Best of 2017

The blog posts Hacker News loved most in 2017. 112 posts.

Design & UX
76

TreeMaker: Origami Design Software

In 1989, I wrote an article for the magazine Engineering & Science about the state of technical folding, which, even then, seemed to be progressing by leaps and bounds due to an infusion of scientific and mathematical principles. In recounting some of the connections between origami, math, and technology, I wrote:

79

How to Achieve Polished UI

Ever since the original iPhone came out, I’ve had several ideas about how they managed to achieve such fluidity with relatively mediocre hardware. I mean, it was good at the time, but Android still struggles on hardware that makes that look like a 486… It’s absolutely my fault that none of these have been implemented…

84

Psychology of food menu design

You sit down at an upscale restaurant and scan the menu, banter with the waiter, and make your selection. You feel sure you’ve chosen what you want, based on your appetite, your budget, or your culinary preferences. But have you really? Behind the scenes, some restaurants have cleverly designed their menus to steer…

85

3D scanning like a pro

Almost any sensor yields more interesting results if mounted on a moving platform. Remember scanning thermometer ? It’s time to mount TOF LIDAR (Time Of Flight / Light Imaging, Detection, And Ranging) on two precision rotary stages arranged for pan and tilt operation. Rig provides real-time position data along with…