Ask HN: What are you working on? (October 2024)

I've been working on training YOLOv8 to identify my cats specifically. We've had some issues with them getting on the counters and going outside of the litter box. Previous camera systems to try and find the culprit we not always triggered by the cat's motion. I'd wanted to move to a self hosted camera system anyway so I got an IP camera and modified Frigate NVR to support ultralytics and slapped my custom trained model in. The training has been interesting as I've never done anything with computer vision before this. The hardest part was getting enough pictures and then labeling them. If I retrain it in the future I'd like to use the trained model to identify any cats in the source pictures and then just fix the ones it missed or overzealously marked.

I'm working on a tool to transform what I call an Application Definition File (a format specified as a JSON schema) into a line-of business NodeJS/Express/Postgres web app.

You might think of it a lo-code tool, but I'm aiming more for it to be a no-code tool, as in the level of sophistication should be such that there is rarely a need to touch the generated application.

Here is a sample application definition file (to model an app for the tool itself):

   {
 "name": "VReal",
 "description": "Virtual realtor web app",
 "entities": {
  "propertyHeader": {
   "title": "Listing Header",
   "description": "The headers for all listings, whether sale or rental",
   "namePlural": "listingHeaders",
   "fields": {
    "title": "medium_text",
    "description": "long_text",
    "propertyType": [
     "apartment",
     "office",
     "shop",
     "house"
    ],
    "currency": "short_text",
    "squareFeet": {
     "optional": true,
     "type": "integer"
    },
    "bedrooms": "integer",
    "bathrooms": "integer",
    "garages": "integer",
    "hall": "boolean",
    "kitchen": "boolean",
    "furnished": "boolean",
    "neighborhood": "medium_text",
    "latitude": {
     "optional": true,
     "type": "float"
    },
    "longitude": {
     "optional": true,
     "type": "float"
    },
    "phone": "phone_number",
    "phoneAlt": {
     "type": "phone_number",
     "optional": true,
     "title": "Alternative Phone"
    },
    "email": "email_address",
    "contact": "medium_text",
    "whenPosted": "datetime",
    "externalUrl": {
     "optional": true,
     "type": "url"
    }
   },
   "parentsManyToMany": [
    "project"
   ],
   "parentsOneToMany": [
    "city"
   ]
  },
  "propertyForLease": {
   "title": "Property for Lease",
   "namePlural": "propertiesForLease",
   "extends": "propertyHeader",
   "fields": {
    "basePeriod": [
     "month",
     "day",
     "week",
     "hour",
     "quarter"
    ],
    "pricePerPeriod": "integer",
    "termNumPeriods": {
     "type": "integer",
     "title": "Rental Lease Term (Base periods)"
    },
    "advanceNumPeriods": {
     "type": "integer",
     "title": "Advance Required (Base periods)"
    }
   }
  },
  "propertyForSale": {
   "title": "Property for Sale",
   "namePlural": "propertiesForSale",
   "extends": "propertyHeader",
   "fields": {
    "salePrice": "integer"
   }
  },
  "propertyMessage": {
   "title": "Message",
   "namePlural": "propertyMessages",
   "fields": {
    "direction": [
     "incoming",
     "outgoing"
    ],
    "content": "long_text",
    "timestamp": "datetime"
   },
   "parentsOneToMany": [
    "propertyHeader",
    "user"
   ]
  },
  "project": {
   "title": "Project",
   "description": "Projects in which users an place properties",
   "namePlural": "projects",
   "fields": {
    "name": "medium_text",
    "description": "long_text"
   }
  },
  "listingMedia": {
   "title": "Listing Media",
   "description": "Media (images, videos, etc) for listings",
   "namePlural": "listingMedia",
   "fields": {
    "content": "media"
   },
   "readonly": false,
   "parents": [
    "propertyForLease",
    "propertyForSale"
   ]
  },
  "city": {
   "title": "City",
   "description": "Cities in which properties are located",
   "namePlural": "Cities",
   "fields": {
    "name": "medium_text",
    "latitude": {
     "optional": true,
     "type": "float"
    },
    "longitude": {
     "optional": true,
     "type": "float"
    }
   }
  }
 },
 "UI": {
  "pages": {
   "perEntity": {
    "propertyForLease": {
     "objectEditor": {
      "kind": "form",
      "columns": "dynamic"
     },
     "objectListViewer": {
      "container": {
       "control": "list",
       "orientation": "vertical",
       "template": {
        "fields": [
         "title",
         "pricePerPeriod",
         "basePeriod",
         "whenPosted",
         "listingMedia#content"
        ],
        "labels": "caption"
       }
      }
     },
     "editingStrategy": "only-devs"
    },
    "propertyForSale": {
     "objectEditor": {
      "kind": "form",
      "columns": "dynamic"
     },
     "objectListViewer": {
      "container": {
       "control": "list",
       "orientation": "vertical",
       "template": {
        "fields": []
       }
      }
     },
     "editingStrategy": "only-devs"
    },
    "listingMedia": {
     "objectEditor": {
      "kind": "form",
      "columns": "dynamic"
     },
     "objectListViewer": {
      "container": {
       "control": "list",
       "orientation": "vertical",
       "template": {
        "fields": []
       }
      }
     }
    }
   },
   "custom": {
    "404": {},
    "splash": {
     "slogan": "Supercharge your real estate acquisition",
     "description": "VReal is your virtual real estate agent that provides superior and fast service, backed by an outstanding human team you can speak to",
     "callToAction": "Get Started",
     "inputForCTA": {
      "name": "search",
      "description": ""
     },
     "targetUrlForCTA": "/listings",
     "smallPrintForCTA": "",
     "extraContentUrl": "",
     "corporateUsers": []
    },
    "login": {},
    "register": {},
    "userVerify": {},
    "userAccount": {}
   }
  },
  "initialAdhocPage": "splash",
  "initialSessionPage": "propertyForLease",
  "elements": {
   "menu": "hierarchical-entity-groups",
   "footer": {
    "copyright": "© Example Systems, LLC. 2022. All rights reserved.",
    "linkSets": [
     {
      "header": "Company",
      "links": [
       {
        "title": "About Us",
        "url": "/about"
       },
       {
        "title": "Contact Us",
        "url": "/contact"
       },
       {
        "title": "Partners",
        "url": "/partners"
       },
       {
        "title": "Careers",
        "url": "/careers"
       },
       {
        "title": "Newsroom",
        "url": "/news"
       },
       {
        "title": "Blog",
        "url": "/blog"
       },
       {
        "title": "Events",
        "url": "/events"
       }
      ]
     },
     {
      "header": "Support",
      "links": [
       {
        "title": "Guides",
        "url": "/help/docs"
       },
       {
        "title": "Forum",
        "url": "/help/forum"
       },
       {
        "title": "Chat",
        "url": "/help/chat"
       },
       {
        "title": "Privacy",
        "url": "/privacy"
       },
       {
        "title": "Terms",
        "url": "/terms"
       }
      ]
     },
     {
      "header": "Platform",
      "links": [
       {
        "title": "Developer API",
        "url": "/help/api"
       },
       {
        "title": "Integrations",
        "url": "/help/integrate"
       }
      ]
     }
    ],
    "socialMediaLinks": {
     "twitter": "https://twitter.com/VReal",
     "facebook": "https://www.facebook.com/VReal/",
     "instagram": "https://www.instagram.com/VReal",
     "linkedin": "https://www.linkedin.com/company/VReal/"
    },
    "mobileAppLinks": {
     "iosAppStore": "https://itunes.apple.com/US/app/id914172636",
     "googlePlayStore": "http://example.com/z/buying/app-download?btn_android-download"
    }
   }
  },
  "architecture": {}
 },
 "security": {
  "level": "authentication",
  "userIdType": "sim",
  "factors": {
   "password": {
    "validityRules": {}
   },
   "email": {}
  }
 }
}

Still working on my Hetzner Auction price tracker: https://radar.iodev.org/

First time I'm building a proper website, used a lot of AI. Things that changed over last time: * Switched the charting library from D3 to Apex. D3 was too low-level for my purpose. * Reworked the design and contents of a lot of pages (with the help of AI). * Various bugfixes for the database queries. * Tried to come up with some kind of pricing signal detection, but currently not working well. * Link to the actual auction results. * Minimal E2E validation using Playwright. What a pleasure to use!

I'm planning to add alerting. Not keen on running a backend though.

It’s called Midom Project AI. https://midombot.com/b1/home

I’ve written a project suite composed of familiar software with AI Agents integrated into this familiar software, who are both editable and duel experts in the software at hand and other expertise, any expertise, callable on demand. I realize this is abstract, so here’s some examples:

People collectively group to do things; they group into organizations like companies, departments, and teams. These organizations of people can be mirrored in my software as “organizations”, and each organization has control over their own custom and private AI Agents, they can clone, edit and use. An organization can be open to any members, or private and require membership requests. Once in, members can be kicked out for unruly behavior or leave on their on at any time. Additionally, an org can be visible or invisible, where a private invisible organization might be people who simply don’t want to be bothered, they’re at work.

Within an organization, private projects may be created. Organization Projects are collections of org members collaborating on a project. They use the organization’s customized AI Agents as these agents are integrated into the word processor, the spreadsheet, and multiple chatbots each with some integrated purpose within the suite of project software. People don’t always want to work in groups, and solo people often want to privately and invisibly join groups to do their own private things. We fully accommodate that. Users can be “invisible” to other users, only revealing themselves to organization owners for membership requests, and then disappearing again. Once joining a collaborative project, they become visible only to their project collaborators.

Yeah, that’s still abstract, it is the foundation which enables users to get productive and creative. The system has a few example organizations to give users AI Agents they can immediately use, and ideas for creating their own organizations with their own customized AI Agents:

The Creative Writers Workshop is a collection of writing genre specific professional writer chatbots that are trained to act as literary critiques and muses for those authoring their own technical documents, science fiction, romance, autobiography, young adult fiction, mystery or horror. Conversations with these chatbots are augmented by “SuggestionBot”, who is making sure stones are not left unturned, and “LaterBot”, who is maintaining what needs following up. Independent Paralegals is a collection of personal paralegals that help people seeking or with legal issues collect and formally document their issue for formal use. These paralegals include a demographic spread, because these issues are often sensitive and are complemented by demographic sensitivities: divorce, property disputes, adoption, and personal injury. The Play Zone is a collection of entertaining and fun AI Agents, such as dungeon masters from alternative dimensions, here on vacation playing D&D. There are also interesting personalities for fun conversation, such as an immortal, a Polynesian Sun Goddess, and Mark Twain.

The Mental Health Tune Up Clinic is pair stress management chatbots that help people manage their self conversation bias, otherwise known as “playing yourself”, promote critical analysis, and guide users potentially toward greater life satisfaction. Immigration Law Support is an organization intended to demonstrate a new client acquisition method for immigration law firms that pairs a legal intern or law student with an AI immigration attorney, and together they handle new client interviews. An otherwise costly task at law firms, because it requires an attorney’s time, time they cannot charge against a client. Each of these organization types handle private and often sensitive information. To accommodate that everything that occurs with the AI Agents is private to the project their use occurs, data collected and shared between the AI Agents for request satisfaction are maintained encrypted, and all AI Agents are private to the organization they are owned. So, if one is stressed and wants to talk to those stress managing chatbots, make a project in their organization and invite nobody else into your project, you’re the only person that can see anything in that project.

Also, none of this has sharing or any social media type networking. This is for creative, private, professional, solo or collaborative work, whatever that work may be. Including support for geographically remote collaborations.

Did I mention voice? Yeah, one can use their voice in place of the keyboard for a lot here. But not the spreadsheet editing itself, just use your voice to ask the spreadsheetBot to make the full sheet you need, rather than muck about at the individual spreadsheet cell level.

At this point, I’m layering in additional privacy handling, which also requires “double blind” communications for those invisible users that communicate with invisible organizations, and a lot of documentation, with examples. It’s actually just a slight augmentation on familiar office type software: I’ve added on demand editable subject matter experts to co-author with you. But that’s kind of huge, actually. People need examples to understand what this opens up.

At first glance, looks slick!