Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by sillysaurusx 708 days ago
What else is on the list? That's interesting.
2 comments

I can share some really important things I’d like to see for seniors. I am leaving out some innovative ideas that go beyond these, because “first things first”.

Here are some.

Anything to help low vision (and that’s a giant problem) One periodical I get has some white text on a bright yellow background. Solution: I wrote them. Waiting …

Finding things, whether in the home or at local stores (whose inventory varies, as in “Stuff comes and goes at Trader Joe’s”) or even online (which is tough for many people since online stuff is largely bogus scams bolstered by SEO) Home and food and medicine inventory (data to be private and not fed to sellers, thank you.)

Exoskeletons. This technology is already old. What’s the hang-up? Other mobility?

Backpacks that have gyroscopes built in to stabilize people.

Fall mitigation. TBD

Finding real help nearby, trusted people, not “pay to get referrals” right now, as in “I’m in a jam”. Includes tech advice. And spares to loan.

Filtering email and websites for scams and malware.

Any sane noncommercial alternative to “social media”. (That’s a larger issue but very important in my mind, which is free of them)

That opens the matter of getting important, pertinent, personal and timely news and situational awareness rather than noise. (See above)

Creating secure family communications to bust AI-generated phony ransom calls (and more)

Simple robotics, of the “bring your slippers and reading glasses” sort. Cellphone, too. Seems it’s always charging when I need it.

Oh, and since I’m in the foothills, places to go when there’s an evacuation, power is out, and cool places to hang out.

I think these address major unmet needs. I would hate to see them enshittified.

Other ideas will improve quality of life, but first things first.

Shortly, I just rode out a heat wave. Glad to share.

I'm 75 and very in tune with needs!

@k310 - I have to ask, is k310 your ham radio handle?
k310 is both the Koechel number of a great Mozart piano sonata, but the office number I had at Itek Optical Systems in Lexington, MA, now something else.

When I was crazy interested in ham radio as a kid, I didn't have enough money to buy or build any gear. I'd buy schematics and build stuff in my mind, which may account for some quirks, but they're almost entirely good quirks, which is why I am posting to help others, with problems way bigger than my own. Thanks for asking!