skysight-inc/HackerNews huggingface dataset:
Yup... we've helped a lot of people get started with electronics and programming, and had a lot of fun doing it!

We don't make money on parts. We see it as a combination of content (our non-free PDF guide, and our free video tutorials) and support (via e-mail and our forums (http://www.nerdkits.com/forum/)). We wrote the book, which took a lot of time and continues to evolve. And we have to deal with a dozen suppliers, testing the incoming microcontrollers, LCDs, USB cables, etc., picking dozens of different little resistors and LEDs and such into a bag, and assembling the kits and taking them to the post office. Then handle support questions, marketing, and hope to have a little time left in the day to make some progress toward a new video tutorial and/or kit!

And last but not least, I'd like to be able to pay my rent and eat lunch. I think that the HN community understands that profit is not a dirty word, and information is valuable.

More generally, as a business lesson: for a business selling physical goods, even when zero to minimal post-sale support is needed, I believe it's fairly well known that the business must set the retail price at typically 3 to 5 times the cost of the raw materials. This can vary a bit depending on the level of manufacturing/assembly/post-sale action/non-physical value-add needed, but it usually isn't too far from the 3-5x multiplier on either end. Too low and you can't cover costs (labor, marketing, etc), and too high and a competitor is likely to try to eat your lunch.
Has anyone seen any numbers on the difference between people using iBooks vs the kindle app on the iPad or iPhone? Anecdotally, I've heard lots of people say they wanted to get an iPad so they could use the kindle app, but the plural of anecdote is not data.
Isn't it the very idea of the yield "command" that you don't have to generate a list in advance but create it's values as needed? Hence, a statement like "you don't need ... but you have to ..." sounds funny to me.
Not exactly sure how he has it set up, but in Settings -> Labs there is a Google Voice player gadget and two SMS in Chat gadgets.
Or, perhaps the author was tired of random wordpress updates breaking stuff and declined to install updates to a working system. Further, the wordpress people can't be arsed to indicate which updates are for security and which updates are for more stupid features. so unless you go through the release notes line by line for the software and all your plugins, it's very difficult to tell.

More and more, the solution seems to be static files and disqus.
I guess they are banking on people being attracted to the clean and businesslike interface over the long term. There are already many Q&A websites & subsites, but they are variously overrun by trolls or too gimmicky, with cartoonish avatars and suchlike.

Consider that Google was a late entrant into the search engine market; back in the day I used to use Altavista, Lycos and Yahoo, but all three were highly variable in terms of result quality and loaded slowly due to an excess of visual junk (because everyone thought success lay in gathering users to a portal). One day I visited Google and that was that. When they finally did introduce advertising, they made it subordinate to their own visual branding so few people found it very intrusive. My guess is that quote is trying to do something similar by establishing itself as the 'pro' solution in this niche and focusing on the creation of a persistent user base rather than seeking early revenue.

I'm not feeling it, though.
Thanks for the tl;dr, I'm left wondering about the state of the software to actually program and deploy code to the device though. From what I saw on HackADay, it appears the two supported IDEs are Windows only (utterly unacceptable, for me). (I know, the gcc port is there, but it's pretty incomplete, from my understanding)

This leaves me, a relative newbie to embedded dev, what kind of pitfalls I'd run into if I tried to purchase one of these.

It's incredibly frustrating, after years of being in a relative comfort zone with the realm of general desktop/server software, to try to learn more about embedded, and then be uncertain as to what materials you even need.
This article is a bunch of opinions on a foggy premise. Won what?
I think its a close battle between Nook & Kindle currently, both are good ebook readers, hence the quick price drop by Amazon in response to B&N. I think the next versions of both devices might decide the winners
He worked for the German government during the reign of the Nazi party. He was a Nazi collaborator, period. You can make all the arguments you like that he wasn't an evil man, but you can't deny the fact that he worked for the Nazi's voluntarily.
Yahoo apparently believes in the Google customer support (fuck you assholes for using our service) method. We'll see if bitching on high traffic sites gets customer service from yahoo.
Great, looking forward to the web app discussion.
No, but none of these require dealing with telcos and probably governments.
Google, Twitter go to bat for Theflyonthewall
Actually you cannot travel "wherever [you] want", because in most countries you also need a work visa to telecommute. That's particularly the case in the US.
Sell the cards on ebay or so.
It's quite possible. I really hated school.
Ironically, IIRC I found that list through an earlier post on hn. Such a thread should already exist.
The specifications of this board detail that it comes with a 32 kHz crystal, but the specifications of the MSP430 micro controller family says that they run at 16 MIPS. Anyone got any details on this? Can the board simply be fitted with a faster crystal? Please, no "it actually executes 500 instructions per clock cycle" jokes.
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This article was explaining why Kindle (the software, not the device) has won. Kindle is available for the iPad (and the iPhone, where iBooks isn't yet available) and anyone who already has a large library of Kindle books will be more likely to stick with Kindle than move to iBooks.

The device is going to struggle (I think Seth Godin's suggestion to reduce the price to cost is a good one) but the software is where they need to win in order to accomplish what Amazon really wants: a large market share in eBooks.
You're considering abandoning ship when there's a real chance of earning $30m plus? Why? You're trading an uncertain amount of money for nil. You can always start your new company after the sale completes or falls through.
Until we can fwd multiple GV lines to a single cell phone, it will be useless to many!
Not sure if it covers all your bases, but check out Raible's AppFuse - http://appfuse.org
"Appeals to authority and hyperbole are rhetorical devices used to accomplish a goal ... "

I rest my case.
Aside from the "not letting out" part, that's essentially the point.

The current system works wonderfully for 99.9% of people. Redesigning everything for the last 0.1% isn't worth it, since they can either be simply taught by a passer-by or they're incapable of learning it.

I dare say everyone is guilty of at least one massive oversight like this. If everyone guilty of one were quarantined, there'd be no-one left.
The documentation/site isn't ready yet, but I guess it doesn't hurt.
> I highly recommend you do freelance with your LLC in case you start signing contracts and there is a dispute, they'll go after the LLC, not after your personal assets.

We should be careful not to overstate the protection a corporation gives. In a one-owner LLC or S-corporation, especially when the owner is the sole employee, you're still personally liable for most screw-ups and disputes. You made the mistake, signed the contract, etc. and the courts often find that both the company and the company's agent (you) are responsible. In addition, most banks will want the owner of a small company to personally guarantee any large loans.
The big benefit to incorporating is that you can pay yourself a salary and lessen your tax liabilities.
I'm betting it's a platform-agnostic API.

They need to be able to run from both .NET (Windows 7 devices), *nix (embedded systems), Java (Android, BlackBerry), and C/C++ (iPhone) environments.

Most likely it'll be some sort of SOAP/REST API for authentication and management combined with a SIP or SIP-like standardized VoIP protocol.
Dear Boxee, if you stalk HN, please give us Skype :-)
Speaking as a customer: it's a very nice deal. "$40" to have these guys gather and package all that equipment for you is a deal in itself, but the real value is in the awesome tutorials they've written and filmed that go hand-in-hand with the hardware package, the responsive support, and the vibrant community.

To get back to chime's original question: I'd certainly recommend the NerdKit as an efficient, hands-on crash course in electronics. Fun too.
Ask HN: Review my prelaunch sign-up page
http://www.coderstack.co.uk/

There doesn't seem to be very much written about how to best design prelaunch sign-up pages (especially for marketplace type sites where pre-launch momentum is critical to avoid the chicken&egg problem) beyond simple A/B testing guidelines, so it'd be great if I could get some feedback on what works/doesn't work.

I've made an attempt to mimic the "long sales letter" style pages that apparently convert well for ebooks, etc. But I'm not personally convinced that's the right approach for tech-savy users.
Migrating to CouchDB
> I'll buy it so will all the real computer users. :)

There are considerably fewer “real computer users” than non computer users.

Let's face it: “real computer users” are a niche.
Clickable: http://www.coderstack.co.uk/
I'm the one who wrote the post, and in retrospect I can see why people would be a bit confused at this example.

I started out wanting to explain my actual implementation of a 'yield' command. As I wrote the post, though, it grew overcomplicated and filled with explanations of Scheme's syntax macros, which was not at all my intention.

I guess in simplifying the implementation I also lost a bit of the idea behind it. You do need continuations to implement a general-case yield; if you just want generators for a list, you can use closers (and be more efficient, too).

Thanks to you (and to parent) for pointing that out; if you don't mind, I'll add mention of what you said to the blog post?
I've found that they don't agree with RSI though... :(
FICO blaze; We probably would have done just as well with drools. At the time it was hard to find Blaze resources, I don't know how much that has changed.
I think everybody was assuming: "There's no way they'll just release a big iPod touch." Nobody thought the formula for a successful tablet could be defined so simply.
Pretty well-written, and I like that he intentionally set up the story as a frame, and didn't forget to come back to it at the end.

But check out the pseudo-sketchy SEO link tactics on the right sidebar. "Paycheck-stub.com has your information. We try to provide anything related to paycheck stubs we can -- who would have thought that Adecco payroll was in demand? Must be a popular product. Looks like we're providing a gateway for folks interested in using/buying it."

Ah, yes. Adecco payroll. That's a product I'd like to use/buy.

Also, please pass the Facebook login. It's delicious this time of year.
There's also the pattern that every prime (above 3) modulo 6 is congruent to 1 or 5. I suspect that some of the pattern comes from that fact.
Conversely, I find your submissions immensely interesting. Thank you.
In Brazilian TV networks we are starting to see them in the hands of news anchors and talk show hosts all the time.

Several channels that are covering the Word Cup (in Brazil that is almost all of them :-) have the hosts reading information off iPads.
Bullshit. For a start the term "Nazi Collaborator" is hard to actually apply to a German outright; because usually it applies to those in a conquered country working for the aggressor. Also; you and I would almost certainly have worked, fought or invented stuff for our country in the same situation. It's very hard to argue otherwise.

More importantly there is a difference between information and suggestion. The tone of the GP seemed to heavily suggest "collaboration" etc. Which is highly unfair on a number of levels (unless it is true; but I can find no information either way). The insinuation is a lot more than "he worked during the war to produce bombs".

Ultimately I think it is best not to judge based on limited information; there is nothing wrong with pointing it out. It is the judgement I take issue with. There is this horrible tendency I am observing, particularly in the younger generations (<20) for some reason, to display growing xenophobia against Germans of that era. Which is worrying.
From Minimally Viable To Maximally Buyable Product
He is an ex-executive. What does he know about software development?
The analysis misses the point of why people get into mobile development.

See http://bit.ly/iPhone-economics
I am not your target demo, but here is my .02

+ Clean,
- Too much text, looks daunting when you land on it

Personally, those "long sales letters" = leave immediately for me. Your site does not remind me of them, however.
Ask HN: WebEx alternatives?
The company I work for (B2B publisher) currently publishes sponsored webinars using WebEx.

I'm sitting down today to rework some related code -- and it occurs to me that it is 2010, and I can't believe there are no viable competitors to WebEx (at least for larger presentations, e.g. over 100 people).

WebEx continues to be the same bloated, clunky, overpriced, enterprise-y service from 2003. How has no one yet found a way to compete?

If anyone has had positive success with another service for large scale events, I'd be so happy if you could share that here.

If not, hopefully one of you guys will get inspired to take on a dinosaur that, as far as I know, is continuing to rake in the cash.

EDIT: To be clear, I'm specifically curious about webinars as opposed to smaller meetings or presentations. The publisher I work for has produced webinars with over 1,000 participants so the need to scale is paramount. (That said, the need for every participant to be able to participate as in a traditional webinar is actually a bit unnecessary.)
I think that the war is just beginning. Currently eReaders are still niche products and I never see them on the street. However, they're just getting into stores now, where people will finally be able to interact with them before buying. Now that they're in stores I think competition will really start to heat up. Many folks will be seeing eReaders for the first time. Kobo has a presence at Borders in the USA and Indigo/Chapters in Canada. Kindle I understand is in Target and I'm not sure about anything in Canada.

On the other hand one certainly wonders if the fight is irrelevant when considering the mighty iPad.
Really? - http://www.tiobe.com/index.php/content/paperinfo/tpci/index....
I think it just requires residency, not citizenship.
Interesting fact: you can choose a random element from a sequence of unknown size in a single pass. The cost is having to always iterate over the entire sequence, and generating O(n) random numbers instead of O(1).

The algorithm is quite simple:

var choice = elements.First()
var n = 1
for e in elements.Skip(1):
n += 1
if rand(n) == 0:
choice = e

The algorithm is correct because, at each stage, each of the preceding elements is chosen with probability 1/n. The invariant is maintained because the next element is chosen with probability 1/(n+1) and therefore scales the preceding probabilities by n/(n+1) giving 1/(n+1).
keySet() is more appropriate. I just want the key.
I'm not surprised. A tablet requires software that manufacturers are unable to write (except for HP, now) and their traditional software partner has nothing remotely ready for them. So they turn to Google.

Apple added a number of new APIs and UI extensions in order to make the iPhone OS suitable for a large screen. Until Google does the same with Android we'll be stuck with nothing but big Android cell phones.
Thanks everyone for the responses. I'm a Java n00b.
Ah...that makes sense...I just lumped PHP in with the "dynamic" or "scripted" languages.
How often does the average Bluehost customer go to that page of the panel? I rarely log into my control panel at all unless things are going wrong.
Another fear I have is that you could change your terms or your prices at any time and I'd be stuck, as all of my user data would be on your machines (unless of course I could export them). Personally, I'd rather have full control over my database, though I'm sure a few others would be OK with this setup.
SMS to Email: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ka3T0RXwIbw
That's the key point. It's hard enough dealing with one regulatory environment, and one set of threatened incumbents.
Agreed, it seems pretty content free. TechCrunch is not known for in-depth, insightful journalism, I suppose.
Totally random thing that this link sparked: I really like how meetup.com has a list of all the new features that have been added since the last time you visited. It really says "we've been busy while you've been gone!"
His proposition of doing SMS app because the Idol/whatnot had made hundreds of millions is misleading. The cost of doing a SMS app might be low but the app itself is an accessory of the real product, the game show. It takes tens to hundreds millions of product and marketing cost to make and run a show like Idol over years. You think a $35,000 developed SMS app can make that kind of money by itself?
Ok So I've been looking at various questions on Machine Learning and I don't find anything mind blowing or that I can't find elsewhere. (You can read answers without joining up, which is a blessing Damned if I'll sign up with Facebook or Twitter). Nor do I find any otherwise un-encounterable people or opinions.

Maybe it works better for non technical stuff like business plans or marketing advice ? Can someone point to a specific "can't find this quality elsewhere" answer? Thanks in advance.
I'd say your scenario represents a tiny segment (not 90% of paid apps). Most people who build apps for fun put it out for free. If they put a price on it, it's much less likely to be used. Where is the fun in that?
In terms of hardware I think you are correct. However the Kindle doesn't just refer to the device. It's also an app available on Windows, Mac OS X, iPhone/iPad and will be release for Android soon as well.

Supposed B&N are going to release a Nook app, but it might be too little, too late.
I have the same newbie issues, but it's $4.30. Worst case, it's totally useless to me, and I'm out the cost of a latte.
Thanks for this! I tried starting an RTP/Triangle GTUG and it never really got off the ground. Hopefully this will.
And I agree. This was more on the experimentation side (my main driver was to experiment with the Expose algorithm), and almost exclusively a weekend project. It does have some interesting use cases, but to drive your entire application with a window managing experience would be a mistake.
I know that the availability as a free service more or less depends on free local calls, which is probably why it's not available outside the US.

Still. Voicemail and call routing alone would be something i'm willing to pay for. If I had a wish, it would be for-pay google voice in Switzerland :-)
Twilio (I work there)
I got through eventually. It took several tries, though.
Any instrument really is a great switch for the brain after thinking about logic and fitting requirements all day. Reading and improvising music, as well as increasing your own skills on any instrument allows you to use both sides of your brain- feels nice.
Right on, Ed. Good consulting firms are "moving to the left", ie, engaging the customer at the beginning of projects, at the business level. The "right end" of projects, coding, testing, shrink wrap, casting, etc, can and should be outsourced [add lots of caveats about startups here]

The problem gets a little more complicated with integrated solutions, like building rockets or embedded hardware, but that observation works in general.

People also need to remember that providing the illusion of handling the entire thing can be an important part of the business relationship. Many times we'll walk into an unknown unknown situation with clients, be honest about it, and start figuring out where the alligators are. I know this "magic man" shtick because I've lived it.

In some very important ways, we technology people and startup people are working on problems way ahead of the rest of the population. That's a pretty cool place to be!
VC Mark Suster has written a must-read post about this topic: http://www.bothsidesofthetable.com/2010/02/17/app-is-crap-wh...
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There is, however, a proper solution to this problem:

http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.com/2009/02/specify-y...

Or even simpler, if you're going to go reconfiguring apache, just set up your virtual hosts right, so that only the name you want to use is actually used.
Http://www.desafioxperia.com/per.html
very interesting meaning of the word "everyone" - actually means hardly anyone in the global context - not even anyone in the European context as far as I can see.

so not true then - just parochial USA stuff...
Encryption in the cloud is probably the way to go, but if I were running a business, and even just as a private individual, I'd still be concerned about exposure to risk either of data loss or compromise. As I'm sure everyone reading this is already aware, security is about more than just encryption algorithms.

Ultimately it's a judgement call as to how secure and reliable you consider your local network to be in relation to the prospect of handing your data over to someone you don't know to store in an unknown location under unknown conditions with unknown levels of access by unknown individuals.

Also, even if off-site storage is totally secure there is always the risk of your data being held to ransom at some point in the future. The cloud hosting company can arbitrarily decide to increase their administration fees at any time, and if most of your data is entrusted to them then you may have little option but to pay up (the "stand and deliver" business model).
Mozilla, Opera, and Flock Release VP8 Ready Browsers | Linux Journal
I'm in France and was able to sign up. You just need access to a US phone number for a few minutes, and there are many ways you can get one. One is to signup for 3jam for one month, another is to get a SkypeIn number. It's probably possible with Twilio as well.

That having been said, you don't get as much use out of it as if you lived in the US. But I use it for free unlimited SMS (incoming and outgoing) to my friends in the US, and for voicemail with an American number .
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There's an internal oscillator on the uC.

"32kHz crystal increases MSP430 MCUs’ integrated digitally controlled oscillator to real-time accuracy for various peripherals and timers"

But even running at 32kHz you can do real work, probably even run a MUMPS deployment.
"God made the natural numbers; all else is the work of man." -- Kronecker[1]

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preintuitionism
Jessie Lunderby, Is she still needs a job?
Google and Twitter Go to Bat for Theflyonthewall
They already have ereaders for win, mac, iPhone, and blackberry, plus a seperate one targeting the iPad. So they already can be read on most devices. Neither has one targeting the android platform yet so it seems rather even.
It sounds like he wanted a SQL database all along, so there's not much insight in this post.