17 comments

  • frnz 1 day ago
    Audio normalizing seems to be quite hard for this kind of use. I tried this 20 yrs ago with parts of a (mouse-)pointer device, a rigid nylon strap around the chest and 8 cm of flexible length in between. Mouse pointer wheel (one dimension only) was driven by change of length. For some hours of fiddling it was quite reliable.
    • felixzeller 1 day ago
      That`s very cool. I chose the phone mic, because everybody already has one, no extra device needed. The downside is normalization: from room noise to breathing style. I do use an ML layer to deal with some of these variations but only after basic signal checks. The hard part is to decide when the microphone signal is too ambiguous to use at all...
  • xattt 1 day ago
    What about in call centre situations to monitor employees or customers’ emotional states, or fingerprinting customers?
    • felixzeller 1 day ago
      Exactly the kind of use I don`t want to support. I do not upload raw audio or speech and I don`t try to identify individuals from the signal. The app was built for voluntary feedback on mood and rhythm.
  • anpavi 21 hours ago
    • felixzeller 13 hours ago
      Lungy looks really nice. With shiihaa I am exploring a different direction: silent biofeedback. microphone-based breathing feedback that tries not to become the object of attention but instead supports self-awarness and introspection.
  • esquire_900 1 day ago
    Very interesting idea, I hope you can progress this into a well working, proven application.

    I tried to do something very similar a year or 2 ago, more directed towards meditation. (Ie as a helper that uses breath to detect a wandering mind). A microphone in itself wasn't sufficient in my case, and detection was quite hard. I ended up using wired earbuds with microphones.

    Nice focus as well, less scoring and more signal. All the best in your project!

    • felixzeller 1 day ago
      Thank you so much for your kind words. The microphone is the hard part, so I am trying to learn where the limits are instead of just pretending they do not exist... What happened to your project?
  • 47282847 1 day ago
    Sounds interesting. App not available in my region (iOS, Germany).
    • felixzeller 1 day ago
      Thanks for catching this. The iOS app is currently blocked in Germany (and some other EU countries) because DSA information is still pending. Hopefully soon. Android is available there. The biofeedback can be accessed via browser without creating an account. The link and details are in the repo README.
      • 47282847 2 hours ago
        Tried it on website but I always get Signal too weak, even if I breathe heavily, in an otherwise silent room. iPhone 13mini.
        • felixzeller 1 hour ago
          Great feedback, thank you. The browser version still depends on the device/browser mic chain and it looks like the threshold is too strict on some iPhone/Safari setups. I`ll look into this case. It should not get stuck at signal too weak if the room is silent and breathing clearly audible.
  • ncr100 1 day ago
    OT did GitHub change their default fonts? This MD file shows up "differently" than I am used to, today.
  • muhammadusman 2 days ago
    can you please review login requirement?
    • felixzeller 1 day ago
      [flagged]
      • monk_grilla 1 day ago
        In the README it says

        > Do I need an account to try it? Not for the core breathing biofeedback; that works without creating one. Some surrounding features in the app use an account; the part this repo is about does not.

        I downloaded the app based on this, but you can’t use it at all without creating an account. Please review your AI’s output.

        • felixzeller 1 day ago
          there is a no-account path for the browser version of the biofeedback feature now.
        • felixzeller 1 day ago
          [flagged]
          • rationalist 1 day ago
            Are your comments here also written by AI?
            • felixzeller 1 day ago
              Fair question. I do use tools sometimes to correct long reads, but the content (and thus the mistake here) is mine. I should have checked the README against the released app before posting. The README is corrected now, and there is a no-account path for the browser biofeedback demo.
              • tomhow 1 day ago
                When commenting on HN, please don't copy+paste anything from an AI tool (including a translation tool) into the comment field. This is against the guidelines and stirs up negative reactions from fellow community members.
            • kingjha 1 day ago
              Hello Claude
      • OsrsNeedsf2P 1 day ago
        Appreciate the directness, but pro-tip from an ex-mobile dev; you'll convert way better with IAP subscriptions rather than your own account system
        • felixzeller 1 day ago
          Thanks, that is actually really useful. I chose the account system because I had it from the web side, but I see your point. Will think it through properly.
  • pasrom 1 day ago
    [flagged]
  • stanleydupreez 1 day ago
    [flagged]
  • RomanVoropaev 1 day ago
    [flagged]
  • maartenh 1 day ago
    Sounds interesting. Unfortunately not available in my country in the Android app store. I live in The Netherlands. If you're looking for feedback, you might want to double check this :)
    • felixzeller 1 day ago
      The Android app is now available in all Play Store countries except mainland China
    • felixzeller 1 day ago
      [flagged]
  • jiangriver66 1 day ago
    [flagged]
  • esanyapi 1 day ago
    [dead]
  • naeem189 2 days ago
    [dead]
  • enigmatic2 1 day ago
    [dead]
  • throwwwll 1 day ago
    AI slop