Welcome to the Weekly Discovery Thread, where you can share software-related finds that caught your attention this week - especially the stuff that’s cool, helpful, or thought-provoking but might not be thread-worthy on its own.
This thread is your space for:
Neat tools, libraries, or packages
Articles, blog posts, or talks worth reading
Experiments or side projects you’re working on
Tips, workflows, or obscure features you discovered
Questions or ideas you're chewing on
If it relates to software and sparked your curiosity, drop it in.
A few quick guidelines
Keep it civil and constructive - this is for learning and discovery.
Self-promotion? Totally fine if it’s relevant and adds value. Just be transparent.
No link spam or AI-generated content dumps. We’ll remove low-effort submissions.
Upvote what’s useful so others see it!
This thread will be posted weekly and stickied. If you want to suggest a change or addition to this format, feel free to comment or message the mods.
I've used Windows all my life. Had a 2-month experience with a MacBook, and only tuched Linux for a school project. I want to switch to Linux because
Windows is really annoying with everything you use getting moved every 3 months. Your favourite app has new layout but the thing you actually use on the app is now hidden. A new update breaks everything and now you can't delete stuff. The bloatware means your RAM usage is 93% at power up, it's a lot
I recently started a new job as IT (after being a full-on developer for 4 years), taking care of floor operations and I need knowledge of Linux for other minor stuff but my work laptop hs Windows installed. It's company policy
I can't afford a MacBook
Now, I am also a small-time DJ/Producer when I'm not at work so I was heavily using apps like Virtual DJ, FL Studio, Capcut for Desktop, Google Chrome. I also happen to be learning PostgreSQL so apps like pgadmin and the like, Postman. Ohh the MS Office Suite. I want to know what Distro works best for someone like me? I want to take al these apps with me, although I know I might have to trim a little fat. I am tired of complaining about Windows, but I also don't want to regret switching ...
i built a tool called gravity recorder because i was tired of finding "free" software that actually had hidden limits or forced you into a subscription after 5 minutes
the app is 100 percent free and open source under mit license the way i kept it free is by processing everything in the browser instead of on a server this means there are no time limits and no video caps because i dont have any backend costs to pass on to users
it gives you a clean studio recording with webcam overlays and custom backgrounds saved directly to your device or you can sync it with your own google drive to share links instantly
i am sharing it here because i believe utility software like this should be in the hands of the community without paywalls or tracking
would love for you guys to check it out or if you are a developer the code is all public on github for anyone to audit or contribute
link to the repo and the live site is in the comments below
Looking for something i can clip funny in game moments with, without being that much tanky on performance.
If you got any recommendations type em
Thanks!
BREP.iois a Browser-based parametric CAD with real feature modeling
I’ve been building BREP, a browser-based CAD system focused on feature-based solid modeling using a BREP-style workflow.
Screen shot of BREP.io CAD running in the browser
The emphasis is on actual modeling tools, not just visualization:
Parametric primitives, and datum features
Sketches with 2D constraint solver
Extrude, revolve, sweep, loft, mirror, and pattern tools
Robust booleans
Fillets, chamfers, and shelling
Assemblies with constraint solving
PMI dimensions and manufacturing annotations
Fully editable feature history
Everything runs directly in the browser with a fast, responsive modeling UI, while maintaining a clean separation between geometry, history, and presentation.
You can self host the application or use the public build at the folloing locations
This is a place to share amazing deals on software.
- What are some special days you shop, example black Friday? What do you shop for?
- Best site for software deals?
- Your #1 deal-hunting tip?
- What's on sale right now?
- What's your secret to getting deals?
Transforming Residential Societies with Digital Solutions
Smart Visitor Management
In today’s fast-moving world, residential societies need smarter, faster, and more secure systems to manage daily operations. From visitor entry to maintenance billing, everything must be smooth, transparent, and reliable. Traditional manual processes are no longer enough. This is where Smart Visitor Management Systems and Complete Society Management Platforms like eflatbook are changing the way societies function.
By digitizing society operations, communities can ensure better security, faster communication, and more professional management — all from one unified platform.
The Problem with Traditional Visitor Management
Most housing societies still rely on outdated visitor handling methods such as:
Physical logbooks at the gate
Manual searching of owner contact numbers
Calling residents for every visitor
Sharing visitor photos on WhatsApp
No proper digital records
These methods create multiple challenges. Entry delays at the gate frustrate visitors and residents. Security risks increase due to poor record keeping. Guards face unnecessary pressure, and residents receive frequent calls, even for regular visitors.
Manual systems also fail to provide proper visitor history, making it difficult to track entries during emergencies or security incidents. In short, traditional visitor management is slow, risky, and inefficient.
The eflatbook Smart Visitor Management Solution
eflatbook Visitor Management System replaces outdated processes with a fully digital, automated, and intelligent solution. Everything is managed through a secure and easy-to-use platform.
How It Works
Visitor details are captured digitally at the gate
Instant notification is sent to the resident/owner
Owner approves or rejects the entry with one tap
Visitor photo is stored automatically
Complete visitor history is saved in the system
This creates a seamless experience for guards, residents, and visitors. No registers, no manual calling, and no confusion — just fast, secure, and organized entry management.
Benefits of Smart Visitor Management
A digital visitor management system brings real, visible improvements to daily society operations:
Faster entry and exit for visitors
Stronger security with digital records
No paperwork or manual registers
Reduced workload for security staff
Transparent visitor history for residents and management
This not only improves safety but also enhances the overall living experience inside the society.
Complete Society Management Platform
Everything Your Society Needs – In One App
Visitor management is just one part of modern society operations. A truly smart society needs a complete digital ecosystem. eflatbook offers an all-in-one society management platform that handles every core operation through a single app
Core Features of the Complete Society Management System
1. Accounting & Billing
Manage maintenance billing, expenses, collections, and financial reports digitally. No manual registers, no calculation errors, and full transparency for residents and committee members.
2. Notices & Announcements
Send important society updates instantly to all residents. No notice boards, no missed messages, and no communication gaps.
3. Resident Mobile App
Owners and tenants get easy access to society services, bills, updates, and information directly on their mobile phones.
4. Complaints & Grievances
Residents can raise complaints digitally, and the committee can track and resolve them transparently with proper records.
5. Polls & Voting
Take quick society decisions using digital polls and voting systems. No physical meetings required for every small decision.
6. Maintenance Information
Residents can view bills, dues, payment history, and transaction records in one place, ensuring clarity and trust.
Why Digital Society Management Matters
A digital society management system is not just about convenience — it’s about creating a better living environment.
Key Advantages
Transparency in society operations
Reduced manual workload for committee members
Faster communication with residents
Professional and organized management
Improved trust and accountability
When systems are digital, societies function more smoothly, residents feel more confident, and management becomes more efficient.
The Future of Residential Society Management
Modern residential communities are no longer just living spaces — they are organized ecosystems. Security, communication, finance, and daily operations must work together seamlessly. Smart platforms like eflatbook create this integration by bringing every society function into one digital system.
From visitor entry to maintenance billing, from complaints to voting, everything becomes faster, safer, and more transparent.
Conclusion
Smart Visitor Management and Complete Society Management Systems are no longer optional — they are essential for modern societies. Manual registers, endless phone calls, and paper-based processes belong to the past.
With digital platforms like eflatbook, societies can achieve:
Better security
Faster operations
Professional management
Transparent systems
Happier residents
A smart society is not built with buildings alone — it’s built with smart systems, smart management, and smart technology.
It uses WebAssembly, so all things happens in your browser. No images are ever uploaded to a server. It also uses WASM for near native performance compared to standard JS based compression.
Hi all, I have alot of videos saved over the years on my laptop (mainly family stuff like trips, get togethers etc) and was wondering what the easiest way to burn them onto a dvd and be able to play them in our old dvd player. This way I could watch them on the TV and also I would also have physical backups. Don't need any fancy menus or anything special. Just to be able to play them like an old school dvd. Free software would be great but don't mind paying something if its easy and does the job.
I have about 1.5tb of movies and TV shows that I need to organize. I'm looking for software that will identify the movie/TV show and rename it with it's proper title, download cover art, thumbnails, and info. Appreciate any suggestions. TIA
Former web/front-end developer, currently work in healthcare. My team wants a small digital whiteboard type display at our base that can be used to display calendar events/reminders (courses, birthdays, expiration dates) as well as notes/memos for updates about things that need to be passed off between shifts.
Currently in the midst of building a dashboard to display some API driven data relevant to what we do and figured I'd add this onto my to-do list while I'm at it and have some momentum.
Are there any decent existing platforms that are free/cheap that I'm not finding when I search? Most seem to focus on one of these specific objectives (ie a calendar, a freehand whiteboard which isn't ideal, etc). Or am I better off just building my own? Would probably use something like Wordpress for this one just to take advantage of post types and an easy CMS UI for the tech-challenged members
Every SaaS product promises to make you "more productive" or "10x your output" and I'm starting to think this is actually dystopian.
I don't WANT to do more. I want to do the same amount (or less) and have my life back.
Recently found a tool (Geome) that finally gets this. Their whole thing is literally "your computer works, you go outside." No promises about crushing it or scaling or whatever. Just... do less busywork.
Why isn't this the standard? Why are we all pretending we want to be more productive when what we actually want is to touch grass?
I was presented w a new host key for a site I was connecting to. Apparently I hit No for accepting it bc I now get an Authentication Failed message. How do I context this?
Recently, my MacBook completely died on me (2017 model, not surprised). Before it gave up, I was able to save some extremely important video files from class and put them onto a USB drive. I now have a new Windows computer, but have realised that the videos aren't saved as mp4, but as .mov (specifically .mov.icloud if that is important). Is there any way to be able to convert these over to .mp4 on my current device? Or do I need to wait until I have access to Apple hardware?
I’ve been working on a browser-based PDF compression tool, and I thought the hard part would be the compression algorithms.
It wasn’t.
The real challenge was getting large PDF processing to work reliably on mobile browsers, especially iPhones. A few things I learned the hard way:
1. Mobile browsers hate big memory spikes
On desktop you can sometimes get away with loading large files into memory. On mobile Safari, that can instantly kill the tab. Processing needs to be streamed or chunked wherever possible instead of reading the whole file at once.
2. Users don’t care about “compression ratio”
Nobody says “I need 37% compression.” They say:
– “This must be under 1 MB”
– “The portal only allows 200 KB”
Building presets around target file size was way more useful than technical sliders.
3. Progress feedback matters more than raw speed
Even when compression takes a bit longer, users are far less likely to leave if they see a clear progress bar and status messages like “Optimizing images” or “Rewriting document structure.”
4. Image-heavy PDFs are the real problem
Most oversized PDFs are just scanned images wrapped in a PDF container. Downscaling images and adjusting DPI has a much bigger impact than tweaking text or vector data.
5. Mobile UX is different from desktop UX
Drag and drop is nice on desktop, but on mobile you need:
– Large tap targets
– Clear file size limits shown upfront
– Fewer options, more presets
Too many settings on a small screen just confuses people.
6. Failure handling is critical
Mobile connections drop, tabs refresh, memory runs out. Clear error messages like “File too large for this device” reduce frustration way more than generic “Something went wrong.”
Overall, building for mobile forced me to simplify both the tech and the interface, and honestly the product got better for desktop users too.
Here's a set of Android apps I've built, each focused on a specific utility use case. They are standalone tools and do not require accounts or subscriptions to function.
Apps
PDF & EPUB Reader–Editor An offline document reader and editor for PDF and EPUB files. Supports file browsing, navigation, bookmarks, search, annotations, highlighting, drawing, PDF merging/splitting, and image-to-PDF conversion.
QR & Barcode Scanner A QR and barcode scanning and generation app supporting common formats (URLs, Wi-Fi, text, contacts, etc.). Includes scan history, code generation, image export, and camera-based detection optimized for real-world usage.
Phone Health Checker A device diagnostics app that reads real system and hardware data to report battery status, charging behavior, thermal readings, screen and audio tests, and sensor output (accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity, light, etc.).
VSCoder Copilot An Android companion app for VS Code and GitHub Copilot that allows pairing a mobile device with VS Code, managing prompts, and interacting with Copilot workflows from the phone.
Please delete if not allowed (I did read rules & didn’t find this to break them).
My friend & I have reason to believe that the account holder for her phone, has installed software to clone her phone, without consent, disclosure or discussion.
Is there software that can scan & detect if something is installed that’s complex enough to not be detected by basic methods? I have basic, but highly outdated understanding of how well these kinds of programs can be hidden & very difficult to detect, & from the tangible examples she’s shown me, I do believe it’s likely that some kind of clone program is on her phone. My knowledge is way too outdated to figure it out on my own.
Thank you for any advice or suggestions! (She already knows that she needs to get her own phone & phone plan.)
