The best Hacker News stories from Show from the past day
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Show HN: The missing link of a bookstore's tech stack
Hi HN!<p>I built Bookhead because I used to work as a bookseller and I wasn't happy with the software options when I decided to sell my own collection online (with the hopes of one day growing so I can open my own brick & mortar). So I decided to make my own bookselling app...a classic hacker distraction.<p>Bookhead has two main parts: 1. an inventory management app that allows a bookseller to list their books anywhere they want to sell books (like Squarespace, Biblio, eBay, Shopify (coming soon!), etc) 2. an e-commerce platform with a CMS for selling books and letting a store control their online brand<p>I have a very exciting roadmap that I'm not ready to fully reveal, but it's all based on books. I'm building a sorta Zapier-like platform for independent booksellers. Everything is so fragmented and disconnected, which makes it hard for booksellers to do their work. I'm hoping to change that. I have a blog post that lays out my vision here: <a href="https://bookhead.net/blog/fragmented/" rel="nofollow">https://bookhead.net/blog/fragmented/</a><p>The current iteration is like "data engineering as a service for books." A book is a powerful thing. I'm hoping to give a bookstore everything they need to sell books online. Inventory, e-commerce, marketing, etc. It's a crowded market but I've had fun making the bookselling app that I believe should exist.<p>If you know any booksellers, please let them know about this! I'm onboarding my first customer right now and the biggest bottleneck is the other bookselling software providers, despite my intention to collaborate instead of compete. It's frustrating to wait for two weeks for a point of sale provider to setup an integration. It's almost like they don't care about their customers. Some providers even require ethernet cables for their software...still partying like it's 1999. Perfect for early-adopter booksellers frustrated with current tech who understand the power of automation.<p>I'm currently looking for funding so I can focus on this full-time. My biggest problem right now is time (aka money) because I have to sell my time to make rent etc, and can't focus on this project like I need to. I've gotten good validation from booksellers and other technically savvy folks in the industry (I've heard from two different companies that they've considered building something like this), so I believe I have something valuable. I'm not interested in funding from somebody who doesn't share my love for books or doesn't support my mission: help people use technology to promote literature. I believe that literature is one of humanity’s most prized creations, and we can use technology as a tool to keep this gift alive.<p>Please email me at sam@bookhead.net if you know of booksellers who might want to be an early adopter, or know of any funding opportunities that might be a good fit.
Show HN: The missing link of a bookstore's tech stack
Hi HN!<p>I built Bookhead because I used to work as a bookseller and I wasn't happy with the software options when I decided to sell my own collection online (with the hopes of one day growing so I can open my own brick & mortar). So I decided to make my own bookselling app...a classic hacker distraction.<p>Bookhead has two main parts: 1. an inventory management app that allows a bookseller to list their books anywhere they want to sell books (like Squarespace, Biblio, eBay, Shopify (coming soon!), etc) 2. an e-commerce platform with a CMS for selling books and letting a store control their online brand<p>I have a very exciting roadmap that I'm not ready to fully reveal, but it's all based on books. I'm building a sorta Zapier-like platform for independent booksellers. Everything is so fragmented and disconnected, which makes it hard for booksellers to do their work. I'm hoping to change that. I have a blog post that lays out my vision here: <a href="https://bookhead.net/blog/fragmented/" rel="nofollow">https://bookhead.net/blog/fragmented/</a><p>The current iteration is like "data engineering as a service for books." A book is a powerful thing. I'm hoping to give a bookstore everything they need to sell books online. Inventory, e-commerce, marketing, etc. It's a crowded market but I've had fun making the bookselling app that I believe should exist.<p>If you know any booksellers, please let them know about this! I'm onboarding my first customer right now and the biggest bottleneck is the other bookselling software providers, despite my intention to collaborate instead of compete. It's frustrating to wait for two weeks for a point of sale provider to setup an integration. It's almost like they don't care about their customers. Some providers even require ethernet cables for their software...still partying like it's 1999. Perfect for early-adopter booksellers frustrated with current tech who understand the power of automation.<p>I'm currently looking for funding so I can focus on this full-time. My biggest problem right now is time (aka money) because I have to sell my time to make rent etc, and can't focus on this project like I need to. I've gotten good validation from booksellers and other technically savvy folks in the industry (I've heard from two different companies that they've considered building something like this), so I believe I have something valuable. I'm not interested in funding from somebody who doesn't share my love for books or doesn't support my mission: help people use technology to promote literature. I believe that literature is one of humanity’s most prized creations, and we can use technology as a tool to keep this gift alive.<p>Please email me at sam@bookhead.net if you know of booksellers who might want to be an early adopter, or know of any funding opportunities that might be a good fit.
Show HN: WTFfmpeg – Natural Language to FFmpeg Translator
Show HN: TheProtector – Linux Bash script for the paranoid admin on a budget
Hi HN,<p>I spent the past year building this in my spare time because I got tired of enterprise security tools that cost $50K/year and don't understand Linux.<p>TheProtector is a comprehensive security monitoring tool that actually runs on the systems we use (Linux) instead of being a Windows-first afterthought. Built it entirely on a $500 laptop because I believe good security shouldn't require unlimited budgets.<p>Features:
- Real-time process, network, and file monitoring
- YARA malware detection with custom rules
- eBPF kernel monitoring (when available)
- Behavioral baseline establishment and anomaly detection
- Active threat response (blocks IPs, kills processes, quarantines files)
- Anti-evasion detection for rootkits and advanced threats
- Honeypots for attack detection
- Web dashboard for monitoring
- Single bash script, no complex installation<p>The tagline is "not perfect but better than most" because I'm tired of security vendors claiming their tools are flawless. This actually works, costs $0, and you can read every line of code.<p>I know bash isn't the sexy choice for security tools, but it runs everywhere, has zero dependencies, and most Linux admins can read/modify it. Sometimes boring technology that works is better than fancy technology that doesn't.<p>It's designed for the intersection of "paranoid about security" and "don't have enterprise budgets" - which describes most of us actually running Linux systems.<p>GitHub: <a href="https://github.com/IHATEGIVINGAUSERNAME/theProtector">https://github.com/IHATEGIVINGAUSERNAME/theProtector</a><p>Been running it on my own systems for months. Catches the stuff that matters and doesn't flood you with false positives. If you hate expensive security theater as much as I do, might be worth a look.<p>Open to feedback, especially from folks who know more about this stuff than I do.<p>Thanks,
IHATEGIVINGAUSERNAME (yes, I really do hate giving usernames)
Show HN: TheProtector – Linux Bash script for the paranoid admin on a budget
Hi HN,<p>I spent the past year building this in my spare time because I got tired of enterprise security tools that cost $50K/year and don't understand Linux.<p>TheProtector is a comprehensive security monitoring tool that actually runs on the systems we use (Linux) instead of being a Windows-first afterthought. Built it entirely on a $500 laptop because I believe good security shouldn't require unlimited budgets.<p>Features:
- Real-time process, network, and file monitoring
- YARA malware detection with custom rules
- eBPF kernel monitoring (when available)
- Behavioral baseline establishment and anomaly detection
- Active threat response (blocks IPs, kills processes, quarantines files)
- Anti-evasion detection for rootkits and advanced threats
- Honeypots for attack detection
- Web dashboard for monitoring
- Single bash script, no complex installation<p>The tagline is "not perfect but better than most" because I'm tired of security vendors claiming their tools are flawless. This actually works, costs $0, and you can read every line of code.<p>I know bash isn't the sexy choice for security tools, but it runs everywhere, has zero dependencies, and most Linux admins can read/modify it. Sometimes boring technology that works is better than fancy technology that doesn't.<p>It's designed for the intersection of "paranoid about security" and "don't have enterprise budgets" - which describes most of us actually running Linux systems.<p>GitHub: <a href="https://github.com/IHATEGIVINGAUSERNAME/theProtector">https://github.com/IHATEGIVINGAUSERNAME/theProtector</a><p>Been running it on my own systems for months. Catches the stuff that matters and doesn't flood you with false positives. If you hate expensive security theater as much as I do, might be worth a look.<p>Open to feedback, especially from folks who know more about this stuff than I do.<p>Thanks,
IHATEGIVINGAUSERNAME (yes, I really do hate giving usernames)
Show HN: TheProtector – Linux Bash script for the paranoid admin on a budget
Hi HN,<p>I spent the past year building this in my spare time because I got tired of enterprise security tools that cost $50K/year and don't understand Linux.<p>TheProtector is a comprehensive security monitoring tool that actually runs on the systems we use (Linux) instead of being a Windows-first afterthought. Built it entirely on a $500 laptop because I believe good security shouldn't require unlimited budgets.<p>Features:
- Real-time process, network, and file monitoring
- YARA malware detection with custom rules
- eBPF kernel monitoring (when available)
- Behavioral baseline establishment and anomaly detection
- Active threat response (blocks IPs, kills processes, quarantines files)
- Anti-evasion detection for rootkits and advanced threats
- Honeypots for attack detection
- Web dashboard for monitoring
- Single bash script, no complex installation<p>The tagline is "not perfect but better than most" because I'm tired of security vendors claiming their tools are flawless. This actually works, costs $0, and you can read every line of code.<p>I know bash isn't the sexy choice for security tools, but it runs everywhere, has zero dependencies, and most Linux admins can read/modify it. Sometimes boring technology that works is better than fancy technology that doesn't.<p>It's designed for the intersection of "paranoid about security" and "don't have enterprise budgets" - which describes most of us actually running Linux systems.<p>GitHub: <a href="https://github.com/IHATEGIVINGAUSERNAME/theProtector">https://github.com/IHATEGIVINGAUSERNAME/theProtector</a><p>Been running it on my own systems for months. Catches the stuff that matters and doesn't flood you with false positives. If you hate expensive security theater as much as I do, might be worth a look.<p>Open to feedback, especially from folks who know more about this stuff than I do.<p>Thanks,
IHATEGIVINGAUSERNAME (yes, I really do hate giving usernames)
Show HN: Tinder but it's only pictures of my wife and I can only swipe right
Show HN: Tinder but it's only pictures of my wife and I can only swipe right
Show HN: A word of the day that doesn't suck
I’ve long thought that the Word of the Day was a wasted genre. The goal should be to give you words you can use; to enrich your understanding of words you already know; or at least to use words to tell you something neat about the world.<p>Instead, what you usually get is words that will never be used in conversation, held up as curios. Some examples from Dictionary.com’s daily email: thewless, balladmonger, vagility, contextomy. These words are... not useful.<p>I’ve always thought I could do better. My friend Ben recently created a daily puzzle game, called Bracket City, launched here on HN [1], which I like because it takes about the same amount of time as Wordle but has some of the variety and artistry of a good crossword.<p>Ben agreed to let me write a word of the day for the game’s audience. We’ve collected them all here: <a href="https://bracket.city/words" rel="nofollow">https://bracket.city/words</a>. It’s such a joy to write -- every day, I pay homage to a word I love or use or have newly discovered. I find myself paying more attention to words I encounter, thinking if they deserve a place.<p>It’s also fun for another reason. Many years ago I wrote a blog post, "You’re probably using the wrong dictionary" [2], that made the rounds and actually still finds new readers today. It was about how the modern-day dictionaries we find by default on our iPhones and web browsers are actually kind of bureaucratic and lifeless. Through a writer I love, John McPhee, I rediscovered Webster’s 1913 dictionary, which feels like it was written by a thinking person who loved words. I still consult it all the time. Writing a word of the day has reminded me just how delightful and useful Webster’s old dictionary is -- and reacquainted me with the OED, which I now look to every day, and which I discovered you can access with your library card.<p>Some of my favorite entries so far: sophisticated, twee, gravitas, blockbuster, meteorologist, send, bid. There are more than 175 now -- and more coming once a day, every day, for as long as Bracket City stands.<p>To sign up to see each word of the day as it’s published, go to <a href="https://bracket.city/words" rel="nofollow">https://bracket.city/words</a>.<p>[1] <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43622719">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43622719</a><p>[2] <a href="https://jsomers.net/blog/dictionary" rel="nofollow">https://jsomers.net/blog/dictionary</a>
Show HN: A word of the day that doesn't suck
I’ve long thought that the Word of the Day was a wasted genre. The goal should be to give you words you can use; to enrich your understanding of words you already know; or at least to use words to tell you something neat about the world.<p>Instead, what you usually get is words that will never be used in conversation, held up as curios. Some examples from Dictionary.com’s daily email: thewless, balladmonger, vagility, contextomy. These words are... not useful.<p>I’ve always thought I could do better. My friend Ben recently created a daily puzzle game, called Bracket City, launched here on HN [1], which I like because it takes about the same amount of time as Wordle but has some of the variety and artistry of a good crossword.<p>Ben agreed to let me write a word of the day for the game’s audience. We’ve collected them all here: <a href="https://bracket.city/words" rel="nofollow">https://bracket.city/words</a>. It’s such a joy to write -- every day, I pay homage to a word I love or use or have newly discovered. I find myself paying more attention to words I encounter, thinking if they deserve a place.<p>It’s also fun for another reason. Many years ago I wrote a blog post, "You’re probably using the wrong dictionary" [2], that made the rounds and actually still finds new readers today. It was about how the modern-day dictionaries we find by default on our iPhones and web browsers are actually kind of bureaucratic and lifeless. Through a writer I love, John McPhee, I rediscovered Webster’s 1913 dictionary, which feels like it was written by a thinking person who loved words. I still consult it all the time. Writing a word of the day has reminded me just how delightful and useful Webster’s old dictionary is -- and reacquainted me with the OED, which I now look to every day, and which I discovered you can access with your library card.<p>Some of my favorite entries so far: sophisticated, twee, gravitas, blockbuster, meteorologist, send, bid. There are more than 175 now -- and more coming once a day, every day, for as long as Bracket City stands.<p>To sign up to see each word of the day as it’s published, go to <a href="https://bracket.city/words" rel="nofollow">https://bracket.city/words</a>.<p>[1] <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43622719">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43622719</a><p>[2] <a href="https://jsomers.net/blog/dictionary" rel="nofollow">https://jsomers.net/blog/dictionary</a>
Show HN: A word of the day that doesn't suck
I’ve long thought that the Word of the Day was a wasted genre. The goal should be to give you words you can use; to enrich your understanding of words you already know; or at least to use words to tell you something neat about the world.<p>Instead, what you usually get is words that will never be used in conversation, held up as curios. Some examples from Dictionary.com’s daily email: thewless, balladmonger, vagility, contextomy. These words are... not useful.<p>I’ve always thought I could do better. My friend Ben recently created a daily puzzle game, called Bracket City, launched here on HN [1], which I like because it takes about the same amount of time as Wordle but has some of the variety and artistry of a good crossword.<p>Ben agreed to let me write a word of the day for the game’s audience. We’ve collected them all here: <a href="https://bracket.city/words" rel="nofollow">https://bracket.city/words</a>. It’s such a joy to write -- every day, I pay homage to a word I love or use or have newly discovered. I find myself paying more attention to words I encounter, thinking if they deserve a place.<p>It’s also fun for another reason. Many years ago I wrote a blog post, "You’re probably using the wrong dictionary" [2], that made the rounds and actually still finds new readers today. It was about how the modern-day dictionaries we find by default on our iPhones and web browsers are actually kind of bureaucratic and lifeless. Through a writer I love, John McPhee, I rediscovered Webster’s 1913 dictionary, which feels like it was written by a thinking person who loved words. I still consult it all the time. Writing a word of the day has reminded me just how delightful and useful Webster’s old dictionary is -- and reacquainted me with the OED, which I now look to every day, and which I discovered you can access with your library card.<p>Some of my favorite entries so far: sophisticated, twee, gravitas, blockbuster, meteorologist, send, bid. There are more than 175 now -- and more coming once a day, every day, for as long as Bracket City stands.<p>To sign up to see each word of the day as it’s published, go to <a href="https://bracket.city/words" rel="nofollow">https://bracket.city/words</a>.<p>[1] <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43622719">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43622719</a><p>[2] <a href="https://jsomers.net/blog/dictionary" rel="nofollow">https://jsomers.net/blog/dictionary</a>
Show HN: Phind.design – Image editor & design tool powered by 4o / custom models
Hi HN,<p>Today we’re launching phind.design (<a href="https://phind.design" rel="nofollow">https://phind.design</a>), an image editor and design tool that uses 4o and custom models to allow users to generate and edit designs for anything from logos and advertisements to creative website and app designs.<p>4o is great at producing a first version of an image, but is not capable of editing it without messing up other parts of it. We fix this by running Flux Kontext alongside 4o image gen in the chat, as well as by introducing a precision editor powered by custom models where a user indicates an area to modify and we guarantee that only that area will be modified.<p>Our precision editor is state-of-the-art on image editing in our tests and allows inserting new additional images into the existing image. The latter allows users to insert a logo, product, or face into an image without messing up other parts of the image, and even fix logos and faces that were messed up by 4o. Text editing with the precision edit model is still a work in progress, and we will fix it with the next iteration of that model. We recommend using the chat for editing text for now.<p>Example: Insert UT Austin logo into helicopter ad (<a href="https://phind.design/edit?chat=cmd27o2n10001l704h6865f3u" rel="nofollow">https://phind.design/edit?chat=cmd27o2n10001l704h6865f3u</a>)<p>We also always produce multiple variations for image generations and edits, as we think this variety is important for getting exactly what you asked for.<p>Example: Paul Graham in startup heaven (<a href="https://phind.design/edit?chat=cmd23h91c000jky04no5d92uy" rel="nofollow">https://phind.design/edit?chat=cmd23h91c000jky04no5d92uy</a>)<p>One thing we’re excited about is adding more variation into AI-generated websites, as many website builders all use the same CSS libraries, so many websites end up looking the same.
We hope to allow builders and creatives to make truly unique designs in 1/10th the time it currently takes with existing tools.<p>Example: Make me a popeyes landing page where the eyes are actually popping out (<a href="https://phind.design/edit?chat=cmd25imtm0001jr046nsag4lu" rel="nofollow">https://phind.design/edit?chat=cmd25imtm0001jr046nsag4lu</a>)
Example: A train map with sandwich ingredients replacing subway stops. (<a href="https://phind.design/edit?chat=cmd23i98c0001ie04l56npyj3" rel="nofollow">https://phind.design/edit?chat=cmd23i98c0001ie04l56npyj3</a>)<p>As engineers who have been frustrated by the time commitment it takes to learn Figma or Photoshop, we hope that phind.design makes it incredibly easy to go from zero to one on your wildest creative ideas.<p>The editor is far from perfect, particularly when it comes to text. We are working on it and have a new custom precision editing model on the way. In the meantime, we’re excited to hear your comments and feedback!
Show HN: Phind.design – Image editor & design tool powered by 4o / custom models
Hi HN,<p>Today we’re launching phind.design (<a href="https://phind.design" rel="nofollow">https://phind.design</a>), an image editor and design tool that uses 4o and custom models to allow users to generate and edit designs for anything from logos and advertisements to creative website and app designs.<p>4o is great at producing a first version of an image, but is not capable of editing it without messing up other parts of it. We fix this by running Flux Kontext alongside 4o image gen in the chat, as well as by introducing a precision editor powered by custom models where a user indicates an area to modify and we guarantee that only that area will be modified.<p>Our precision editor is state-of-the-art on image editing in our tests and allows inserting new additional images into the existing image. The latter allows users to insert a logo, product, or face into an image without messing up other parts of the image, and even fix logos and faces that were messed up by 4o. Text editing with the precision edit model is still a work in progress, and we will fix it with the next iteration of that model. We recommend using the chat for editing text for now.<p>Example: Insert UT Austin logo into helicopter ad (<a href="https://phind.design/edit?chat=cmd27o2n10001l704h6865f3u" rel="nofollow">https://phind.design/edit?chat=cmd27o2n10001l704h6865f3u</a>)<p>We also always produce multiple variations for image generations and edits, as we think this variety is important for getting exactly what you asked for.<p>Example: Paul Graham in startup heaven (<a href="https://phind.design/edit?chat=cmd23h91c000jky04no5d92uy" rel="nofollow">https://phind.design/edit?chat=cmd23h91c000jky04no5d92uy</a>)<p>One thing we’re excited about is adding more variation into AI-generated websites, as many website builders all use the same CSS libraries, so many websites end up looking the same.
We hope to allow builders and creatives to make truly unique designs in 1/10th the time it currently takes with existing tools.<p>Example: Make me a popeyes landing page where the eyes are actually popping out (<a href="https://phind.design/edit?chat=cmd25imtm0001jr046nsag4lu" rel="nofollow">https://phind.design/edit?chat=cmd25imtm0001jr046nsag4lu</a>)
Example: A train map with sandwich ingredients replacing subway stops. (<a href="https://phind.design/edit?chat=cmd23i98c0001ie04l56npyj3" rel="nofollow">https://phind.design/edit?chat=cmd23i98c0001ie04l56npyj3</a>)<p>As engineers who have been frustrated by the time commitment it takes to learn Figma or Photoshop, we hope that phind.design makes it incredibly easy to go from zero to one on your wildest creative ideas.<p>The editor is far from perfect, particularly when it comes to text. We are working on it and have a new custom precision editing model on the way. In the meantime, we’re excited to hear your comments and feedback!
Show HN: Phind.design – Image editor & design tool powered by 4o / custom models
Hi HN,<p>Today we’re launching phind.design (<a href="https://phind.design" rel="nofollow">https://phind.design</a>), an image editor and design tool that uses 4o and custom models to allow users to generate and edit designs for anything from logos and advertisements to creative website and app designs.<p>4o is great at producing a first version of an image, but is not capable of editing it without messing up other parts of it. We fix this by running Flux Kontext alongside 4o image gen in the chat, as well as by introducing a precision editor powered by custom models where a user indicates an area to modify and we guarantee that only that area will be modified.<p>Our precision editor is state-of-the-art on image editing in our tests and allows inserting new additional images into the existing image. The latter allows users to insert a logo, product, or face into an image without messing up other parts of the image, and even fix logos and faces that were messed up by 4o. Text editing with the precision edit model is still a work in progress, and we will fix it with the next iteration of that model. We recommend using the chat for editing text for now.<p>Example: Insert UT Austin logo into helicopter ad (<a href="https://phind.design/edit?chat=cmd27o2n10001l704h6865f3u" rel="nofollow">https://phind.design/edit?chat=cmd27o2n10001l704h6865f3u</a>)<p>We also always produce multiple variations for image generations and edits, as we think this variety is important for getting exactly what you asked for.<p>Example: Paul Graham in startup heaven (<a href="https://phind.design/edit?chat=cmd23h91c000jky04no5d92uy" rel="nofollow">https://phind.design/edit?chat=cmd23h91c000jky04no5d92uy</a>)<p>One thing we’re excited about is adding more variation into AI-generated websites, as many website builders all use the same CSS libraries, so many websites end up looking the same.
We hope to allow builders and creatives to make truly unique designs in 1/10th the time it currently takes with existing tools.<p>Example: Make me a popeyes landing page where the eyes are actually popping out (<a href="https://phind.design/edit?chat=cmd25imtm0001jr046nsag4lu" rel="nofollow">https://phind.design/edit?chat=cmd25imtm0001jr046nsag4lu</a>)
Example: A train map with sandwich ingredients replacing subway stops. (<a href="https://phind.design/edit?chat=cmd23i98c0001ie04l56npyj3" rel="nofollow">https://phind.design/edit?chat=cmd23i98c0001ie04l56npyj3</a>)<p>As engineers who have been frustrated by the time commitment it takes to learn Figma or Photoshop, we hope that phind.design makes it incredibly easy to go from zero to one on your wildest creative ideas.<p>The editor is far from perfect, particularly when it comes to text. We are working on it and have a new custom precision editing model on the way. In the meantime, we’re excited to hear your comments and feedback!
Show HN: The Magic of Code – book about the wonders and weirdness of computation
I recently published a book called “The Magic of Code” which is about the delights of the computational world, examining computing as a kind of “humanistic liberal art” that connects to so many topics, from art and biology to philosophy and language. The link I’ve shared is to a page on my book’s website where you can download a pdf of the introduction, to give HN readers a taste of what is inside.<p>Right now there is so much worry and concern around technology that I feel like some people—though not the folks here—have forgotten how much fun that code and computation can also be. So I wanted to rekindle some of that sense of wonder.<p>But, as I’ve written elsewhere, this is also the kind of book I wish I had when I was younger and getting interested in computers. I’ve always enjoyed the kinds of writing that talks about computing but in the context of so many other big ideas, especially ones I’ve explored at various points in my own life, from evolution to simulation. And that’s what I tried to do.<p>But while “The Magic of Code” is certainly for a wide audience, and for people who are unfamiliar with programming and code, I’ve also (hopefully!) designed it to be of interest to those who are more expert in this realm, with lots of rabbit holes and strange ideas to pursue. And if there exists a genre of book to explain to outsiders why you love a topic, this is in that genre, for computing and code. I think the HN community will really enjoy it.
Show HN: The Magic of Code – book about the wonders and weirdness of computation
I recently published a book called “The Magic of Code” which is about the delights of the computational world, examining computing as a kind of “humanistic liberal art” that connects to so many topics, from art and biology to philosophy and language. The link I’ve shared is to a page on my book’s website where you can download a pdf of the introduction, to give HN readers a taste of what is inside.<p>Right now there is so much worry and concern around technology that I feel like some people—though not the folks here—have forgotten how much fun that code and computation can also be. So I wanted to rekindle some of that sense of wonder.<p>But, as I’ve written elsewhere, this is also the kind of book I wish I had when I was younger and getting interested in computers. I’ve always enjoyed the kinds of writing that talks about computing but in the context of so many other big ideas, especially ones I’ve explored at various points in my own life, from evolution to simulation. And that’s what I tried to do.<p>But while “The Magic of Code” is certainly for a wide audience, and for people who are unfamiliar with programming and code, I’ve also (hopefully!) designed it to be of interest to those who are more expert in this realm, with lots of rabbit holes and strange ideas to pursue. And if there exists a genre of book to explain to outsiders why you love a topic, this is in that genre, for computing and code. I think the HN community will really enjoy it.
Show HN: The Magic of Code – book about the wonders and weirdness of computation
I recently published a book called “The Magic of Code” which is about the delights of the computational world, examining computing as a kind of “humanistic liberal art” that connects to so many topics, from art and biology to philosophy and language. The link I’ve shared is to a page on my book’s website where you can download a pdf of the introduction, to give HN readers a taste of what is inside.<p>Right now there is so much worry and concern around technology that I feel like some people—though not the folks here—have forgotten how much fun that code and computation can also be. So I wanted to rekindle some of that sense of wonder.<p>But, as I’ve written elsewhere, this is also the kind of book I wish I had when I was younger and getting interested in computers. I’ve always enjoyed the kinds of writing that talks about computing but in the context of so many other big ideas, especially ones I’ve explored at various points in my own life, from evolution to simulation. And that’s what I tried to do.<p>But while “The Magic of Code” is certainly for a wide audience, and for people who are unfamiliar with programming and code, I’ve also (hopefully!) designed it to be of interest to those who are more expert in this realm, with lots of rabbit holes and strange ideas to pursue. And if there exists a genre of book to explain to outsiders why you love a topic, this is in that genre, for computing and code. I think the HN community will really enjoy it.
Show HN: Any-LLM – Lightweight router to access any LLM Provider
We built any-llm because we needed a lightweight router for LLM providers with minimal overhead. Switching between models is just a string change : update "openai/gpt-4" to "anthropic/claude-3" and you're done.<p>It uses official provider SDKs when available, which helps since providers handle their own compatibility updates. No proxy or gateway service needed either, so getting started is pretty straightforward - just pip install and import.<p>Currently supports 20+ providers including OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Mistral, and AWS Bedrock. Would love to hear what you think!
Show HN: Any-LLM – Lightweight router to access any LLM Provider
We built any-llm because we needed a lightweight router for LLM providers with minimal overhead. Switching between models is just a string change : update "openai/gpt-4" to "anthropic/claude-3" and you're done.<p>It uses official provider SDKs when available, which helps since providers handle their own compatibility updates. No proxy or gateway service needed either, so getting started is pretty straightforward - just pip install and import.<p>Currently supports 20+ providers including OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Mistral, and AWS Bedrock. Would love to hear what you think!
Show HN: Compass CNC – Open-source handheld CNC router
Hey HN,<p>I am Cam, and for the past two years I have been working on Compass, an open-source handheld CNC router that brings computer precision to woodworking while keeping the user directly involved in the process.<p>The idea started as my senior design project at UC Berkeley, with the goal of making a more approachable CNC machine—standard CNC machines are expensive, bulky, and remove you from the tactile “maker” experience. Compass solves that by combining a handheld router with real-time robotic assistance. You move the router roughly along a design path, and Compass uses four optical flow sensors (like in computer mice) and a 3-axis motion system to auto-correct for precision cuts.<p>What is different about Compass:
- Open source: All plans, firmware, and CAD files are available on GitHub.
- Affordable: The DIY build costs ~$600 in parts, and I am selling kits for <$800.
- No external markers: The sensing technology allows for positioning without external markers, so no setup or consumables required.
- Portable: Fits in a backpack and is not limited by a fixed work envelope.<p>We recently completed our first beta program and have just launched V1 kits for pre-order. You can find more info and the launch video at the listed URL.<p>GitHub: <a href="https://github.com/camchaney/handheld-cnc">https://github.com/camchaney/handheld-cnc</a>