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An app can be a home-cooked meal (2020)

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Re: An app can be a home-cooked meal (2020)

#81

Post by sandos »

This reminds me of my app "Delayed" which I started writing when Android phones were new, and I was commuting by train in Stockholm, Sweden. I worked about a 2 minute walk from the train platform, but I still wanted to know if they were delayed, also I wanted to avoid the proprietary platforms' slowness. I wanted to be able keep working until I knew the train was about to leave.

The mobile networks at the times were abysmally slow and unreliable, the API I was using was slow, basically loading times were unacceptable, I needed the info without delay. No, actually pre-fetched even so that it was working even when offline. I ended up scheduling my app using Tasker so that when I was likely commuting it started updating the timetable in the background. Now I always had instant info available, as good as I could at least.

Plan was to release the app but I eventually realized I would never polish the app to a releasable state, but it still worked 100% for my exact usecase. So I never did get further than a beta test on the Play Store.

Re: An app can be a home-cooked meal (2020)

#84

Post by davidb_ »

globular-toast wrote: post #3

Is this iPhone? How did you distribute said app?

I had the same question. He says TestFlight, but he's handwaving some of the headaches of that. TF builds expire every 90 days.

The other option would be an adhoc certificate, but then you have to collect everyone's apple id.

Apple makes this kind of app distribution process more painful than it needs to be.

Re: An app can be a home-cooked meal (2020)

#85

Post by ParetoOptimal »

HKH2 wrote: post #52
factorialboy wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Would you be open to sharing screenshots? I'm curious about the mental-sanity claim, do you not have your email + calendar setup on your phone?

Not OP, but how often do you have an app that is exactly how you want it? You might just shrug off the small annoyances, but you could fix them and make the app something that becomes second nature. The UI won't suddenly change, so you won't have to relearn how to use the app, just like you don't have to relearn physical interfaces.

The above are all reasons I use emacs.

Re: An app can be a home-cooked meal (2020)

#87

Post by enobrev »

When I first read this post, it helped me decide not to try to adjust my home automation app for the masses.

I have a single JavaScript file that runs all the automations in my house. Everything runs on Mqtt and this file handles all timers and temperature adjustments and turning everything off in the house when the right button is pushed and checking that the doors are locked and keeping the front porch lit when the sun is going down and dimming as the sun comes up, and heats my office when I'm in it and it's colder than the rest of my house, but not otherwise, and notifies us when the washer or dryer are done or when it's time to change the automated cat litter.

Adding a device takes about 5 minutes. Changing a timer takes less. I've ssh'd in and changed things from my phone when lazy on the couch.

The commit history is practically useless. The code isn't ideal for a team. It could use a UI. But I love it. And my family is happy with how it all seems to work without much hassle.

Re: An app can be a home-cooked meal (2020)

#88

Post by helboi4 »

caipira wrote: post #64
hiq wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I have been working on a personal project for the last 10 years that replaces every other app I used to use - E-mail, calendar, and all the others we all use on a daily basis Would you be willing to describe how it works / record a video of how you use it? But maybe that goes against your last sentence: > My exclusive, differential, unique characteristic against the world, my joker card. ? I guess the idea is that…

> Would you be willing to describe how it works / record a video of how you use it? I'll definitely do it in the near future and post it here on HN. > My exclusive, differential, unique characteristic against the world, my joker card. In the sense that, if one day money becomes short, I could extract a few SAAS out of it and make some money or even sell it. > I guess the idea is that you integrated all the apps with…

I'd love to read a post about this. I started making something similar actually before I got my most recent job. But it was with less pure intentions. I did have various personal requirements that I wanted to see if I could impliment in a singular organisation system, since I am chronically disorganised. However, I started actually doing it just so I could practice my java and have a complicated java project on my github since I was applying for jobs. That's really why it's died a bit afterwards.

Re: An app can be a home-cooked meal (2020)

#89

Post by apwell23 »

selestify wrote: post #68
apwell23 wrote: post #45

This is why I feel really uneasy about LLM/AI stuff. It feels like cooking now requires commercial quality equipment only available to the Michelin star restaurants. It used to be possible like showHN posts go on to become smashing success. But Dropbox like posts seem like an impossibility now. I've been having serious mental crisis from this realization.

> It feels like cooking now requires commercial quality equipment only available to the Michelin star restaurants. Why does AI make you feel this way? It feels the opposite to me — like meals that formerly required a master chef to make, but soon anyone can make for themselves at an acceptable level of quality with meal prep kits

My feeling is that only big tech can now create any good apps since they all require massive compute now.

Yes writing a todo list app is now faster with copilot and stuff but thats now what i meant.

Re: An app can be a home-cooked meal (2020)

#90

Post by ParetoOptimal »

speff wrote: post #78
selestify wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It feels like cooking now requires commercial quality equipment only available to the Michelin star restaurants. Why does AI make you feel this way? It feels the opposite to me — like meals that formerly required a master chef to make, but soon anyone can make for themselves at an acceptable level of quality with meal prep kits

A few months ago there was a post on HN about catching up to the current state of LLM dev and learning how to use it. In it there were recommendations for hardware - the lowest tier being a 3090/4090. When looking at the decision tree for even cheaper options, it basically said to find another hobby. Not sure if that's changed but ever since seeing that line, I've been put off of that world. I still occasionally clic…

For training or inference?

The p40 was on the inference side of the tree and you can get one on eBay for $200 or less.

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