The best Hacker News stories from Show from the past day
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Show HN: Tetris, but the blocks are ARM instructions that execute in the browser
OFRAK Tetris is a project I started at work about two weeks ago. It's a web-based game that works on desktop and mobile. I made it for my company to bring to events like DEF CON, and to promote our binary analysis and patching framework called OFRAK.<p>In the game, 32-bit, little-endian ARM assembly instructions fall, and you can modify the operands before executing them on a CPU emulator. There are two segments mapped – one for instructions, and one for data (though both have read, write, and execute permissions). Your score is a four byte signed integer stored at the virtual address pointed to by the R12 register, and the goal is to use the instructions that fall to make the score value in memory as high as possible. When it's game over, you can download your game as an ELF to relive the glory in GDB on your favorite ARM device.<p>The CPU emulator is a version of Unicorn (<a href="https://www.unicorn-engine.org/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.unicorn-engine.org/</a>) that has been cross-compiled to WebAssembly (<a href="https://alexaltea.github.io/unicorn.js/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://alexaltea.github.io/unicorn.js/</a>), so everything on the page runs in the browser without the need for any complicated infrastructure on the back end.<p>Since I've only been working on this for a short period of time leading up to its debut at DEF CON, there are still many more features I'd eventually like to implement. These include adding support for other ISAs besides ARM, adding an instruction reference manual, and lots of little cleanups, bug fixes, and adjustments.<p>My highest score is 509,644,979, but my average is about 131,378.<p>I look forward to feedback, bug reports, feature requests, and strategy discussions!
Show HN: Hacker News home page spoof
i'd forgotten i'd written this a year and a half ago, and when a friend passed me the link to it just now, it seemed hilarious to me. probably some other people will enjoy it too
Show HN: Hacker News home page spoof
i'd forgotten i'd written this a year and a half ago, and when a friend passed me the link to it just now, it seemed hilarious to me. probably some other people will enjoy it too
Show HN: Retake – Open-Source Hybrid Search for Postgres
Hey HN! We're Phil and Ming, co-founders of Retake (<a href="https://github.com/getretake/retake">https://github.com/getretake/retake</a>). Retake is an open source tool that adds keyword and semantic (i.e hybrid) search to databases. We’ve started by extending the capabilities of Postgres with an SDK for lightning-fast queries.<p>We built Retake to fix two issues: keeping vectors in sync with Postgres in real time is difficult, and most vector databases aren’t built for hybrid search.<p>A quick refresher: “keyword search” refers to a technique where results are scored based on the appearance of exact words or terms. “Semantic search” uses vector embeddings to understand the meaning behind those words. Hybrid search combines these two approaches to enhance the precision and relevance of results.<p>To implement semantic or hybrid search today, most organizations run batch jobs that update their search engine or vector database using ETL tools or custom data pipelines. We’ve seen from firsthand experience how time-consuming and costly this can be, as moving vectors often requires re-embedding the entire data source.<p>We’ve also seen how many vector databases lack crucial features of “traditional” search: keyword-based (BM25) search, faceting/aggregations, highlighting, efficient filtering, etc.<p>Here’s how Retake works - our core is built on top of OpenSearch, which acts as a search engine and vector database. We leverage logical-replication-based Change Data Capture (CDC) to stay in sync with Postgres, so documents and vectors are updated incrementally and in real time. Finally, Python and Typescript SDKs make it easy to integrate Retake into your application. There’s no need to manage separate vector databases and search engines, upload and embed documents, or run expensive reindexing jobs. All you need to think about is writing search queries.<p>The easiest way to get started with Retake is by running our Docker Compose stack:<p><pre><code> git clone https://github.com/getretake/retake.git
cd retake/docker && docker compose up
</code></pre>
Retake is Apache licensed and our repo is here: <a href="https://github.com/getretake/retake">https://github.com/getretake/retake</a>. For next steps, see our quick start guide: <a href="https://docs.getretake.com/quickstart">https://docs.getretake.com/quickstart</a><p>We’d love your feedback on our solution to hybrid search. Our focus right now is on nailing the basics, but we’d also love to hear what you think we should focus on next.
Show HN: Retake – Open-Source Hybrid Search for Postgres
Hey HN! We're Phil and Ming, co-founders of Retake (<a href="https://github.com/getretake/retake">https://github.com/getretake/retake</a>). Retake is an open source tool that adds keyword and semantic (i.e hybrid) search to databases. We’ve started by extending the capabilities of Postgres with an SDK for lightning-fast queries.<p>We built Retake to fix two issues: keeping vectors in sync with Postgres in real time is difficult, and most vector databases aren’t built for hybrid search.<p>A quick refresher: “keyword search” refers to a technique where results are scored based on the appearance of exact words or terms. “Semantic search” uses vector embeddings to understand the meaning behind those words. Hybrid search combines these two approaches to enhance the precision and relevance of results.<p>To implement semantic or hybrid search today, most organizations run batch jobs that update their search engine or vector database using ETL tools or custom data pipelines. We’ve seen from firsthand experience how time-consuming and costly this can be, as moving vectors often requires re-embedding the entire data source.<p>We’ve also seen how many vector databases lack crucial features of “traditional” search: keyword-based (BM25) search, faceting/aggregations, highlighting, efficient filtering, etc.<p>Here’s how Retake works - our core is built on top of OpenSearch, which acts as a search engine and vector database. We leverage logical-replication-based Change Data Capture (CDC) to stay in sync with Postgres, so documents and vectors are updated incrementally and in real time. Finally, Python and Typescript SDKs make it easy to integrate Retake into your application. There’s no need to manage separate vector databases and search engines, upload and embed documents, or run expensive reindexing jobs. All you need to think about is writing search queries.<p>The easiest way to get started with Retake is by running our Docker Compose stack:<p><pre><code> git clone https://github.com/getretake/retake.git
cd retake/docker && docker compose up
</code></pre>
Retake is Apache licensed and our repo is here: <a href="https://github.com/getretake/retake">https://github.com/getretake/retake</a>. For next steps, see our quick start guide: <a href="https://docs.getretake.com/quickstart">https://docs.getretake.com/quickstart</a><p>We’d love your feedback on our solution to hybrid search. Our focus right now is on nailing the basics, but we’d also love to hear what you think we should focus on next.
Show HN: Bubblic – end loneliness together using the power of your voice
We have gotten over 1000 voice messages left by the users of our platform.<p>We take privacy seriously, so all data are anonymized and are not sold to anyone.<p>So far, we had a user who said that 'had it not been for Bubblic, I might not be here today'. This gives us so much drive to carry on with our project!<p>We'd appreciate any feedback you have :)
Show HN: Applite – Clean Homebrew front end app for macOS built with SwiftUI
Show HN: Applite – Clean Homebrew front end app for macOS built with SwiftUI
Show HN: Applite – Clean Homebrew front end app for macOS built with SwiftUI
Show HN: Applite – Clean Homebrew front end app for macOS built with SwiftUI
Show HN: Applite – Clean Homebrew front end app for macOS built with SwiftUI
Show HN: Infracost (YC W21): Be proactive with your cloud costs
Hi, we are Ali, Hassan, and Alistair, co-founders of Infracost (<a href="https://www.infracost.io/">https://www.infracost.io/</a>). Infracost helps engineers see the cost of each Terraform change before launching resources. When changes are made, it posts a comment with the cloud cost impact. For example, “you’ve added 2 instances and volumes, and change an instance type from medium to large, your bill will increase by 25% next month, from $1000 to $1250 per month”.<p>We launched in February 2021 (<a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26064588">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26064588</a>), and Infracost is now being actively used by over 3,000 companies. However, there is a shift happening in the cloud cost management space. New teams, called FinOps teams (a combination of "Finance" and "DevOps"), are being formed within companies to manage cloud costs.<p>One of the first tasks assigned to these teams is to determine "who is using what" - that is, which teams, business units, products, etc. are spending the most on cloud. To accomplish this, they use tags. Tags are labels that all cloud resources should have and are key-value pairs. For example, a server could be tagged with: product=HackerNews; environment=production; team=blueTeam. So if resources are not tagged properly, then you can’t tell who is using what.<p>However, FinOps teams face challenges because their tools are reactive. These tools begin by analyzing cloud bills and providing visibility of tags from there. This means that they are looking at resources that are already running in production and costing money. A customer recently shared, “I want all resources to be properly tagged. But if they are not, I would rather a resource not be tagged at all than be tagged incorrectly.”<p>My "aha" moment! FinOps teams can define a tagging policy that can be validated in CI/CD before resources are launched. This is important because if code is shipped with the wrong tags, FinOps teams will have to fight for sprint time to fix them. Even if you shut down an untagged resource directly in the cloud, the next time Terraform runs, the resource will launch again with no tag. You need to fix the issue at its root.<p>I’d love your feedback on our solution to the tagging problem. You define your tag key-value policy in our SaaS product, and Infracost checks all Terraform resources per change. If anything fails the policy, it posts a comment with the details of which resources need tags, and what the allowed values are. Once fixed, it will let the code be shipped to production.<p>Try it out by going to <a href="https://dashboard.infracost.io/">https://dashboard.infracost.io/</a>, setting up with the GitHub app or GitLab app, and defining your tagging policy. It will then scan your repository and inform you of any missing tags and their file and line number. You can use the free trial, but if you need more time, please message me and I’ll extend it for you.<p>I would also love to hear how others ensure that the correct tag keys and values are applied to all resources, and whether this is done proactively or reactively. Additionally, I would be interested in hearing about any lessons learned in the process.<p>Cheers
Show HN: Infracost (YC W21): Be proactive with your cloud costs
Hi, we are Ali, Hassan, and Alistair, co-founders of Infracost (<a href="https://www.infracost.io/">https://www.infracost.io/</a>). Infracost helps engineers see the cost of each Terraform change before launching resources. When changes are made, it posts a comment with the cloud cost impact. For example, “you’ve added 2 instances and volumes, and change an instance type from medium to large, your bill will increase by 25% next month, from $1000 to $1250 per month”.<p>We launched in February 2021 (<a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26064588">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26064588</a>), and Infracost is now being actively used by over 3,000 companies. However, there is a shift happening in the cloud cost management space. New teams, called FinOps teams (a combination of "Finance" and "DevOps"), are being formed within companies to manage cloud costs.<p>One of the first tasks assigned to these teams is to determine "who is using what" - that is, which teams, business units, products, etc. are spending the most on cloud. To accomplish this, they use tags. Tags are labels that all cloud resources should have and are key-value pairs. For example, a server could be tagged with: product=HackerNews; environment=production; team=blueTeam. So if resources are not tagged properly, then you can’t tell who is using what.<p>However, FinOps teams face challenges because their tools are reactive. These tools begin by analyzing cloud bills and providing visibility of tags from there. This means that they are looking at resources that are already running in production and costing money. A customer recently shared, “I want all resources to be properly tagged. But if they are not, I would rather a resource not be tagged at all than be tagged incorrectly.”<p>My "aha" moment! FinOps teams can define a tagging policy that can be validated in CI/CD before resources are launched. This is important because if code is shipped with the wrong tags, FinOps teams will have to fight for sprint time to fix them. Even if you shut down an untagged resource directly in the cloud, the next time Terraform runs, the resource will launch again with no tag. You need to fix the issue at its root.<p>I’d love your feedback on our solution to the tagging problem. You define your tag key-value policy in our SaaS product, and Infracost checks all Terraform resources per change. If anything fails the policy, it posts a comment with the details of which resources need tags, and what the allowed values are. Once fixed, it will let the code be shipped to production.<p>Try it out by going to <a href="https://dashboard.infracost.io/">https://dashboard.infracost.io/</a>, setting up with the GitHub app or GitLab app, and defining your tagging policy. It will then scan your repository and inform you of any missing tags and their file and line number. You can use the free trial, but if you need more time, please message me and I’ll extend it for you.<p>I would also love to hear how others ensure that the correct tag keys and values are applied to all resources, and whether this is done proactively or reactively. Additionally, I would be interested in hearing about any lessons learned in the process.<p>Cheers
Show HN: PC Builder AI
Hey HN!<p>You know when you wanna build a new PC, and need to watch a bunch of videos to find the best parts, and then tweak your shopping cart to fit your budget? Well, this new app can help you.<p>It recommends the best hardware for your usage (gaming or work), and considers your budget. It's really helpful, even when you got expertise on hardware. Check it out, and feel free to suggest stuff! Hope you like it!<p><a href="https://www.pcbuilderai.com/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.pcbuilderai.com/</a>
Show HN: PC Builder AI
Hey HN!<p>You know when you wanna build a new PC, and need to watch a bunch of videos to find the best parts, and then tweak your shopping cart to fit your budget? Well, this new app can help you.<p>It recommends the best hardware for your usage (gaming or work), and considers your budget. It's really helpful, even when you got expertise on hardware. Check it out, and feel free to suggest stuff! Hope you like it!<p><a href="https://www.pcbuilderai.com/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.pcbuilderai.com/</a>
Show HN: PC Builder AI
Hey HN!<p>You know when you wanna build a new PC, and need to watch a bunch of videos to find the best parts, and then tweak your shopping cart to fit your budget? Well, this new app can help you.<p>It recommends the best hardware for your usage (gaming or work), and considers your budget. It's really helpful, even when you got expertise on hardware. Check it out, and feel free to suggest stuff! Hope you like it!<p><a href="https://www.pcbuilderai.com/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.pcbuilderai.com/</a>
Show HN: Get notified when sites update their terms of service
After reading about what happened with NightOwl yesterday [0], I thought about what it would take to be aware of things like that in the future. I created ToSNotify to automatically notify you when a website's terms change.<p>A harder problem I've been thinking through is how to know which terms to track, since it'd be a pain to add every site I have an account with. One idea I had is to automatically get terms for apps you have installed from the app store. Any other ideas/feedback are appreciated!<p>[0]: <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37052508">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37052508</a>
Show HN: Get notified when sites update their terms of service
After reading about what happened with NightOwl yesterday [0], I thought about what it would take to be aware of things like that in the future. I created ToSNotify to automatically notify you when a website's terms change.<p>A harder problem I've been thinking through is how to know which terms to track, since it'd be a pain to add every site I have an account with. One idea I had is to automatically get terms for apps you have installed from the app store. Any other ideas/feedback are appreciated!<p>[0]: <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37052508">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37052508</a>
Show HN: Get notified when sites update their terms of service
After reading about what happened with NightOwl yesterday [0], I thought about what it would take to be aware of things like that in the future. I created ToSNotify to automatically notify you when a website's terms change.<p>A harder problem I've been thinking through is how to know which terms to track, since it'd be a pain to add every site I have an account with. One idea I had is to automatically get terms for apps you have installed from the app store. Any other ideas/feedback are appreciated!<p>[0]: <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37052508">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37052508</a>
Show HN: Get notified when sites update their terms of service
After reading about what happened with NightOwl yesterday [0], I thought about what it would take to be aware of things like that in the future. I created ToSNotify to automatically notify you when a website's terms change.<p>A harder problem I've been thinking through is how to know which terms to track, since it'd be a pain to add every site I have an account with. One idea I had is to automatically get terms for apps you have installed from the app store. Any other ideas/feedback are appreciated!<p>[0]: <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37052508">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37052508</a>