Frustrated with existing iOS music players' complexity and lack of desired features like gapless playback and folder-based organization, the author developed their own minimalist MP3 player in SwiftUI. The project served as a learning experience in SwiftUI, audio playback with AVFoundation, and file management. The resulting app supports essential features like playlists, shuffling, and background playback, while prioritizing a clean interface and offline functionality. The author details their development process, highlighting the challenges and solutions encountered, such as efficient file indexing and handling large music libraries on-device.
Xtool is a cross-platform command-line tool designed to replace Xcode for building iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS apps. It aims to provide a faster and more flexible build system, particularly for developers working on Linux or Windows. Utilizing Swift's new build system, Xtool offers improved performance and concurrency over Xcode, and simplifies dependency management by leveraging the Swift Package Manager. It supports building for Apple devices via connected hardware or simulators, and while currently experimental, the project actively welcomes community involvement.
Hacker News users discussed Xtool's potential and limitations. Some expressed excitement about cross-platform iOS development, particularly for CI/CD pipelines and those without access to Macs. Others were skeptical about its long-term viability given Apple's control over the iOS ecosystem, questioning whether it could truly replicate Xcode's functionality, especially for debugging and profiling. Concerns were also raised about potential legal challenges from Apple. Several commenters mentioned existing solutions like Flutter and React Native as potentially better alternatives for cross-platform development, although acknowledging Xtool's unique focus on native Swift. The complexity of replicating Xcode's tight integration with Apple's hardware and software was a recurring theme, with some suggesting that a cloud-based macOS solution might be a more practical approach.
Lovable is a new tool built with Flutter that simplifies mobile app user onboarding and feature adoption. It allows developers to easily create interactive guides, tutorials, and walkthroughs within their apps without coding. These in-app experiences are customizable and designed to improve user engagement and retention by highlighting key features and driving specific actions, ultimately making the app more "lovable" for users.
Hacker News users discussed the cross-platform framework Flutter and its suitability for mobile app development. Some praised Flutter's performance and developer experience, while others expressed concerns about its long-term viability, particularly regarding Apple's potential restrictions on third-party frameworks. Several commenters questioned the "lovability" claim, focusing on aspects like jank and the developer experience around animations. The closed-source nature of the presented tool, Lovable, also drew criticism, with users preferring open-source alternatives or questioning the need for such a tool. Some discussion revolved around Flutter's suitability for specific use-cases like games and the challenges of managing complex state in Flutter apps.
A0.dev is a newly launched React Native app generator built to streamline mobile development. It allows developers to quickly create fully functional React Native apps with pre-built features like authentication, navigation, and data storage, significantly reducing boilerplate coding. The generated codebase follows best practices, uses TypeScript, and is designed for easy customization and extension. A0.dev aims to simplify the initial setup and development process, allowing developers to focus on building core app features rather than infrastructure.
The Hacker News comments on A0.dev, a React Native app generator, are generally positive and intrigued. Several commenters express interest in the speed and ease of use, praising the low-code/no-code approach. Some question the long-term viability and flexibility compared to building from scratch, raising concerns about vendor lock-in and limitations when needing to customize beyond the provided templates. Others point out the potential benefits for rapid prototyping and MVP development. A few commenters share their experiences with similar tools, drawing comparisons and suggesting alternative solutions. There's a brief discussion around pricing and the target audience, with some feeling the pricing might be high for individual developers.
iOS 18 introduces homomorphic encryption for some Siri features, allowing on-device processing of encrypted audio requests without decrypting them first. This enhances privacy by preventing Apple from accessing the raw audio data. Specifically, it uses a fully homomorphic encryption scheme to transform audio into a numerical representation amenable to encrypted computations. These computations generate an encrypted Siri response, which is then sent to Apple servers for decryption and delivery back to the user. While promising improved privacy, the post raises concerns about potential performance impacts and the specific details of the implementation, which Apple hasn't fully disclosed.
Hacker News users discussed the practical implications and limitations of homomorphic encryption in iOS 18. Several commenters expressed skepticism about Apple's actual implementation and its effectiveness, questioning whether it's fully homomorphic encryption or a more limited form. Performance overhead and restricted use cases were also highlighted as potential drawbacks. Some pointed out that the touted benefits, like encrypted search and image classification, might be achievable with existing techniques, raising doubts about the necessity of homomorphic encryption for these tasks. A few users noted the potential security benefits, particularly regarding protecting user data from cloud providers, but the overall sentiment leaned towards cautious optimism pending further details and independent analysis. Some commenters linked to additional resources explaining the complexities and current state of homomorphic encryption research.
Summary of Comments ( 158 )
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44062227
Hacker News users generally praised the author's effort and clean UI, with some expressing interest in the project's code. Several commenters discussed alternative approaches for audio playback in Swift, mentioning libraries like AVAudioEngine and AudioKit, and debated the complexities of handling background audio playback properly. Others pointed out the challenges of supporting various audio formats beyond MP3 and considered the potential battery drain of a SwiftUI-based player. A few users questioned the practical need for such a project given existing solutions but acknowledged the learning experience it provided. Several commenters recommended adding features like playlist management and a sleep timer.
The Hacker News post "I Built My Own Audio Player" (linking to an article about building a native MP3 player in SwiftUI) has generated a modest discussion with a few interesting points.
Several commenters focus on the developer's choice of SwiftUI and its perceived limitations, especially for tasks like audio playback. One commenter questions the suitability of SwiftUI for complex, performance-sensitive applications, expressing skepticism about its maturity and robustness compared to UIKit. They specifically highlight potential issues with background audio playback and suggest that SwiftUI might not be the ideal tool for this particular use case. This concern is echoed by another user who mentions encountering difficulties with SwiftUI's handling of background tasks.
Another commenter points out the complexity of seemingly simple features like gapless playback, highlighting the challenges faced by developers even when using established frameworks like AVFoundation. This comment adds context to the developer's undertaking, suggesting that building a robust audio player is more involved than it might appear at first glance.
A few comments discuss the benefits of using native libraries and APIs (like AVFoundation) instead of relying on third-party solutions. This approach is praised for providing greater control over the app's behavior and performance.
One user expresses interest in the developer's approach to handling background audio playback in SwiftUI, acknowledging the framework's limitations in this area. They inquire about specific techniques used, suggesting a practical interest in learning from the developer's experience.
Finally, some comments express appreciation for the project and the developer's willingness to share their experience. They view it as a valuable learning resource for others interested in SwiftUI development and audio playback.
While the discussion isn't extensive, it touches upon relevant topics surrounding SwiftUI development, audio playback, and the challenges of building seemingly simple applications. The comments primarily focus on the practicalities of using SwiftUI for this type of project, highlighting both its potential and limitations.