The hottest APIs Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

Announcement: Android Jetpack Security library

Thái | Hacker | Kỹ sư tin tặc • 0 implied HN points • 10 May 19
🕹 Technology Android Security Development Encryption APIs
  1. The Android Jetpack Security library provides APIs to easily encrypt files and shared preferences, enhancing data security for Android apps.
  2. The library offers a drop-in replacement for SharedPreferences and Editor classes, automatically encrypting/decrypting data to strengthen app security.
  3. Leveraging Android Keystore, the library ensures decryption of files or preferences only after user authentication, adding an extra layer of security to sensitive data.

Fairy tales in password hashing with scrypt

Thái | Hacker | Kỹ sư tin tặc • 0 implied HN points • 19 Apr 14
🕹 Technology Security Programming Crypto APIs Java
  1. scrypt, a password-based key derivation function, is commonly used for password hashing but wasn't initially designed for this purpose
  2. Using scrypt incorrectly, such as with file encryption API instead of proper password hashing, can lead to weak security vulnerabilities
  3. When developing a crypto library, it's important to conduct user studies to ensure developers are using it correctly and securely

Flickr's API Signature Forgery Vulnerability

Thái | Hacker | Kỹ sư tin tặc • 0 implied HN points • 14 Sep 09
🕹 Technology Security Vulnerabilities APIs Cybersecurity
  1. Flickr's API has a vulnerability in its signing process that allows attackers to forge valid requests without the shared secret, potentially granting unauthorized access to user accounts.
  2. Web services similar to Flickr that use the same signing process could also be potentially vulnerable to the signature forgery attack.
  3. Vendor Yahoo! Flickr acknowledged the vulnerability and planned a fix, while other vendors responded differently to notifications about the issue, suggesting an inconsistency in addressing such vulnerabilities.

Why tech companies need an open API growth strategy

Kushal’s Substack • 0 implied HN points • 07 Jun 23
🕹 Technology APIs Marketing Product Development User Generated Content Customer Experience
  1. APIs can be a powerful marketing tool for tech companies, enabling external developers to build on top of your product.
  2. By embracing an API growth strategy, companies can deliver more features, boost user-generated content, and enhance customer experience with minimal effort.
  3. The future of marketing may heavily involve APIs, especially with the rise of Web 3.0 and big data, leading to new ways of selling.
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Shipping Fast with FastAPI and Cloud Run

realkinetic • 0 implied HN points • 28 May 24
🕹 Technology Programming Cloud Computing APIs Containers Development
  1. Building APIs with FastAPI and deploying them on Cloud Run can help you ship features quickly while maintaining enterprise standards and leveraging cloud resources.
  2. To ship a backend API using FastAPI and Cloud Run, you will need to work with Python >= 3.10, Google Cloud services, Docker for containerization, and establish logging, monitoring, and testing strategies.
  3. By combining FastAPI for API development, Firestore for database interaction, and Cloud Run for deployment, you can create a robust backend system that can be efficiently tested, deployed, and managed in the cloud.

Three best practice approaches to authentication

realkinetic • 0 implied HN points • 13 Dec 22
🕹 Technology Authentication APIs Microservices Networking Security
  1. Service-level authentication puts the responsibility of authentication on individual services, allowing better control over which endpoints are authenticated and which aren't.
  2. API-gateway authentication centralizes authentication at a gateway, simplifying downstream services' implementation but requires careful configuration to prevent vulnerabilities.
  3. Service-mesh authentication uses sidecar proxies to provide authentication, set up transparently for services, enhancing security but adding complexity and performance overhead.

API Authentication with GCP Identity-Aware Proxy

realkinetic • 0 implied HN points • 25 Jan 19
🕹 Technology Cloud Computing APIs Authentication Security
  1. Cloud Identity-Aware Proxy (Cloud IAP) enables authentication and authorization for applications in Google Cloud Platform (GCP) by requiring users to login with their Google account and have appropriate access roles.
  2. Configuring Identity-Aware Proxy involves associating it with an App Engine application or HTTPS Load Balancer and adding service accounts for programmatic authentication.
  3. Authenticating API consumers with Cloud IAP involves generating a JWT signed with service account credentials, exchanging it for a Google-signed OIDC token, and making authenticated requests by setting the bearer token in the Authorization header.

Leave the REST to GraphQL

Tribal Knowledge • 0 implied HN points • 05 May 22
🕹 Technology APIs Development Backend Rest
  1. GraphQL provides an intuitive and flexible way to describe data requirements and interactions for client applications, simplifying development by having a defined schema and aiding with debugging.
  2. While REST is a standard widely taught in software engineering, GraphQL offers a more elegant approach by simplifying data contracts, debugging, and allowing for a more complex backend and simpler frontend development.
  3. Using GraphQL can help divide tasks among team members more effectively, with senior engineers focusing on backend problem-solving and junior engineers concentrating on frontend tasks like data mapping, ultimately making APIs more discoverable and user-friendly.

The Curious Case of ChatGPT API Pricing

Sector 6 | The Newsletter of AIM • 0 implied HN points • 05 Mar 23
🕹 Technology AI Software APIs Development Enterprise
  1. ChatGPT's API has made it easier for businesses to use its features at a lower cost. This is helping many companies save money and improve their services.
  2. The reduction in costs associated with ChatGPT's API is likely to attract more users and increase its popularity. More people will want to try it out for their projects.
  3. Keeping some services free for a longer time can be beneficial for businesses, as it can lead to better long-term results. A company mentioned that their runway improved significantly after using ChatGPT's API.

OpenAI Assistants API & Python SDK

Cobus Greyling on LLMs, NLU, NLP, chatbots & voicebots • 0 implied HN points • 08 Dec 23
🕹 Technology AI APIs Programming Software Development
  1. The OpenAI Assistants API helps make it easier to create virtual assistants that can handle conversations without needing prompts. This allows developers to focus more on building functionality instead of managing conversation states.
  2. While the API provides a convenient way to manage conversation history, users still incur costs for every message, which can be unclear. Understanding the token usage is essential to manage budget effectively.
  3. Creating a run in the Assistant API is asynchronous, meaning that developers need to check the status of their request until it's complete. This adds some complexity, but it does allow for better tracking of assistant performance.

What Is Happening To OpenAI’s Playground?

Cobus Greyling on LLMs, NLU, NLP, chatbots & voicebots • 0 implied HN points • 07 Nov 23
🕹 Technology AI Software UX Design APIs Development
  1. The OpenAI Playground is evolving into a user-friendly dashboard that makes it easier to create and customize AI assistants without needing to code. This means users can quickly fine-tune models and build applications.
  2. OpenAI is shifting its focus towards a conversational approach, encouraging developers to create applications that enhance user experiences rather than just improve technical functionalities. Users want engaging technology that’s easy to use.
  3. New features like threads for conversations and tools for file retrieval and code execution are being added. These tools help make the AI assistants more practical and capable, allowing for a richer interaction experience.

When Using The ChatGPT API, Users Will Have To Manage The Context

Cobus Greyling on LLMs, NLU, NLP, chatbots & voicebots • 0 implied HN points • 06 Mar 23
🕹 Technology AI APIs NLP Chatbots Conversational AI
  1. When using the ChatGPT API, users must provide context for the conversation because it doesn't remember past interactions. You need to include previous messages to keep the conversation clear.
  2. If the number of messages exceeds a limit, you can keep only the most recent ones to save space. This way, the model still understands the flow of the conversation.
  3. If you want better responses, you should be clear with your instructions and specify what type of answer you need. Changing how you ask questions can help improve the output.

The Introduction Of Chat Markup Language (ChatML) Is Important For A Number Of Reasons

Cobus Greyling on LLMs, NLU, NLP, chatbots & voicebots • 0 implied HN points • 02 Mar 23
🕹 Technology AI APIs NLP Data Software
  1. Chat Markup Language (ChatML) helps improve security for large language models by protecting against prompt injection attacks. This means it can make conversations safer and more reliable.
  2. ChatML organizes conversations into roles like system, assistant, and user. This helps clarify who is saying what in the conversation, which can reduce misunderstandings.
  3. The development of ChatML is just starting, and future updates will likely allow it to handle more than just text. It may soon include images, sound, and other data types, making it even more versatile.

Share code in Remix with functions, not API endpoints

Andrew's Substack • 0 implied HN points • 07 Sep 24
🕹 Technology Programming Software Web Development APIs
  1. In Remix, it's better to share code using functions instead of creating reusable API endpoints. This helps keep your code cleaner and easier to manage.
  2. When sharing functionality across different routes, let each loader return only the data needed for that specific route. This simplifies your code and reduces complexity.
  3. If you have common code between loaders, extract it into a separate function. This keeps your routes straightforward and maintains readability.

Dissecting the developer strategies of 3 leading AI startups

Router by Dmitry Pimenov • 0 implied HN points • 16 Mar 23
🕹 Technology AI NLP APIs Startups Machine Learning
  1. Diffusion models are making waves in generative AI, allowing for creative image manipulation by removing noise from images. This technology has opened doors for tools that can create high-quality images from simple text prompts.
  2. Large Language Models like ChatGPT are changing the way we interact with technology. They utilize vast amounts of text data to provide smart and coherent answers to complex questions, sparking a competitive race among tech giants to develop their own AI solutions.
  3. Having a solid API strategy is crucial for AI startups. Companies like OpenAI, Hugging Face, and Speechly show that understanding user needs and creating easy-to-use interfaces can lead to success in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.

One avoidable mistake for SaaS sales

Router by Dmitry Pimenov • 0 implied HN points • 02 Mar 23
💼 Business SaaS Sales APIs Startups Marketing
  1. Many startups struggle to gain traction because organizations prefer software that works well with their existing tools. Selling a standalone solution is often not enough.
  2. Bundled software solutions, like GSuite and Microsoft 365, attract users because they offer convenience and integration, even if some products aren't the best in their category.
  3. Startups can improve their chances by using Web APIs to connect with larger platforms or by creating their own APIs. This helps them integrate into existing workflows and keeps users engaged.

How To Build AWS-Compatible APIs: AWS Sigv4

aspiring.dev • 0 implied HN points • 01 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Software Development Cloud Computing APIs Web Development Programming
  1. AWS Sigv4 is a way to authenticate requests when using AWS services. It works by signing requests with your Access Key ID and Secret Access Key, similar to RSA keys.
  2. You can create your own AWS-compatible APIs by implementing signature verification in middleware. This allows your API to mimic AWS services like S3 or DynamoDB.
  3. Building these APIs can be a good idea for startups. You can create custom services that interact with AWS or even replace AWS services entirely while maintaining compatibility.

Dataflow 101: Exploring Essential Modes for Efficient Applications

DataSketch’s Substack • 0 implied HN points • 13 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Data Engineering APIs Databases Real-Time Processing Software Architecture
  1. Databases are key for storing and managing data, supporting both everyday transactions and complex analysis. Using them effectively helps data engineers connect different platforms and applications.
  2. Different data transfer methods, like REST and RPC, help systems communicate efficiently, just like a well-organized library or a quick phone call. Choosing the right method depends on the speed and precision needed for the task.
  3. Message-passing systems allow for flexible and real-time data processing, making them great for applications like IoT or e-commerce. They help ensure communications between services happen smoothly and reliably.

Integrations, Part I

Pine • 0 implied HN points • 20 Aug 24
🕹 Technology Software APIs Development Integrations User Experience
  1. Pine now allows users to create custom integrations using its API. This means you can make your own tools and scripts that work with Pine.
  2. The integration process involves two main steps: creating an integration and installing it in your workspace. Both steps can be done easily in the app's settings.
  3. There's an NPM library available to help you use these integrations to access and modify your data from Pine, making it more flexible for developers.

Inertia Form Components

inelegant puzzles • 0 implied HN points • 02 Oct 24
🕹 Technology Web Development APIs JavaScript Frameworks
  1. There's a new way to build forms in Inertia and Vue that doesn't need extra JavaScript. This makes creating forms easier and more efficient.
  2. With the new Inertia Form Components, you can set up forms quickly using just components. This simplifies how you structure your code.
  3. By using the new components, developers can avoid handling error messages directly in the form setup. It streamlines the process of creating user-friendly forms.

A (very brief) intro to exploring metadata on the Hugging Face Hub

machinelearninglibrarian • 0 implied HN points • 16 Jan 23
🕹 Technology Machine Learning Data science Programming APIs Open Source
  1. The Hugging Face Hub is a key place for sharing machine learning models and datasets. Finding the right model or dataset can be tough as the number grows, but using metadata can help make the search easier.
  2. You can interact with the Hugging Face Hub programmatically using the `huggingface_hub` library. This library allows you to list datasets and models easily, and it has various features that can help developers.
  3. Exploring tags associated with models and datasets on the Hub is important. Tags provide additional information about the purpose and compatibility of models, but counting them can be misleading without considering their context.

TTW Extra #8 🔥: PyCon deep dives a.k.a. "Tutorials". Getting started with Polars, Building your first API with Django, NLP in Python from scratch, Python concurrency 101, ...

Tech Talks Weekly • 0 implied HN points • 30 Oct 24
🕹 Technology Programming APIs Data science Machine Learning Web Development
  1. PyCon has started offering longer format talks called 'Tutorials' since 2020, which allow for in-depth learning on various subjects.
  2. There are many great tutorials available on topics like starting with Polars, building APIs with Django, and learning NLP in Python.
  3. The talks are categorized by year and popularity, making it easy to find the most watched ones or specific topics that interest you.

Understanding Covariance and Contravariance in Type Theory

Andrew’s Substack • 0 implied HN points • 13 Oct 24
🕹 Technology Programming Software APIs
  1. Covariance allows a subtype to be used where a supertype is expected, especially in collections like lists. This means that a list of cats can be treated like a list of animals.
  2. Contravariance is the opposite, where a supertype can be used where a subtype is expected, particularly in functions. This means a function that works with animals can also accept a function that works with cats.
  3. Understanding these concepts is important because they help make your code safer and more flexible, allowing you to design better APIs and reusable functions.

Use the Sort API to track issues in your Snowflake or Postgres data

Database Engineering by Sort • 0 implied HN points • 14 Nov 24
🕹 Technology APIs Data Management Database Software Development Automation
  1. The Sort API helps you track and fix data issues in your Snowflake or PostgreSQL databases. It's like having a tool to keep your data clean and organized.
  2. You can log issues, submit change requests, and categorize them with custom labels. This makes it easier to manage and understand data problems.
  3. The API also allows automation of workflows, so you can streamline how you handle data issues and improve efficiency in your operations.

Announcing the Sort API for Automating Postgres and Snowflake Workflows

Database Engineering by Sort • 0 implied HN points • 07 Nov 24
🕹 Technology APIs Databases Automation Workflows Integration
  1. The Sort API helps automate and manage workflows in Postgres and Snowflake, making it easier for teams to work with their databases.
  2. With Change Requests, users can track, review, and execute changes to their data, which enhances collaboration and transparency.
  3. The API offers powerful querying capabilities, allowing users to define and run their own queries for better data retrieval in their workflows.

Traefik API Sandbox-as-a-Service, Rapid + Nokia, Probely + Snyk

The API Changelog • 0 implied HN points • 19 Nov 24
🕹 Technology APIs Software Networking Security Innovation
  1. Nokia has bought Rapid's API technology to improve network services. This will help them connect better with developers and increase operator revenue.
  2. Traefik has launched a new API Sandbox service for quicker API development. This will help businesses manage their APIs more effectively.
  3. Snyk has acquired a company called Probely to enhance its API security offerings. This aims to improve security testing for applications, especially with AI.

Use bad standards

CodeFaster • 0 implied HN points • 28 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Blockchain Software APIs Development Standards
  1. ChainId is a confusing standard in crypto, but it is universal, which makes it easier to use across different applications. Instead of creating custom names for chains, sticking with chainId saves development time.
  2. Creating custom standards can complicate things, as you might have to map your data to fit different APIs. This can lead to a lot of extra work for developers.
  3. Even if a standard seems bad, if everyone else uses it, it often makes more sense to stick with that standard to avoid unnecessary complications.

Integrate Google Forms into Postgres with the Sort Zapier App

Database Engineering by Sort • 0 implied HN points • 26 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Data Management Automation Software Integration APIs Workflow Optimization
  1. You can easily collect data using Google Forms and automatically add it to a Postgres database using the Sort Zapier App. This makes your data collection process more efficient.
  2. Sort offers a clear way to manage data changes with transparency, keeping track of what was changed, when, and why. This helps maintain trust in the data management process.
  3. By using Sort, you can propose and review data changes easily, allowing admins to approve them quickly before they are applied. This makes handling sensitive data safe and reliable.

Strava Restricts API Access, Kong $175M, SixthSense API Security Observability

The API Changelog • 0 implied HN points • 26 Nov 24
🕹 Technology APIs Funding AI Security Cloud
  1. Kong raised $175 million to grow its API technology and expand globally. This is a big step for them to improve their services and bring more innovation to the market.
  2. Strava has tightened its API access to protect user privacy, affecting a small number of third-party apps. This change shows their commitment to keeping user data safe.
  3. Rakuten SixthSense launched new observability solutions to ensure data integrity and security. These tools are important for businesses to manage their data and APIs safely.

Winding down some projects

Expand Mapping with Mike Morrow • 0 implied HN points • 05 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Web Apps APIs Project management Innovation Software Development
  1. Winding down projects can help clear your mind and spark new creativity. It feels refreshing to have a clean slate.
  2. The author decided to shut down some web applications that were not heavily used. It felt like a waste to keep them running without much purpose.
  3. Getting rid of unneeded projects can open the door for new ideas. It's good to let go of things that no longer inspire you.

HCR EP 003: Data persistence API

Hasen Judi • 0 implied HN points • 10 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Software Development Database Management APIs
  1. In this framework, data is stored using a different method than typical SQL databases. It uses a built-in library for data persistence rather than connecting to an external database.
  2. The framework uses buckets, indexes, and collections to manage data, which allows for easy storage and retrieval without needing to write complicated SQL queries.
  3. A key part of the framework is the serialization function, which helps convert data into a format that can be easily saved and loaded from the storage.

Trying Is a Way to Learn How an API Works

The API Changelog • 0 implied HN points • 19 Dec 24
🕹 Technology APIs Software Development Programming Web
  1. Trying out an API rather than just reading about it helps you learn faster. You get to interact with it and see how it works in real-time.
  2. A safe space, like a sandbox, is essential when experimenting with APIs. This way, you can play around without affecting real data or making costly mistakes.
  3. Having tools like browser-based clients or simple forms makes it easier for users to test APIs. It encourages more people to try your API, which is crucial for attracting new users.

Hubspot Imports API Validations, FINSIGHT + CFR, Exabeam OpenAPI

The API Changelog • 0 implied HN points • 14 Jan 25
🕹 Technology APIs Telecom Digital Services AI Fintech
  1. Aduna is a new company aiming to improve global network API usage. They want to make it easier for developers to access and innovate with network capabilities.
  2. HubSpot's CRM Imports API will start checking for required properties before creating records. This means missing important details will cause an error when trying to import data.
  3. Exabeam has launched a new security platform that supports OpenAPI standards. This will help improve detection of security threats and make the operations center more efficient.

Why Aren’t APIs Using Code on Demand?

The API Changelog • 0 implied HN points • 17 Jan 25
🕹 Technology APIs Web Development Software Engineering Programming User Experience
  1. APIs could improve user experience by using code-on-demand, similar to how web browsers run JavaScript. This would allow APIs to deliver more interactive and efficient services.
  2. The lack of a standardized client for REST APIs makes implementing code-on-demand challenging. New formats like HyperMap are being developed to help change that.
  3. Concerns about security hold back the adoption of code-on-demand in APIs, but the potential benefits suggest it could lead to better features and functionality.

Agentic Authentication and OAuth

ciamweekly • 0 implied HN points • 17 Feb 25
🕹 Technology Authentication AI agents Data Access APIs Security
  1. AI agents will need better ways to access user data, and OAuth could provide a way to do that with its scope system. It helps keep user data secure and structured.
  2. The landscape for AI agents is much more fragmented than social platforms. Many smaller companies don't have the systems in place for OAuth, which makes it harder for widespread adoption.
  3. There might be a mix of solutions where big companies lead with better APIs for agents, while smaller ones could use more casual methods to let agents access information, making it tricky for users to manage their data rights.

MikMak New APIs, Harness + Traceable, DeepSeek Increases API Prices

The API Changelog • 0 implied HN points • 19 Feb 25
🕹 Technology APIs Digital Infrastructure Software Development Cybersecurity Fintech
  1. Aduna is working to make access to network APIs easier around the world by partnering with Sinch, which will help improve digital communication services.
  2. MikMak has launched new APIs and made updates to its platform to help brands increase sales and expand globally, including new pricing intelligence tools.
  3. DeepSeek is raising its API prices, which may lessen competition for cloud vendors while helping businesses focus on localized deployments.