Startup monitor is a program that I still install on every windows computer I own and it mostly still works but it hasn't been updated in years and years. https://web.archive.org/web/20131113154828/http://www.mlin.n...
Basically, when you install a program that tries to have something run at startup it Startup Monitor pops up a window saying "this program wants to run at startup. Do you want to allow it?" Startup Monitor has no settings or icon or anything. It just works.
Unfortunately, because it is so old, I worry that each update to windows will break it. Additionally, because it is so old, it doesn't catch everything that tries to set itself to run at startup so I have to run Autoruns from time to time to turn shit off.
Ask HN: Which abandoned proprietary software would you resurrect?
641–650 of 837 posts
Re: Ask HN: Which abandoned proprietary software would you resurrect?
#642Midori, the secret operating system incubation from Microsoft. Midori was based on Singularity (written entirely in M#), but went so much farther. It was twice as fast as Windows, had capability security, Rust-style borrow checking, a full GUI, browser and even Windows compatibility. But there was no future - the OS wars were settled - and now the code languishes inside rather than being open-sourced.
Re: Ask HN: Which abandoned proprietary software would you resurrect?
#643Earlier quoted context omitted.
> first thoughts would be to compact your folders and if that doesn't help, vacuum the sqlite files. Might also recommend a disk check, perhaps FS needs fixing.
At one point I cleared out all TB folders and started from scratch, problem reappeared, so I don't think that's it. Very strange indeed.
The items mentioned above should be done periodically, not just once. Perhaps there are some giant files in there too?
Re: Ask HN: Which abandoned proprietary software would you resurrect?
#644Timeful. An amazing iPhone todo / calendaring app that was bought by Google and shut down.
I really liked this one too. I still use the idea, just don’t have as smooth of a UI to execute it.
Re: Ask HN: Which abandoned proprietary software would you resurrect?
#645Earlier quoted context omitted.
> High-performance lightweight desktop email clients. Interesting, haven't had performance problems with email in about well, never. Been using Thurderbird for a decade. Not perfect, but slowness isn't a problem.
Every time I try searching my Inbox in Thunderbird, it feels painful. Meanwhile, using my mail provider's (Fastmail) web interface, its snappy.
Don’t have a problem with that either. Try the tips in my other replies.
Re: Ask HN: Which abandoned proprietary software would you resurrect?
#646Magic Cap from General Magic. What a lovely, odd little operating system. I read an article saying there was an effort to get it open sourced after General Magic folded, but unfortunately all their IP fell into the Sarlacc-like maw of Intellectual Ventures. While we’re on the topic of failed, over-ambitious mobile OS’s, Newton OS would be great too.
Handwriting recognition on the last iteration of Newton was pretty fantastic. Is there anything comparable for phones today?
MyScript Nebo [0] on an iPad with an Apple Pencil is astonishingly good. I have a Newton and Nebo beats it hands down. (With almost infinitely more processing power and 20 years one should hope so, but it’s not always the case.)
Re: Ask HN: Which abandoned proprietary software would you resurrect?
#647Knox, the macOS menu-bar encrypted DMG manager.
Hey–the original maker of Knox here. Thank you for this trip down the memory lane. We launched the app in 2005 and sold it to AgileBits (makers of 1Password) in 2010. I just had a look and people are still discussing Knox on the AgileBits forums today! Here's what has changed since 2010: – Apple introduced FileVault 2 in late 2010, making full disk encryption of both internal and external drives simple and straightfo…
Full disk encryption and individual encrypted DMGs ("vaults") have radically different use cases! Most encrypted DMGs aren't mounted (or "unlocked"), most of the time. They address a threat model where an attacker might have file read access to your running machine.
At Matasano, standard operating procedure was just to have the whole Mail.app library directory inside a Knox vault, "locking" mail cryptographically until you explicitly unlocked it.
Apple's existing tooling for encrypted DMGs is very cumbersome. I script around it, and that's OK, but Knox had a much better UX.
Re: Ask HN: Which abandoned proprietary software would you resurrect?
#648Re: Ask HN: Which abandoned proprietary software would you resurrect?
#649* Windows Phone. We need a third viable option in the mobile space. This week we are concerned about the loss of a browser engine, recognizing this is unhealthy for the market. Windows Phone was terrific in many ways and recent concepts by fans such as @boxnwhisker (Harry Dohyun Kim) [1] show how beautiful the Metro design could be today. * Microsoft Image Composer. A little known sprite-oriented graphic arts program…
"desktop email clients" - I run thunderbird and "eM Client" - both are handling a large amount of email fine most of the time.
When I have 100 firefox tabs open and it starts to go wonky my thunderbird also has issues doing just about anything. Sometimes even get the "stop this script" on occasion.
I think this has more to do with the java heavy pages in firefox getting bogged down while other software is trying to run backup tasks and AV and such.
I still enjoyed the older outlook, but with the current two I'm not longing for shiny new tools lately. I also realize that my lack of trust in cloud servicing means I am not using some likely popular features like calendar notifications and other things that may be important to others. So bias, ymmv, etc.
Re: Ask HN: Which abandoned proprietary software would you resurrect?
#650Firefox that ran Tree Style Tab properly Excel for Mac before it became a cartoon Google Reader so there would still be blogs to read Eudora so e-mail wouldn't suck a dozen or so iOS apps that stopped working after iOS 10 a dozen or so niche Windows apps that haven't been updated Reddit's redesign is probably the most destructive redesign of anything I've ever seen, and that is saying a lot. But kudos to them for (so…
I'd be curious to know what about the new webextensions based Tree Style Tab doesn't work for you? I use it all the time.
For Google Reader, I am using BazQux and really like it. No ads, no smart "suggestions", just a very simple UI and reading experience.