Monthly HN thread where builders share active side projects, tools, and infrastructure work across hardware, software, and research.
Key Takeaways
No extracted source article; all signal comes from community project descriptions in the thread.
Projects span embedded hardware, native macOS apps, dotfile managers, browser extensions, fitness tracking, reverse engineering, and AI oversight infrastructure.
AI coding tools (Claude Code, Codex) are lowering the barrier to microcontroller and embedded development for app-layer developers.
OpenMined is hiring engineers and PMs to build auditing and federated inference/training infrastructure for AI oversight.
Hacker News Comment Review
Claude Code and Codex are cited as enabling app developers to tackle microcontrollers; one commenter shipped a surf-forecast holographic display as a direct result.
Niche-but-complete tooling is a recurring theme: a free Swift/Metal focus-stacking app with RAW support, a multi-device fitness aggregator used personally for 4+ years, and a Ghidra delinking extension gaining organic PRs.
Legacy code revival is present: a 1996 Forth VM in C was resurrected with modern GCC and Valgrind, now being adapted into a spreadsheet-like RPL/Excel hybrid.
Notable Comments
@kingofsunnyvale: Chrome extension maps any text on screen to live Kalshi prediction markets, enabling inline betting on news or sports without leaving the page.
@williamtrask: OpenMined framed as nonprofit infrastructure for external AI auditing and local/federated inference, with engineering and PM roles opening imminently.