HackerNews Summary (2023-06-16 10AM)

Source: Illinois General Assembly

Summary
The Drones as First Responders Act amends the Freedom from Drone Surveillance Act by adding and changing several sections including new definitions for parades, routed events, special events, and exceptions for law enforcement use.

Fact

🚁 The Drones as First Responders Act modifies the Freedom from Drone Surveillance Act.

📏 The act defines key terms, including “drone” and “information”.

🎉 “Parade,” “routed event,” and “special event” are defined in the act.

🚨 Exceptions to the act include when a drone is used to counter a high risk of a terrorist attack or when a search warrant is obtained by a law enforcement agency.

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Source: Here’s the note Reddit sent to moderators threatening them if they don’t reopen

Summary
Reddit’s API update does not affect moderation bots or site-wide tools. Some mods have expressed interest in closing their community, but the site emphasizes the importance of active moderation for stable, supportive communities. Reddit is willing to work with mods to facilitate any changes needed for the community to remain open.

Fact

📢 The API update does not affect moderation bots or site-wide tools

🧐 Some mods have expressed interest in closing their community

👥 Active moderation is crucial for stable, supportive communities

🆘 Reddit is willing to work with mods to facilitate changes to keep the community open

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Source: Product lessons from Dan Robinson (ex-CTO of Heap)

Summary
Dan Robinson, ex-CTO of Heap, shared his insights on building successful products at a dinner discussion. The key takeaways include the importance of execution and talking to users in a specific way to avoid bias.

Fact

🔥 One of the most important jobs of anyone at a startup is to diagnose low usage and identify strategies for increasing it.

💬 To listen to users in the right way, ask specific questions that provide useful information on how valuable your product is.

🍕 Use the Burnt Pizza paradigm to determine if the low usage is due to poor execution or a bad idea.

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Source: Tech vendors increase prices by up to 24% amid inflation

Summary
Businesses have encountered price increases of up to 24 percent from tech vendors due to inflationary pressures, according to research from The ITAM Review. IBM increased its prices earlier this year, including a 24 percent increase in select regions, while Microsoft’s “price harmonization” drove up on-prem software costs by 20 percent in Japan and 15 percent for online services; other vendors such as Oracle and SAP also increased prices. Merger and acquisition activity among software publishers is also an issue for tech users as it can result in software non-compliance audits.  

Fact

💰 IBM increased prices earlier this year, with a 24 percent hike in the UK, Eurozone, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Japan, and South Africa. Canada saw a 19 percent increase.

💰 Microsoft increased its prices due to “price harmonization,” resulting in a 20 percent increase for on-prem software and a 15 percent increase for online services in Japan.

💰 Oracle announced an 8 percent increase to their US support prices in July 2022 and inflation-commensurate rises in other locations, while SAP announced a 3.3 percent increase in support costs from January 1, 2023.

💼 Merger and acquisition activity among software publishers causes issues for customer organizations as it can result in software non-compliance audits to find organizations using software outside of agreed parameters and generate new revenue.   

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Source: Gyroflow v1.5.1 is out!

Summary
Gyroflow is a free and professional video stabilization software that provides an efficient workflow and a plethora of options to improve the quality of any footage. Its intuitive interface and compatibility with numerous cameras make it an essential tool for both amateur and professional filmmakers and drone pilots.

Fact

🤖 Gyroflow employs gyro stabilization to effortlessly stabilize cinema cameras, resulting in smooth, professional footage.

🎥 Gyroflow supports numerous camera models and provides users with the ability to fine-tune all stabilization settings.

💻 Gyroflow is a free software that offers a professional approach to video stabilization, making it an essential tool for filmmakers and drone pilots alike.

🤝 The Gyroflow team is comprised of passionate developers who work tirelessly to improve performance, enhance features, and attend to the needs of their users.

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Source: How to go to war with your employer

Summary
Your employer needs you as much as you need them – they spend money on you and expect a return on investment. Knowing your value and understanding small-scale tactics can empower you to improve your working conditions.

Fact

💰 Your employer spends money on you and expects a return on investment of at least your salary x1.5

📊 Divide your employer’s annual profit by their headcount to get a closer view of your worth to them

👥 Solidarity between workers is a meaningful force amplifier for your leverage

🙅‍♀️ If you don’t like agile/scrum, articulate your reasons and negotiate alternatives

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