The hottest App Development Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics
Bryant’s Newsletter 572 HN points 17 Apr 24
  1. Vector embeddings are essential for search and recommendations, measuring similarity in various languages and providing efficiency in AI app development.
  2. Pgvector, a Postgres extension, is a powerful tool for storing and querying embeddings and combining standard SQL logic with embedding operations.
  3. Working with embeddings feels like regular code compared to more complex language models, offering a simpler and more deterministic approach to AI development.
Jacob’s Tech Tavern 1304 HN points 27 Nov 23
  1. The idea for the app came from the author's toddler's fascination with planes, leading to the creation of a radar app.
  2. The app was built to be engaging and fun for kids, with features like showing nearby flights and being oriented correctly.
  3. The author went through user testing with their toddler to ensure the app was enjoyable and successful before launching it on the App Store.
Tabletops 78 implied HN points 03 Jul 23
  1. Apple Stores often choose locations near other popular brands like Victoria's Secret, Lululemon, and Sephora.
  2. Most Apple Stores are located on the main level of the malls they are in.
  3. Apple Store distribution seems to loosely correlate with mall operators like Simon and Brookfield.
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Generating Conversation 3 HN points 07 Mar 24
  1. Stay updated with AI news, but avoid diving too deep into becoming an expert. Focus on relevance to your product.
  2. Design applications for flexibility to adapt to evolving technology. Consider configurable components for easier updates.
  3. Identify what aspects of your project are core and non-negotiable, versus what can be changed. Be clear on priorities to navigate the pace of innovation.
Technology Made Simple 1 HN point 30 Mar 24
  1. Consistently achieve high app ratings like 4.8". It's not easy, but it's simple. Understand two key concepts: asking for reviews and identifying 'wow' moments.
  2. Requesting app reviews is crucial. Users rarely leave reviews on their own, so ask for feedback using StoreKit APIs in iOS and strategically place these requests at key points in your app's critical path.
  3. Focus on delivering 'wow' moments in your app, ask for reviews at that peak point. Balancing user satisfaction with review requests on the critical path is essential for maintaining a high app rating.
Thoughts 19 implied HN points 30 Oct 23
  1. The concept of using AI to describe images has evolved over the years, from human-powered descriptions to ML-based automated descriptions.
  2. The Implai app takes image descriptions a step further by adding enhancements or filters, providing a new way to share 'text photos'.
  3. Users can create 'text photos' with descriptions and apply 'tilters' to enhance the appearance before sharing and engaging with others in the app.
Yung’s Substack 2 HN points 09 Mar 24
  1. The first step of creating the Phomo app was building a calendar view that displayed images from a selected album on specific dates.
  2. Using React Native Calendars library initially seemed like a good solution, but faced challenges with performance and limitations like maximum range and fixed month height.
  3. The process involved loading images, transforming the data, and creating components for the grid layout in the calendar, demonstrating the complexity and effort in app development.
Exzakt Enough 39 implied HN points 05 Mar 23
  1. DraftStocks is a weekly stock-picking game where you can compete with friends to win $25.
  2. The app was built to create a platform for picking stocks and experimenting with different tools and technologies.
  3. Future developments for the app include live pricing, custom contests, and more ways for users to build portfolios.
Robert’s Substack 2 HN points 11 Feb 24
  1. Voice-to-text functionality on devices like the Vision Pro can enable easier coding and design processes.
  2. Tools like Rendition can turn text descriptions into functional UI components, aiding in the development process.
  3. Combining AI with voice commands allows for efficient creation of software interfaces, offering a glimpse into the future of development.
Tippets by Taps 12 implied HN points 09 Jul 23
  1. Elon Musk's purchase of Twitter shook up the social media landscape with Meta's introduction of Threads as a direct competitor.
  2. Threads, with its early traction and positive vibe, shows potential to challenge Twitter's dominance.
  3. Despite initial incomplete features, Threads seems to offer a clean and engaging user experience, posing a threat to Twitter in the social media space.
Turnaround 19 implied HN points 30 Dec 19
  1. India's app market is fast-growing and competitive, but retention rates can be challenging with high uninstall percentages within the first day.
  2. Creating a successful app for the Indian market involves understanding user behaviors, focusing on product design to capture attention, and strategically planning the app's lifecycle stages.
  3. Deepak Abbot, former SVP at Paytm, shares valuable insights on benchmarking data, growth hacking, and app development specifically tailored for the Indian market in a bonus video presentation.
Transitions 0 implied HN points 16 Apr 23
  1. The app aims to help writers improve their skills through personalized, practical courses with tailored feedback.
  2. Inspired by Duolingo's gamified learning approach for language learning, the app plans to make writing practice engaging and enjoyable.
  3. Initial focus is on a web application, with future plans to develop Android and iOS versions.
The journey of a solopreneur (by David Journeypreneur) 0 implied HN points 03 Jan 24
  1. Converting a website to an Android app enhances user experience, expands reach, and boosts engagement and loyalty.
  2. Consider custom app development or no-code app builders like WebToApp.app for conversion.
  3. WebToApp.app offers a user-friendly interface, no coding knowledge requirement, quick conversion, design templates, and affordable pricing.
Ulizzle On Software 0 implied HN points 08 Feb 24
  1. The elevator pitch discusses a humorous concept of a dog meetup app with AI capabilities, blending humor and technology in a unique way.
  2. The project is envisioned as a microservice system using technologies like Phoenix/Elixir for scalability and React for the frontend, appealing to investors with nostalgia.
  3. Despite the humor, there's a mention of a missing AI feature, adding a playful element of requesting a million dollars to see it in action.