Show HN: Text Nina, your personal list assistant (opens in new tab)

(textnina.com)

27 pointsmbseid10y ago40 comments

40 comments

What is the difference between writing that list directly in Notes app? Do I really need a bot to create a list from my list? Curious to see if there's any use case behind just formatting a list into a list.

cthulhujr10y ago

This could have more utility for a user with a feature phone. Their notes app is likely more difficult to access, its data not backed up to the "cloud" or just not be a feature at all on the phone.

stephaniepier10y ago

I thought the same thing - I keep my grocery list in a Google Keep widget. I don't understand what the benefit is here.

mbseidOP10y ago

Hi, I created this tool because I really wanted it. Let me know if there are any features you would love to see. Hope you find it as useful as I do!

mtw10y ago

I like it. are you using it personally? Is the example on the homepage the most common usage?

criddell10y ago

Were you a user of I Want Sandy?

mbseidOP10y ago

I wasn't. What is it?

1 more reply

joezydeco10y ago

How do you share lists between two people/numbers?

mbseidOP10y ago

I'm rolling out that feature in a few hours. I was a bit ambitions, but it will be `send to {{number}}`. Glad to hear that you found this as an important feature. I think it will be valuable too :)

4 more replies

Drdrdrq10y ago

Interesting - I used to send SMS to myself when I found some music I wanted to check out later... Similar I guess.

spike02110y ago

I still do this for other kinds of things, even though I'm pretty good about using the iOS/OSX Reminders app.

Procrastes10y ago

I love this sort of interface. I want to have a use for it, but I haven't thought of a use case yet.

mbseidOP10y ago

Try it for your grocery shopping list. That use case is what gave me the idea to build it.

So handy to just shoot a text instead of opening an app and navigating to the right list.

e_tm_10y ago

Up front, cool app. I really like this idea as a means of quick storage.

Not sure about the grocery list use case. You have already input your items and they are still visible in your message conversation with Nina, making the response back from Nina redundant in nature.

I tend to email myself article URLs from my phone to my laptop, so I think I will try using Nina for that.

1 more reply

leetNightshade10y ago

How do you get an application like this setup with a phone number and interacting with other numbers? Curious if you have to rely on a particular service with recurring monthly charges or not.

Jonovono10y ago

Twilio, Nexmo, plivo.

mbseidOP10y ago

Yup, I'm using Twilio. Super easy to use and pretty low cost. Not free, but makes life really easy.

digital_ins10y ago

I'd be a wee bit careful: Nuance has a virtual assistant that they're calling Nuance. So you've gotta beware of trademark litigation (unless you're Nuance)

kozukumi10y ago

Nice idea but I don't really see why I would use this over something like Simplenote that does a fantastic job of syncing a simple text list.

drvortex10y ago

I am wondering if people really use SMS anymore these days. At least here in Europe and also in India, SMS usage has dropped of precipitously.

jister10y ago

Okay here's a question. Why would you spend on an SMS just to create an item(s) on your list?

dhruvsachde10y ago

Nice idea, what if I want to save more than one list at a time ?

mbseidOP10y ago

That feature has been requested a lot and is on the backlog. Just trying to figure out how to make it super easy and intuitive :)

Any ideas?

_swa810y ago

Why is it gendered?

thieving_magpie10y ago

Is that a problem for you? If so, I'd like to know why.

cthulhujr10y ago

Perhaps they're questioning the perpetuation of the "women-are-personal-assistants" stereotype? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

1 more reply

digital_ins10y ago

probably because people of both genders are most comfortable having personal assistants of the female gender? (Don't blame the messenger for the message)

wingerlang10y ago

Why does it matter?

shanecleveland10y ago

Same idea with email: tuduli.com

g4ur4v10y ago

Nice .

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

40 comments

montbonnot10y ago

cthulhujr10y ago

This could have more utility for a user with a feature phone. Their notes app is likely more difficult to access, its data not backed up to the "cloud" or just not be a feature at all on the phone.

stephaniepier10y ago

I thought the same thing - I keep my grocery list in a Google Keep widget. I don't understand what the benefit is here.

mbseidOP10y ago

Hi, I created this tool because I really wanted it. Let me know if there are any features you would love to see. Hope you find it as useful as I do!

mtw10y ago

I like it. are you using it personally? Is the example on the homepage the most common usage?

criddell10y ago

Were you a user of I Want Sandy?

mbseidOP10y ago

I wasn't. What is it?

1 more reply

joezydeco10y ago

How do you share lists between two people/numbers?

mbseidOP10y ago

I'm rolling out that feature in a few hours. I was a bit ambitions, but it will be `send to {{number}}`. Glad to hear that you found this as an important feature. I think it will be valuable too :)

4 more replies

Drdrdrq10y ago

Interesting - I used to send SMS to myself when I found some music I wanted to check out later... Similar I guess.

spike02110y ago

I still do this for other kinds of things, even though I'm pretty good about using the iOS/OSX Reminders app.

Procrastes10y ago

I love this sort of interface. I want to have a use for it, but I haven't thought of a use case yet.

mbseidOP10y ago

Try it for your grocery shopping list. That use case is what gave me the idea to build it.

So handy to just shoot a text instead of opening an app and navigating to the right list.

e_tm_10y ago

Up front, cool app. I really like this idea as a means of quick storage.

Not sure about the grocery list use case. You have already input your items and they are still visible in your message conversation with Nina, making the response back from Nina redundant in nature.

I tend to email myself article URLs from my phone to my laptop, so I think I will try using Nina for that.

1 more reply

leetNightshade10y ago

How do you get an application like this setup with a phone number and interacting with other numbers? Curious if you have to rely on a particular service with recurring monthly charges or not.

Jonovono10y ago

Twilio, Nexmo, plivo.

mbseidOP10y ago

Yup, I'm using Twilio. Super easy to use and pretty low cost. Not free, but makes life really easy.

digital_ins10y ago

I'd be a wee bit careful: Nuance has a virtual assistant that they're calling Nuance. So you've gotta beware of trademark litigation (unless you're Nuance)

kozukumi10y ago

Nice idea but I don't really see why I would use this over something like Simplenote that does a fantastic job of syncing a simple text list.

drvortex10y ago

I am wondering if people really use SMS anymore these days. At least here in Europe and also in India, SMS usage has dropped of precipitously.

jister10y ago

Okay here's a question. Why would you spend on an SMS just to create an item(s) on your list?

dhruvsachde10y ago

Nice idea, what if I want to save more than one list at a time ?

mbseidOP10y ago

That feature has been requested a lot and is on the backlog. Just trying to figure out how to make it super easy and intuitive :)

Any ideas?

_swa810y ago

Why is it gendered?

thieving_magpie10y ago

Is that a problem for you? If so, I'd like to know why.

cthulhujr10y ago

Perhaps they're questioning the perpetuation of the "women-are-personal-assistants" stereotype? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

1 more reply

digital_ins10y ago

probably because people of both genders are most comfortable having personal assistants of the female gender? (Don't blame the messenger for the message)

wingerlang10y ago

Why does it matter?

shanecleveland10y ago

Same idea with email: tuduli.com

g4ur4v10y ago

Nice .

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse