The best Hacker News stories from Show from the past day
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Show HN: PLJS – JavaScript for Postgres
PLJS is a new, modern JavaScript trusted language extension, bundling QuickJS, a small and fast JavaScript runtime with Postgres, providing fast type conversion between Postgres and JavaScript, fast execution, and a very light footprint.<p>Here are bencharks that show how it compares to PLV8: <a href="https://github.com/plv8/pljs/blob/main/docs/BENCHMARKS.md">https://github.com/plv8/pljs/blob/main/docs/BENCHMARKS.md</a><p>This is the first step toward a truly light-weight, fast, and extensible JavaScript runtime embedded inside of Postgres. The initial roadmap has been published at <a href="https://github.com/plv8/pljs/blob/main/docs/ROADMAP.md">https://github.com/plv8/pljs/blob/main/docs/ROADMAP.md</a><p>You can join the discussion by joining the PLV8 Discord: <a href="https://discord.gg/XYGSCfVNBC" rel="nofollow">https://discord.gg/XYGSCfVNBC</a><p>You can find PLJS at <a href="https://github.com/plv8/pljs">https://github.com/plv8/pljs</a>
Show HN: Autohive – Build AI agents the easy way for everyday teams
Show HN: AI Phone Interviewer – get a call in 30 seconds
Enter your phone number, get called in 30 seconds for a 2–3 minute AI-powered screening interview.
<a href="https://prepin.ai/aiphonecall" rel="nofollow">https://prepin.ai/aiphonecall</a><p>Current MVP scope
Right now it handles general screening questions and generates simple reports. We’re validating demand before building:<p>Technical screening libraries<p>ATS integrations<p>Custom question sets per role or company<p>Multi-language support<p>Who we’re looking for
We’d love feedback from recruiters and startup founders who are (or soon will be) running hiring processes.<p>Request for feedback
Please actually try the call first—I know it sounds gimmicky, but the voice quality will surprise you. Then let us know:<p>Did it feel natural?<p>Would you be comfortable being screened this way?<p>If you hire, could you see your team using this?<p>What needs improvement?<p>To see the full recruiter dashboard, leave your email on the page and we’ll send you the demo.<p>This is just an MVP to test the concept. Curious what HN thinks—future of recruiting or unnecessary automation?
Show HN: PRSS Site Creator – Create Blogs and Websites from Your Desktop
Show HN: Magnitude – Open-source AI browser automation framework
Hey HN, Anders and Tom here. We had a post about our AI test automation framework 2 months ago that got a decent amount of traction (<a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43796003">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43796003</a>).<p>We got some great feedback from the community, with the most positive response being about our vision-first approach used in our browser agent. However, many wanted to use the underlying agent outside the testing domain. So today, we're releasing our fully featured AI browser automation framework.<p>You can use it to automate tasks on the web, integrate between apps without APIs, extract data, test your web apps, or as a building block for your own browser agents.<p>Traditionally, browser automation could only be done via the DOM, even though that’s not how humans use browsers. Most browser agents are still stuck in this paradigm. With a vision-first approach, we avoid relying on flaky DOM navigation and perform better on complex interactions found in a broad variety of sites, for example:<p>- Drag and drop interactions<p>- Data visualizations, charts, and tables<p>- Legacy apps with nested iframes<p>- Canvas and webGL-heavy sites (like design tools or photo editing)<p>- Remote desktops streamed into the browser<p>To interact accurately with the browser, we use visually grounded models to execute precise actions based on pixel coordinates. The model used by Magnitude must be smart enough to plan out actions but also able to execute them. Not many models are both smart *and* visually grounded. We highly recommend Claude Sonnet 4 for the best performance, but if you prefer open source, we also support Qwen-2.5-VL 72B.<p>Most browser agents never make it to production. This is because of (1) the flaky DOM navigation mentioned above, but (2) the lack of control most browser agents offer. The dominant paradigm is you give the agent a high-level task + tools and hope for the best. This quickly falls apart for production automations that need to be reliable and specific. With Magnitude, you have fine-grained control over the agent with our `act()` and `extract()` syntax, and can mix it with your own code as needed. You also have full control of the prompts at both the action and agent level.<p>```ts<p>// Magnitude can handle high-level tasks<p>await agent.act('Create an issue', {<p><pre><code> // Optionally pass data that the agent will use where appropriate
data: {
title: 'Use Magnitude',
description: 'Run "npx create-magnitude-app" and follow the instructions',
},
</code></pre>
});<p>// It can also handle low-level actions<p>await agent.act('Drag "Use Magnitude" to the top of the in progress column');<p>// Intelligently extract data based on the DOM content matching a provided zod schema<p>const tasks = await agent.extract(<p><pre><code> 'List in progress issues',
z.array(z.object({
title: z.string(),
description: z.string(),
// Agent can extract existing data or new insights
difficulty: z.number().describe('Rate the difficulty between 1-5')
})),
</code></pre>
);<p>```<p>We have a setup script that makes it trivial to get started with an example, just run "npx create-magnitude-app". We’d love to hear what you think!<p>Repo: <a href="https://github.com/magnitudedev/magnitude">https://github.com/magnitudedev/magnitude</a>
Show HN: I built an AI dataset generator
Show HN: Elelem, a tool-calling CLI for Ollama and DeepSeek in C
Show HN: Elelem, a tool-calling CLI for Ollama and DeepSeek in C
Show HN: VSCan - Detect Malicious VSCode Extensions
Did you know that VSCode extensions run with full access to your system—including file system, network, and credentials? Worse, dozens of malicious extensions have already made it into the marketplace, silently compromising devices.<p>I am a security researcher and student developer who ran into this problem myself. To help tackle this, I built a 100% free tool (no login required) that scans VSCode (and Cursor/Windsurf) extensions for:<p>- Hidden malware and obfuscated code<p>- Dangerous permissions and API misuse<p>- Vulnerable dependencies and suspicious network connections<p>Users have already found hundreds of vulnerabilities in extensions. VSCan generates a clean, developer-friendly security report to help you understand what you're installing.<p>Try it out: <a href="https://www.vscan.dev" rel="nofollow">https://www.vscan.dev</a><p>I have also developed custom sandboxing security architecture to restrict extensions from malicious activity during runtime. There is no existing technology that does this, so if you would be interested in trying it out or learning more, please reach out!<p>I would greatly appreciate any feedback and thanks for your help!<p>_______________________________________________________________________________<p>Here are some numbers as to what I have detected from a sample of 1077 extensions that are available on the Marketplace:<p>- 3 extensions are marked as malicious by VirusTotal
- 7 extensions use malicious network connections (verified by VirusTotal)
- 33 extensions have dependencies with critical vulnerabilities
- 39 extensions have sensitive information (I have seen api keys, usernames, passwords, etc.)
- 204 extension have poor development practices as marked by OSSF
- 71 extensions have very high permissions (while not bad can be indicator of potential malicious activity)<p>As an example here is the link to an extension analysis with malicious network endpoints:
<a href="https://vscan.dev/?analysisId=9e6c1849-3973-402b-a4ff-3b4023508fb8" rel="nofollow">https://vscan.dev/?analysisId=9e6c1849-3973-402b-a4ff-3b4023...</a>
Show HN: VSCan - Detect Malicious VSCode Extensions
Did you know that VSCode extensions run with full access to your system—including file system, network, and credentials? Worse, dozens of malicious extensions have already made it into the marketplace, silently compromising devices.<p>I am a security researcher and student developer who ran into this problem myself. To help tackle this, I built a 100% free tool (no login required) that scans VSCode (and Cursor/Windsurf) extensions for:<p>- Hidden malware and obfuscated code<p>- Dangerous permissions and API misuse<p>- Vulnerable dependencies and suspicious network connections<p>Users have already found hundreds of vulnerabilities in extensions. VSCan generates a clean, developer-friendly security report to help you understand what you're installing.<p>Try it out: <a href="https://www.vscan.dev" rel="nofollow">https://www.vscan.dev</a><p>I have also developed custom sandboxing security architecture to restrict extensions from malicious activity during runtime. There is no existing technology that does this, so if you would be interested in trying it out or learning more, please reach out!<p>I would greatly appreciate any feedback and thanks for your help!<p>_______________________________________________________________________________<p>Here are some numbers as to what I have detected from a sample of 1077 extensions that are available on the Marketplace:<p>- 3 extensions are marked as malicious by VirusTotal
- 7 extensions use malicious network connections (verified by VirusTotal)
- 33 extensions have dependencies with critical vulnerabilities
- 39 extensions have sensitive information (I have seen api keys, usernames, passwords, etc.)
- 204 extension have poor development practices as marked by OSSF
- 71 extensions have very high permissions (while not bad can be indicator of potential malicious activity)<p>As an example here is the link to an extension analysis with malicious network endpoints:
<a href="https://vscan.dev/?analysisId=9e6c1849-3973-402b-a4ff-3b4023508fb8" rel="nofollow">https://vscan.dev/?analysisId=9e6c1849-3973-402b-a4ff-3b4023...</a>
Show HN: Scream to Unlock – Blocks social media until you scream “I'm a loser”
Hi all,<p>I kept wasting time on social media, even though I’d promised myself I’d stay focused. Regular site blockers didn’t help.<p>I needed something that felt annoying enough to break the habit. That’s how the idea came up: make the blocker ask me to say something embarrassing out loud before it lets me back in. If I actually have to yell “I’m a loser” into my mic. Even better - the louder I screamed, the more time I’d get.<p>So I put together Scream to Unlock. It’s silly, but so far it’s done its job. My social feeds stay locked unless I really want them.<p>Extension link - <a href="https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/scream-to-unlock-yell-to/pmmikajpbkehhpomkmelipgiafampkah?authuser=0&hl=en" rel="nofollow">https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/scream-to-unlock-ye...</a><p>Its open source and transparent - <a href="https://github.com/Pankajtanwarbanna/scream-to-unlock">https://github.com/Pankajtanwarbanna/scream-to-unlock</a>. No data collection or tracking, Audio processing happens locally in your browser. No recordings saved or transmitted.
Show HN: Scream to Unlock – Blocks social media until you scream “I'm a loser”
Hi all,<p>I kept wasting time on social media, even though I’d promised myself I’d stay focused. Regular site blockers didn’t help.<p>I needed something that felt annoying enough to break the habit. That’s how the idea came up: make the blocker ask me to say something embarrassing out loud before it lets me back in. If I actually have to yell “I’m a loser” into my mic. Even better - the louder I screamed, the more time I’d get.<p>So I put together Scream to Unlock. It’s silly, but so far it’s done its job. My social feeds stay locked unless I really want them.<p>Extension link - <a href="https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/scream-to-unlock-yell-to/pmmikajpbkehhpomkmelipgiafampkah?authuser=0&hl=en" rel="nofollow">https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/scream-to-unlock-ye...</a><p>Its open source and transparent - <a href="https://github.com/Pankajtanwarbanna/scream-to-unlock">https://github.com/Pankajtanwarbanna/scream-to-unlock</a>. No data collection or tracking, Audio processing happens locally in your browser. No recordings saved or transmitted.
Show HN: I built an under-the-door fan duct to lower bedroom CO2
Hi HN,<p>This is my attempt to fix groggy mornings by lowering my bedroom CO2 from 1700 ppm to ~900 ppm.<p>I designed a simple, 3D-printed fan duct that directs air under the door to improve air circulation.<p>A note on the design process: I used CadQuery, a Python library for creating parametric 3D models. I didn't know tools like this existed and highly recommend it if you can program; it turned out to be more convenient than manually iterating on prototypes in a GUI.<p>The project is open source and the post explains the full build. Happy to answer any questions.
Show HN: I built an under-the-door fan duct to lower bedroom CO2
Hi HN,<p>This is my attempt to fix groggy mornings by lowering my bedroom CO2 from 1700 ppm to ~900 ppm.<p>I designed a simple, 3D-printed fan duct that directs air under the door to improve air circulation.<p>A note on the design process: I used CadQuery, a Python library for creating parametric 3D models. I didn't know tools like this existed and highly recommend it if you can program; it turned out to be more convenient than manually iterating on prototypes in a GUI.<p>The project is open source and the post explains the full build. Happy to answer any questions.
Show HN: Weather Watching
I was walking around New York last month during some light rain and noticed about half the people had umbrellas open. When the rain picked up a few minutes later, that number jumped closer to 80%.<p>It got me thinking it'd be cool to track this somehow, so I built a website! I am taking a sidewalk livestream, feeding it into a YOLO model for people tracking, then sending a frame of each detected person to Gemini 2.0 Flash, which returns structured JSON about each person's clothing and if they're holding an umbrella. I also had fun making the site look like a TV weather channel.<p>I showed some friends this project and someone mentioned how the legendary Tasks xkcd comic (<a href="https://xkcd.com/1425" rel="nofollow">https://xkcd.com/1425</a>) is out of date now. If you want to check whether a photo has birds in it (or if someone is holding an umbrella), you can just ask an inexpensive vision model for JSON.
Show HN: Weather Watching
I was walking around New York last month during some light rain and noticed about half the people had umbrellas open. When the rain picked up a few minutes later, that number jumped closer to 80%.<p>It got me thinking it'd be cool to track this somehow, so I built a website! I am taking a sidewalk livestream, feeding it into a YOLO model for people tracking, then sending a frame of each detected person to Gemini 2.0 Flash, which returns structured JSON about each person's clothing and if they're holding an umbrella. I also had fun making the site look like a TV weather channel.<p>I showed some friends this project and someone mentioned how the legendary Tasks xkcd comic (<a href="https://xkcd.com/1425" rel="nofollow">https://xkcd.com/1425</a>) is out of date now. If you want to check whether a photo has birds in it (or if someone is holding an umbrella), you can just ask an inexpensive vision model for JSON.
Show HN: Comparator - I built a free, open-source app to compare job offers
Show HN: Comparator - I built a free, open-source app to compare job offers
Show HN: Oasis – An open-source, 3D-printed smart terrarium
See the website for a demo video: <a href="https://oasis-terrarium.com" rel="nofollow">https://oasis-terrarium.com</a><p>This project is an enclosure for growing plants. Features include:<p><pre><code> - high-power LED lighting
- a built-in water tank and mister
- fans for airflow
- temperature and humidity sensing
- wi-fi connectivity and a web-based interface for control and monitoring (see https://oasis-terrarium.com/docs/usage_guide/#web-interface)
</code></pre>
The entire project is open-source:<p><pre><code> - electronics: designed in KiCad
- 3D models: designed in CadQuery
- software: written in Rust
</code></pre>
I initially started this project during COVID and built a working prototype using a Raspberry Pi and off-the-shelf parts. The first prototype worked, but was pretty rough. Several months ago, I picked up the project again and began a complete re-design. After two rounds of circuit board design and countless iterations of the 3D-printed parts, I'm finally happy with the results. Along the way I learned a lot about electronics design and fabrication, 3D modeling, and Rust.<p>Happy to answer any questions - thanks for checking it out!<p>Here are some direct links to parts of the project you may find interesting:<p><pre><code> - demo video: https://oasis-terrarium.com
- detailed build guide with pictures: https://oasis-terrarium.com/docs/build_guide/
- interactive 3D model: https://oasis-terrarium.com/docs/3dmodel/
- detailed info on electronics design: https://oasis-terrarium.com/docs/electronics/
- 3D-printable models: https://www.printables.com/model/1315117-oasis-smart-terrarium</code></pre>
Show HN: Oasis – An open-source, 3D-printed smart terrarium
See the website for a demo video: <a href="https://oasis-terrarium.com" rel="nofollow">https://oasis-terrarium.com</a><p>This project is an enclosure for growing plants. Features include:<p><pre><code> - high-power LED lighting
- a built-in water tank and mister
- fans for airflow
- temperature and humidity sensing
- wi-fi connectivity and a web-based interface for control and monitoring (see https://oasis-terrarium.com/docs/usage_guide/#web-interface)
</code></pre>
The entire project is open-source:<p><pre><code> - electronics: designed in KiCad
- 3D models: designed in CadQuery
- software: written in Rust
</code></pre>
I initially started this project during COVID and built a working prototype using a Raspberry Pi and off-the-shelf parts. The first prototype worked, but was pretty rough. Several months ago, I picked up the project again and began a complete re-design. After two rounds of circuit board design and countless iterations of the 3D-printed parts, I'm finally happy with the results. Along the way I learned a lot about electronics design and fabrication, 3D modeling, and Rust.<p>Happy to answer any questions - thanks for checking it out!<p>Here are some direct links to parts of the project you may find interesting:<p><pre><code> - demo video: https://oasis-terrarium.com
- detailed build guide with pictures: https://oasis-terrarium.com/docs/build_guide/
- interactive 3D model: https://oasis-terrarium.com/docs/3dmodel/
- detailed info on electronics design: https://oasis-terrarium.com/docs/electronics/
- 3D-printable models: https://www.printables.com/model/1315117-oasis-smart-terrarium</code></pre>