NODUS HN Radar

Product Introduction

1. Definition: NODUS HN Radar is a local-first, privacy-focused browser extension (Chrome and Firefox) that functions as a real-time signal layer and reading enhancement tool for the Hacker News (news.ycombinator.com) website. It operates as a client-side overlay, modifying the user's local view of HN without interacting with a central server.
2. Core Value Proposition: The extension exists to solve information overload and poor user experience on Hacker News by providing velocity tracking for rising discussions, advanced thread management through pinning and tagging, and a comprehensive visual overhaul—all while maintaining strict local-first privacy with zero data collection.

Main Features

1. Lens Reading Layer: A client-side CSS/JavaScript injection that automatically applies user-selected themes (dark, light, auto), adjustable font sizes, reading-width control, and compact row options to the Hacker News interface. It implements browser-local history tracking to gray-out visited links, reducing visual clutter.
2. Radar Dashboard with Velocity Scoring: A core feature that surfaces trending posts from feeds like Top, Show HN, and Ask HN. It calculates a real-time "velocity" score (points + comments per hour) for each post and displays the delta (change over the last interval), using data fetched directly from Hacker News's public Firebase API. This allows users to identify accelerating discussions algorithmically.
3. Local-First Pin & Tag System: Enables users to pin any HN thread to a persistent sidebar. The system supports adding multiple, auto-color-coded tags (hashed from the tag name). These tags propagate back to the main HN page view, visible next to the post title. All data is stored locally in the browser's IndexedDB or storage API.
4. Contextual Thread Alerts: Implements heuristic badges based on thread activity. An "OP Active" golden badge appears when the original poster has commented. A "Comment War" alert chip activates when a thread exceeds 150 comments, turning into a glowing red indicator at 400+ comments, signaling high-engagement discussions.
5. Built-In Translation & Domain Muting: Leverages the browser's built-in Translator API (available in Chrome 138+) to locally translate post titles and comment previews into over 17 languages without external API keys. The domain muting feature allows users to block posts from specific domains (e.g., medium.com, x.com), which are then filtered from the Radar view and main feed.

Problems Solved

1. Pain Point: Difficulty in identifying genuinely rising, high-signal discussions on Hacker News before they reach the front page, due to the site's simplistic ranking based primarily on cumulative points.
2. Target Audience: Daily Hacker News readers, technology professionals (software engineers, founders, VCs), researchers, and information workers who rely on HN for tech news and community insights but are frustrated by its spartan and noisy interface.
3. Use Cases: A venture capitalist scanning for accelerating "Launch HN" posts of new startups; a developer looking for active "Ask HN" threads where the original poster is engaged; a non-native English speaker needing instant translation of headlines; a reader wanting to curate and tag a personal list of threads to monitor across multiple browsing sessions.

Unique Advantages

1. Differentiation: Unlike alternative Hacker News clients or CSS themes that simply reskin the site or rely on cloud backends, NODUS HN Radar combines real-time signal analysis (velocity), deep local interaction (pinning/tagging), and privacy-by-default architecture into a single, lightweight extension.
2. Key Innovation: The implementation of a purely local-first data model. All user data (pins, tags, settings, mute lists) persists solely in the user's browser. The extension's only network calls are to the public HN website and its public Firebase API, creating a zero-infrastructure, zero-trust product where uninstallation equals complete data deletion.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Is NODUS HN Radar free and does it require an account? Yes, the NODUS HN Radar Chrome extension and Firefox add-on are completely free to install and use. It requires no account, no login, and no registration of any kind, as all data is stored locally on your device.
2. How does the HN Radar velocity tracking work? The extension calculates a post's velocity by fetching timestamped score and comment count data from Hacker News's public API. It computes the rate of change (points + comments per hour) and the delta between intervals, providing a real-time metric of a discussion's momentum beyond simple total points.
3. What happens to my pinned threads and tags if I uninstall the extension? Because NODUS HN Radar is architected as a local-first browser extension, all your data (pinned threads, tags, settings) is stored only in your browser's local storage. Uninstalling the extension will completely and permanently delete all this data.
4. Can I use NODUS features on mobile or with other HN clients? No, NODUS HN Radar is specifically a browser extension for desktop Chrome and Firefox that operates by overlaying the official news.ycombinator.com website. Its features are not available on mobile browsers or alternative HN client applications.
5. How does the built-in translation feature work without an API key? The extension uses the browser's native Translator API (e.g., Chrome's integrated translation engine). This processes text locally or via the browser's secure translation service, meaning no third-party translation API keys are required, and your data is not sent to an external cloud service you don't control.