Daily issue / 2026-11-04
Useful things that surfaced in Hacker News discussions on 2026-11-04. Open the context to see why each one caught our attention—or jump straight to the original thread.
What we found
Firefox API-testing extension; a user prefers its lightweight, browser-native approach.
Source discussion: Postman silently auto-installs AI plugins and attempts to share all API data
“I much prefer the approach of being able to use the browser for things like this. It feels much more lightweight than installing a piece of desktop software.”
wackget · recommendation · first hand use
Direct HN comment
API client recommended for restoring a simple workflow after Insomnia's account push.
Source discussion: Postman silently auto-installs AI plugins and attempts to share all API data
“I've switched to Yaak to get back to that feel of a simple API client that prompted me to switch to Insomia in the first place. 100% recommend.”
amflare · recommendation · first hand use
Direct HN comment
Backup tool with Glacier Deep Archive support; recommended for secondary, rarely restored backups.
Source discussion: Fujifilm to boost tape production 5x as AI fuels archiving demand
“I heartily recommend rustic's cold storage support for Amazon S3 Glacier Deep Archive. It ends up being $1/TB/month, as long as you plan to not restore from it. (Use it as a secondary backup, and plan to restore from your primary.) I have been using rustic+GDA for about a year now, and I contributed some enhancements to this software ecosystem to make this path smooth for others.”
pmw · recommendation · first hand use
Direct HN comment
ESP32 programming language; a repeat user praises its clean syntax and working tools.
Source discussion: Toit v2.0.0
“I have used toit in a lot of my projects. It is a really nice language and so much cleaner than all the alternatives I have tried (Arduino, Python, Lua). The tools just work and I got used to the language really quickly. I did hate that it was bytecode. It just felt wrong to run bytecode on an ESP32. OTOH it just works, and I have never noticed any performance problems. My latest project is a controller for a slave-clock: https://gitlab.com/close2/nebenuhr-toit (There is also a Garmin repository that allows me to control the clock using my Garmin watch.) Full disclosure: I had to use toit (floitsch is my brother), but it really is a nice language and development environment.”
close2 · recommendation · first hand use
Direct HN comment
Declarative Haskell solid-modeling library built on OpenCASCADE; explicitly recommended in the CAD discussion.
Source discussion: Antimony: CAD Software Evolved from Lisp Machines and Not Drafting Tables (2015)
“I'll add to your list this one https://hackage.haskell.org/package/waterfall-cad . I highly recommend it”
rafaelRiv · recommendation
Direct HN comment
Cybersecurity guidance for sole traders; praised as more approachable than NIST's document.
Source discussion: Self-Employed? Solopreneur? NIST Has a Cybersecurity Guide Just for You
“It's not perfect, but the UK NCSC has a load of guidance for individuals and small businesses that's a hell of a lot more approachable than the NIST document:”
entuno · recommendation
Direct HN comment
Portable electronics multitool; an owner praises hands-on signal experiments and NFC learning with kids.
Source discussion: Preparing for the Flipper One Kickstarter and opening pre-orders
“My F0 is always close at hand, doing everything from being my go-to trigger for whatever random thing I'm playing with, to being an instant output for any signal I'm trying to read. Plus it's a really fun educational tool for myself and various kids around - I keep a load of little NFC 216 tags around, in my bag, in a pouch attached to my Mac, and showing both young and old how to use them, and read them with the phone, leads to conversations about treasure hunts, hiding them in the pub, showing counters with amusing messages...”
vr46 · recommendation · first hand use
Direct HN comment
Car-parts retailer; a New Zealand buyer recommends its selection and landed prices.
Source discussion: Jailbreaking my car's navigation system just so I can change the time
“when it comes to getting parts for Japanese cars, I thoroughly recommend rockauto.com, a US colleague put me onto it, and I use it from NZ because a) it has parts I struggle to find in NZ and b) even with the international shipping, parts are cheaper from there than locally.”
EdwardDiego · recommendation · first hand use
Direct HN comment
François Fleuret's compact deep-learning book; named a commenter's favorite little book.
Source discussion: The Little Book of Generative AI Foundations: An Intuitive Mathematical Primer
“My favorite little book is François Fleuret's: The Little Book of Deep Learning”
prideout · recommendation
Direct HN comment
Matt Dinniman's apocalyptic dungeon-crawl novels; a commenter gives the series an enthusiastic endorsement.
Source discussion: The Little Book of Generative AI Foundations: An Intuitive Mathematical Primer
“Let me tell you about one of the greatest book series of our generation: Dungeon Crawler Carl, By Matt Dinniman”
Daklone · recommendation
Direct HN comment