The hottest APIs Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

"Siri"ous

Aipreneur • 0 implied HN points • 10 Mar 23
🕹 Technology APIs
  1. Apple introduced Siri in 2011, setting a standard for virtual assistants.
  2. Siri's functionality has lagged behind competitors like Google Assistant and Alexa.
  3. By integrating ChatGPT API, users can enhance Siri's capabilities for more useful interactions.

Progressive Web Apps

Code Solo • 0 implied HN points • 30 Mar 23
🕹 Technology APIs
  1. Progressive Web Apps are optimized websites that can run on mobile devices like native apps.
  2. PWAs can be installed without using the App Store, making it easier for developers to publish and update apps.
  3. Web APIs offer a wide range of functionalities for PWAs, but browser support, especially from Apple, can be limited.

Waking up to doomsday

Kiernan • 0 implied HN points • 23 Jun 23
🕹 Technology APIs
  1. New advancements in vendor APIs can render your product irrelevant overnight.
  2. Products heavily reliant on a single API backend are not sustainable in the long term.
  3. To avoid becoming obsolete, build products that combine multiple unique data sources.
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The Reliability Revolution: Idempotent APIs and the Future of Distributed Computing

Engineering At Scale • 0 implied HN points • 04 Jul 23
🕹 Technology APIs
  1. Building reliable systems in an unreliable world is crucial for the success of products and services.
  2. Failures in distributed systems can lead to challenges like duplicate transactions, but idempotent APIs can help ensure consistency.
  3. Idempotent APIs are key in guaranteeing data integrity, simplifying error handling, and enhancing fault tolerance in distributed systems.

🔮 Weekly Dose of AI #2 - Reading minds / Breaking banks /ChatGPT API

Definite Optimism • 0 implied HN points • 06 Mar 23
🕹 Technology APIs
  1. Researchers can reconstruct brain images from MRI scans, potentially leading to mind-reading technology.
  2. AI-generated voices can be used to impersonate individuals, posing security risks in areas like banking.
  3. OpenAI released ChatGPT and Whisper APIs, leading the way in generative AI but facing criticism for becoming closed-source and profit-driven.

Recapping the first OpenAI DevDay

Deus In Machina • 0 implied HN points • 09 Nov 23
🕹 Technology APIs
  1. Inaugural OpenAI DevDay featured new product announcements and successful integrations with companies like Amgen and Lowe's
  2. Over 92% of Fortune 500 companies are utilizing OpenAI products for building, showcasing corporate interest in innovative technologies
  3. Introduction of GPT-4 Turbo model highlighted improvements in context length, control, knowledge, customizations, and competitive pricing

Adding an OpenGL Backend

Hasen Judi • 0 implied HN points • 16 Jul 23
🕹 Technology APIs
  1. Conditional compilation is used to switch between Metal and OpenGL backends.
  2. The process of creating shaders in OpenGL involves more boilerplate code compared to Metal.
  3. Error reporting in OpenGL requires additional boilerplate code compared to Metal.

PlacesGPT

Expand Mapping with Mike Morrow • 0 implied HN points • 12 Dec 23
🕹 Technology APIs
  1. PlacesGPT brings point of interest data into ChatGPT.
  2. Using Google's Places Text Search API helps with ambiguous address queries.
  3. The Google Places API usage for PlacesGPT will be limited due to cost until the GPT marketplace launches.

API First? No, thank you! Schema-first, please!

Reflective Software Engineering • 0 implied HN points • 26 Jun 23
🕹 Technology APIs
  1. Start with defining the API schema instead of API-first approach as it allows for early feedback, unblocks consumer development, and enables incremental progress.
  2. An API schema specifies all endpoints, interactions, and responses, and can be visualized in tools like Swagger, aiding in documentation and code generation.
  3. Working schema-first has benefits like enabling real-time collaboration, source-controlled contract, and code generation capabilities based on the formal specification.

My Backend Template for Node.js

Implementing • 0 implied HN points • 08 Jan 24
🕹 Technology APIs
  1. The project structure for a Node.js backend, inspired by the Model View Controller (MVC) approach, includes folders for controllers, models, and utilities to maintain context information for HTTP requests effectively.
  2. The use of a custom logger within the application without relying on external libraries provides flexibility and control over log formatting and content, allowing easy debugging and monitoring.
  3. Switching from MySQL to Postgres for personal projects offers advantages in terms of transaction handling, materialized view creation, cost-effectiveness in hosting, and better performance for certain tasks.

Google Marketing API, Tavus $18M, Microsoft Patches 60+ Issues

The API Changelog • 0 implied HN points • 19 Mar 24
🕹 Technology APIs
  1. Google introduced a new API enhancing administrative control over analytics properties, merging organization details for easier management.
  2. Tavus, a generative AI video firm, raised $18 million and unveiled its Developer Platform with Replica API for text-to-video and digital replica creation.
  3. Microsoft patched over 60 security issues including critical vulnerabilities in HyperV and Open Management Infrastructure to ensure user safety.

🎓 Making (reasonably) good decisions quickly; Using a third Entity instead of a Join Table

Become a Senior Engineer • 0 implied HN points • 14 Mar 24
🕹 Technology APIs
  1. Making decisions quickly is crucial for unblocking progress and enabling action, learning, and iteration.
  2. When dealing with complex decisions, prioritize understanding the problem, collaborating with your team, and utilizing prototyping for informed choices.
  3. Using a third entity instead of a join table in relational databases can better reflect domain logic and avoid compatibility issues with frameworks.

Any Cables Monthly #3

AnyCable Broadcasts • 0 implied HN points • 04 Oct 22
🕹 Technology APIs
  1. Expect exciting content from upcoming Ruby conferences like RubyKaigi and RailsSaaS. Keep an eye out for updates!
  2. Don't miss out on Hacktoberfest 2022 as a chance to contribute to open source projects. AnyCable projects have the '#hacktoberfest' tag.
  3. Reduce server-side costs by exploring ways to handle browser tabs, like using a Shared Worker or localStorage as a message bus. Stay updated for future technologies like the Web Locks API.

Announcement: Android Jetpack Security library

Thái | Hacker | Kỹ sư tin tặc • 0 implied HN points • 10 May 19
🕹 Technology 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 APIs
  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 APIs
  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
  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.

Shipping Fast with FastAPI and Cloud Run

realkinetic • 0 implied HN points • 28 May 24
🕹 Technology APIs
  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 APIs
  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 APIs
  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
  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 APIs
  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.

Is Data Science Industry Maturing?

Sector 6 | The Newsletter of AIM • 0 implied HN points • 14 Feb 21
🕹 Technology APIs
  1. The data science industry is evolving and becoming more sophisticated over time.
  2. APIs are important for making machine learning organizations more effective and efficient.
  3. Conferences and events, like the Machine Learning Developers Summit, help bring together enthusiasts and experts to share knowledge and skills.

OpenAI Assistants API & Python SDK

Cobus Greyling on LLMs, NLU, NLP, chatbots & voicebots • 0 implied HN points • 08 Dec 23
🕹 Technology APIs
  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 APIs
  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 APIs
  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 APIs
  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 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 APIs
  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 APIs
  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 APIs
  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 APIs
  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 APIs
  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.