naskwo

I'm 45 years old and I've consumed many time- (and self-) management books that suggest to avoid news and social media. In general, this is good advice.

The one exception I make is my twice-daily scan of the HN homepage, as, over the years, there have been many insightful posts, comments and links which have helped me tremendously [1]. This includes "Show HN" for tools and platforms that helped me gain an edge (Algolia, Sqreen) and comments which help to negate rabbit holes.

So, I am wondering: which posts (or insightful comments) have helped you?

[1] A big thank you to the HN moderators who ceaselessly do their best to maintain a consistent quality.

Context: I don't own shares in VW or Tesla.

Today, I read an advert for the new Toyota Mirai. I was impressed with the 650 km range and 5 min refueling time. Turns out, this car is powered by hydrogen fuel cells.

Could someone on HN shed some light on the benefits of the battery electric strategy that VW [1] and Tesla are betting on?

5 minutes charging for a 650 km range seems like a very compelling argument for fuel cells!

[1] https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1127660_battery-electric-or-hydrogen-fuel-cell-vw-lays-out-why-one-is-the-winner

If you buy a mobile phone today, the choice is between Android and iOS, or, more specifically, between Samsung and Android.

[LG's announcement to stop making smartphones is a testament to how the technology and (economy of scale) of Apple and Samsung have evolved to a duopoly of smartphone brands. For most consumers, two choices are enough. Quick: name the third in line: Coca Cola, Pepsi and ...? Or McDonald's, Burger King and ...?)

Will the same happen for electric cars? Ford is already building their EVs on a VW chassis.

For example: whether you buy an electric Kia or electric Porsche, what are the real engineering differences between the car, considering:

- the drivetrain is electric - the center of gravity is lowered in almost all EVs because of the (current state of the art) of battery placement - Many key (security) parts are bought OEM from the same suppliers, including tyres, audio systems and airbags. - The manufacturer with the most driven miles will likely have the least amount of "bugs"

Will car brands go even more the way of fashion brands, where the difference between Porsche and Kia will be like the difference between Balenciaga and Nike: both are functional footwear, but I'd choose the Nikes and save the difference.

Will "internal luxury" and "prestige" take the overtone in marketing and branding for the next 20 years, as opposed to how "clean" a car is and the engineering of their engines? And, of this technology, how will supercar automakers adapt? E.g. why buy a Ferrari if the "soul" (engine) is replaced with an electric drivetrain that is likely less mature in engineering than what would be inside a Tesla S?

Winter is upon Greece and the Balkans, with many thousands of refugees, including children, exposed to freezing temperatures and lack of sanitation.

What are some cost-effective housing options for these people? It seems to me that we should be able to do much better than simply set up tents.

I believe IKEA had a "tiny house" concept, also with the purpose to serve as refugee / temporary housing.

Context: living near Amsterdam, following the situation in Amsterdam (pre-Corona) closely, founder of Kamernet.nl - the largest marketplace for student rentals in the Netherlands.

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Once the various quarantine measures have been lifted, and international tourism and travel rebound, I am hypothesising that cities will want to know (and control) where (foreign) tourists stay in a city, and that renting out rooms/apartments to tourists without a specific license will be banned.

HN: your views?

Interesting: https://tpo.nl/2018/09/25/kajsa-ollongren-d66-verklaart-oorlog-aan-illegale-verhuurders-airbnb/

This is in line with a blockchain-based proposal that I had sent to the city of Amsterdam in mid 2017, where every residential unit has its own ledger to track how many times it has been let out.

It will be interesting to see if this actually rolls out, and what the impact on Airbnb usage in Amsterdam will be.

(in 2000, I founded Kamernet, which in a sense was a predecessor to Airbnb - albeit local to the Dutch market and not for tourists, and I am intimately familiar with the housing shortage in major Dutch cities. In my view, Airbnb is collapsing under its own success, unfortunately)