Perplexity Without the Filler
Hey HN, I've been using LLM-powered search engines like Perplexity a lot recently for question answering but had two major qualms: 1. Too much text: I'm already tired of wading through LLM-generated meaningless filler when debugging my code. The last thing I need is more of it when I'm just trying to find a simple answer. 2. The Reddit factor: I've realized that half my search queries have "Reddit" appended to them, especially for experiential questions or recommendations. This led to Just the Answer. Just the Answer uses GPT-4o to generate a unique search query for each message that is…
In plain words
Just the Answer is an AI-powered search tool that delivers concise answers to user questions without excessive text. It uses GPT-4o to generate tailored search queries and Serper.dev to find results, automatically appending "Reddit" to queries about subjective experiences or recommendations. The tool is designed for users who want quick, direct answers without LLM-generated filler, particularly useful for practical questions like coding help or product recommendations where real user experiences matter.
written from the facts on this page · September 2026
From the sources
In the maker’s words, at launch
Hey HN, I've been using LLM-powered search engines like Perplexity a lot recently for question answering but had two major qualms: 1. Too much text: I'm already tired of wading through LLM-generated meaningless filler when debugging my code. The last thing I need is more of it when I'm just trying to find a simple answer. 2. The Reddit factor: I've realized that half my search queries have "Reddit" appended to them, especially for experiential questions or recommendations. This led to Just the Answer. Just the Answer uses GPT-4o to generate a unique search query for each message that is sent, combining your past messages, the current date & time (if relevant), and your most recent message. It then uses serper.dev to run a search for the query, and then if GPT determines that the query is asking about a subjective experience, it runs a parallel one with "reddit" appended and prioritizes those results. Both searches are then condensed into as few words as necessary to get what I need. The search query can be accessed via the link icon on the right of each answer, and the chosen sources can be seen by expanding the answer. This is all served via a NextJS frontend. In theory, as few words as possible sounded great. In practice however, this meant that I was sometimes left wanting slightly more information, so I added the ability to select follow-up questions and dig deeper into important keywords in the answer just by clicking on them. Since building this, I've found myself using it more than Perplexity, especially for outing and content recommendations due to the Reddit factor. The Wikipedia-style hyperlink feature has also been enjoyable, as it allows me to build my own personal detailed answer based on my choices rather than just be given an essay from one question—I read, select, read, select, and so on. One thing I'd like to add is a built-in traditional browser interface that can be opened if needed since it's a pain having to leave the page if you want to access more search results. This would streamline the experience and keep everything in one place. I'd love to hear your thoughts!
More ai this month
the category →
I trained a 125M-parameter transformer to autocomplete piano performances in real time (~108 notes/sec on an iPhone 15). The idea is basically GitHub Copilot or Tabnine, except instead of prompting it with code, you prompt it by playing a few notes on a MIDI piano. The model then continues what you played, entirely on-device. The app is free if anyone wants to try it. Happy to answer questions about the model, training, Core ML, or the many things that didn't work.
AI · 16d ago · simedw.com
Astute▲585Automate your B2B brand going viral, with new media creators
AI · 18d ago · company-app.joinastute.com
Hey HN, Henry from Cactus here! We previously released Cactus Needle, a 14MB agentic LLM for tool call, device use, and structured extraction for phones, wearables, smart homes, small robots and microcontrollers. We got really great feedback here, and have now incorporated the suggestions to release Needle 2. The whole model is a single 14MB binary that runs a full session in 28MB of RAM; 45m parameters at 2bit compression. Needle hits 500 tokens/sec decode speed on a Raspberry Pi 5, sits between 400-1,500 tokens/sec on VR devices like Meta Quest 3S and Apple Vision Pro, and ranges…
AI · 26d ago · cactuscompute.com
Launched alongside, July 2024
the whole month →
- IC
Many years ago, I made VJ softwares (to mix live visuals in clubs) for unexpected platforms like the Game Boy Advance, the Playstation 2 and the Raspberry Pi. This year, I’m back with a new web-app: Pikimov. Inspired by Photopea (a free Photoshop clone), I created this web-based motion design & video editor as an alternative to After Effects, to fill empty void. It's free, without signup, without cloud uploads (your files stay on your machine), and your projects are not used for AI models training.
AI · 2024 · pikimov.com
