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Ask HN: What's the best tool you used to use that doesn't exist anymore?

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Re: Ask HN: What's the best tool you used to use that doesn't exist anymore?

#421

Post by bmj »

_jomo wrote: post #417
Grue3 wrote: post #151

Google Reader. There are no replacements that a) update fast enough, and b) allow search for free. I know, I tried all of them. Firefox had an amazing plugin called "Ubiquity", which was basically like command line for your browser and you could write custom scripts for it. It was seriously better than anything that exists today. They stopped developing it for some reason. Tab Groups is another feature that's now aba…

How was Google Reader different than other feed readers such as the one built into Thunderbird? I didn't use it so I can't compare, but Thunderbird works well for me here. Side note: I also use it to subscribe to YouTube channels without a Google account.

I could access Google Reader from any device with a web browser.

Thunderbird requires that I have an application installed on the device.

Re: Ask HN: What's the best tool you used to use that doesn't exist anymore?

#422

Post by RobertKerans »

Macromedia Freehand, in particular deleting bezier points but keeping the shape intact (ie simplifying).

Illustrator still hasn't quite caught up. For any illustration, it's useful to have as few control points as possible. This is particularly useful when making SVGs for the web; it renders faster, and an ability to hand edit the SVG is useful for animation etc. Every font design package has this feature; Illustrator, even now, has nothing that does anything close to the same degree of accuracy. Occasionally they'll roll out an improvement in 'simplify', but I find it staggering that they can't just implement what is a fairly simple feature.

Re: Ask HN: What's the best tool you used to use that doesn't exist anymore?

#423

Post by hobs »

Someone wrote: post #379
sgtnasty wrote: post #361

A/UX Commando "A/UX includes a utility called Commando (similar to a tool of the same name included with Macintosh Programmer's Workshop) to assist users with entering Unix commands. Opening a Unix executable file from the Finder opens a dialog box that allows the user to choose command-line options for the program using standard controls such as radio buttons and check boxes, and display the resulting command line a…

That description doesn't do it justice. You didn't have to open an executable from the Finder; you could call it from the command line, as in >commando ls That popped up a dialog box with checkboxes for -l, -R, etc., with a text field for file names, a button that allowed you to pick files, etc. There were two ways to exit the dialog. One executed the command, the other entered it in your shell for further editing, c…

Your comment reminds me of the show-command verb in powershell, which automatically infers all the options available and maps them to a gui, and then has a run or copy option(though it does need a paste.)

Its really nice when you are exploring new stuff or just forgot which flag it was again and dont feel like reading the get-help.

eg http://i.imgur.com/xOrLdYS.png

Re: Ask HN: What's the best tool you used to use that doesn't exist anymore?

#425

Post by fao_ »

krylon wrote: post #166
anaxag0ras wrote: post #93

Truecrypt

There is VeraCrypt, a fork of TrueCrypt 7.1a. It still works at least on Windows and OS X (I didn't check GNU/Linux). https://veracrypt.codeplex.com/

Tails uses CryptSetup to replace TrueCrypt[0]. Although I find it easier just to do

  sudo cryptsetup open --type tcrypt  crypdisk
  sudo mount -t ext4 /dev/mapper/crypdisk
[0]: https://tails.boum.org/blueprint/replace_truecrypt/

Re: Ask HN: What's the best tool you used to use that doesn't exist anymore?

#426

Post by dpark »

bmj wrote: post #421
_jomo wrote: post #417

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How was Google Reader different than other feed readers such as the one built into Thunderbird? I didn't use it so I can't compare, but Thunderbird works well for me here. Side note: I also use it to subscribe to YouTube channels without a Google account.

I could access Google Reader from any device with a web browser. Thunderbird requires that I have an application installed on the device.

Thunderbird also cannot magically backfill a new subscription. Google Reader could, because pretty much guaranteed, someone else was subscribed already so Google had the history.

Re: Ask HN: What's the best tool you used to use that doesn't exist anymore?

#427

Post by curiousgal »

bbody wrote: post #374
curiousgal wrote: post #226

Earlier quoted context omitted.

College student here. I wish I could relate. My CS course exams in which you must write code..with a pen..on paper made me hate writing even more.

A good skill to have come whiteboard interview time.

Algorithms, maybe. Maple 9.05 syntax, Definitely not.

Re: Ask HN: What's the best tool you used to use that doesn't exist anymore?

#428

Post by 8ig8 »

exDM69 wrote: post #259

For something completely different... a brace and bit hand drill for woodworking. It's almost impossible to find new drill bits that would fit the two jaw chuck, which doesn't have enough force to clamp on to a round bit with friction only. A cordless drill is nice but not very accurate, useful for holes and screws, not for removing waste in joinery.

Jennings Pattern auger bits for braces...

https://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/store/dept/TD/item/MS-JB...

Re: Ask HN: What's the best tool you used to use that doesn't exist anymore?

#429

Post by rmchugh »

akerro wrote: post #239
Grue3 wrote: post #151

Google Reader. There are no replacements that a) update fast enough, and b) allow search for free. I know, I tried all of them. Firefox had an amazing plugin called "Ubiquity", which was basically like command line for your browser and you could write custom scripts for it. It was seriously better than anything that exists today. They stopped developing it for some reason. Tab Groups is another feature that's now aba…

After removing tab groups I see literally zero reasons why anyone should use firefox. It's slower, more buggy copy of Opera and Chromium ;/

I use it for the history search in the address bar, it seems to remember far more history than Chrome which is really useful when I'm looking for that StackOverflow thread I read the other day.

Re: Ask HN: What's the best tool you used to use that doesn't exist anymore?

#430

Post by a3n »

The mail environment in which you could practically run MH https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MH_Message_Handling_System

The tool is still around, but I long ago knuckled under to rich email, and I really like imap, at home and at my provider.

But I so loved the MH environment of separate commands that ran in the terminal, and that you could easily use all the existing unix utilities because your messages were just text files.

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