Brent's Bookmarks: 2021

Interesting toolbox for indie book authors for managing and promoting books. Not sure if the feature-set is complete, and I don't see a developer or API section, so I'm not sure it's extensible.

Amplify Framework Documentation

https://docs.amplify.aws/

Interesting cross-platform cloud-based app framework.

Joplin is an open source note-taking app. Capture your thoughts and securely access them from any device.

https://joplinapp.org/

Looks like a capable replacement for evernote-type apps.

Monday, September 6, 2021

The Housing Shortage Is Significant. It's Acute For Small, Entry-Level Homes

https://www.npr.org/2021/09/04/1033585422/the-housing-shortage-is-significant-its-acute-for-small-entry-level-homes

I've been saying this for years.

On the Link Between Great Thinking and Obsessive Walking

https://lithub.com/on-the-link-between-great-thinking-and-obsessive-walking/

Yes, I walk around the office a lot.

SOFTWARE CATALOG NASA's Software Catalog

https://software.nasa.gov/

hundreds of programs you can download for free to use in a wide variety of technical applications.

Saturday, August 21, 2021

Make a Website For Your Podcast in a Minute

https://podsite.io/

Interesting SaaS to turn a podcast RSS into a website.

For your next DIY audio project

https://diy-hifi.com/

Interesting DIY audiophile site. The modular preamp looks interesting.

Causal Inference for The Brave and True

https://matheusfacure.github.io/python-causality-handbook/landing-page.html

from correlation to causation

How to Build APIs in Python: 8 Popular Frameworks

https://www.makeuseof.com/build-api-python-popular-frameworks/amp/

comparing 8 popular python API frameworks.

Wednesday, August 11, 2021

Facebook engineers develop new open source time keeping appliance

https://techcrunch.com/2021/08/11/facebook-engineers-develop-new-open-source-time-keeping-appliance/

Because NTP is old-fashioned. Everybody needs an atomic clock in their desktop.

Cybernetically enhanced web apps

https://svelte.dev/

Another JavaScript front-end.

The best way to build web apps without code

https://bubble.io/

Another no-code web app builder

Solutions for Digital Empowerment

https://www.epik.com/

Yes, another domain registrar.

You’ve got the ideas, we’ve got the domains.

https://www.hover.com/

Another alternative domain registrar.

Mastering Vim Language

https://towardsaws.com/understanding-the-vim-language-b6ea858e9dcc

There's always more to Vim!!

Thursday, August 5, 2021

Radio Paradise

https://radioparadise.com/home

Lossless user-supported streaming service.

Scientists Invented a Simple New Test For Creativity, And You Can Try It Out

https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-think-they-may-have-come-up-with-an-objective-measure-of-creativity

Interesting matrix correlation way of determining it.

Understanding Flask vs FastAPI Web Framework

https://towardsdatascience.com/understanding-flask-vs-fastapi-web-framework-fe12bb58ee75

I've used Flask before, but looks like FastAPI would be better, especially with OpenAPI integration.

The pandemic-driven rise of OnlyFans

https://slidebean.medium.com/only-fans-explained-how-much-money-can-a-nude-make-c0f3868e6eb0

Yeah, I know.

Sunday, August 1, 2021

6 Command Line Tools for Productive Programmers

https://dev.to/adamgordonbell/6-command-line-tools-for-productive-programmers-433l

Representatives of the new generation of CLI Linux tools. I'm not sure about these, as they're mainly about bringing a GUI to the CLI. It's not the "unix way" of providing data that can be piped and transformed.

The simplest way to create forms

https://tally.so/

New SaaS drag-and-drop web form builder. Not sure about the business model, since it's free.

No-Code Client Workflows

https://beau.to/

New no-code workflow SaaS. Looks reasonably priced, we'll see.

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About WebRTC

https://blog.openreplay.com/everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know-about-webrtc

New quasi-serverless browser communication APIs.

Simplifying business in the creator economy

https://www.lumanu.com/

New platform specifically for creators. We'll see where it goes.

Thursday, July 22, 2021

Create Transformational Courses, Workshops and Content Faster

https://educreator-os.com/

Interesting course-creator-in-a-box product.

A Secure Link to the Public Internet

https://packetriot.com/

Interesting VPN/Proxy product

christianity is collapsing

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/freethoughtnow/christianity-is-collapsing/

Maybe, just maybe evangelical Christianity tying itself to the political party that the Nazis love wasn't the best thing for its witness.

GPT-3 resources

https://shotfox.gumroad.com/l/gpt-3resources

list of 170+ for $5 on gumroad

MIT Predicted in 1972 That Society Will Collapse This Century. New Research Shows We’re on Schedule.

https://www.vice.com/en/article/z3xw3x/new-research-vindicates-1972-mit-prediction-that-society-will-collapse-soon

Some scary scenarios out there.

Tuesday, July 13, 2021

Say hello to blackbird The sharpest color theme around

https://blackbird.mattglei.ch

Pretty nice color scheme.

America’s First Legal DAO Approved in Wyoming

https://decrypt.co/75222/americas-first-dao-approved-in-wyoming

The Tao of Dao

Top 12 Open Source Security Testing Tools

https://faun.pub/top-12-open-source-security-testing-tools-6e293db4dc2e

most I've seen, a couple of new ones. Some specialized for databases, etc.

The Biggest Misconception About Git

https://medium.com/@gohberg/the-biggest-misconception-about-git-b2f87d97ed52

it's not all about diffs

Friday, July 9, 2021

10 Advanced Python Tricks To Write Faster, Cleaner Code

https://medium.com/pythonland/10-advanced-python-tricks-to-write-faster-cleaner-code-f9ee76fa878f

some of these I've never seen.

Writing copy has never been easier.

https://headlime.com/

Commercial site that uses GPT3 AI to write copy.

How to Create a Semaphore in Bash

https://www.cloudsavvyit.com/11909/how-to-create-a-semaphore-in-bash/amp/

Can you create a semaphore in Bash. Should you?

Building a color scheme

https://web.dev/building-a-color-scheme/

Great info for those of us who are chromatically challenged.

Thursday, July 8, 2021

A “no math” (but seven-part) guide to modern quantum mechanics

https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/01/the-curious-observers-guide-to-quantum-mechanics/

A bit of an oxymoron, but seems well-written.

The defaultdict Object in Python

https://towardsdatascience.com/a-better-alternative-to-python-dictionaries-6eaf8b6c48d0

eliminates the rough edges and edge-cases of the standard python dictionary.

As a tech guy, you will thank me for these websites

https://blog.devgenius.io/as-a-tech-guy-you-will-thank-me-for-these-websites-be09e86ebcef

Kinda random list of useful websites for techies: whois, portscanners, certificate checkers, mindmapper, etc.

Sunday, July 4, 2021

Build Stripe subscriptions into your website in minutes.

https://www.pricewell.io/

Another mechanism to facilitate website subscriptions.

Friday, July 2, 2021

Facebook announces Bulletin, its Substack newsletter competitor

https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/29/22555957/facebook-bulletin-newsletter-subscriptions-substack-competitor

Because there's a pie out there and FB wants a piece of it?

Too Many If-Elif Conditions in Python? Use Dictionaries Instead

https://betterprogramming.pub/too-many-if-elif-conditions-in-python-use-dictionaries-instead-5486299af27e

I've blundered into this technique myself to make up for the lack of case statement. Their implementation is a bit cleaner than mine.

4 Cool Python Libraries That You Should Know About

https://towardsdatascience.com/4-cool-python-libraries-that-you-should-know-about-bea9619e481c

No grand literary theme tying these together, just cool libraries.

zero-friction serverless development

https://www.serverless.com/

Commercial product that takes the pain out of serverless deployment and logging.

How ‘Soft Fascination’ Helps Restore Your Tired Brain

https://elemental.medium.com/how-soft-fascination-helps-restore-your-tired-brain-27669cd0be9d

The brain needs to defocus and look away.

It’s time to rip up your lawn and replace it with something you won’t need to mow

https://www.popsci.com/diy/ground-cover-grass-replacement/

I've long thought mowing was idiotic.

Friday, June 25, 2021

Essential SSH productivity tips

https://medium.com/james-reads-public-cloud-technology-blog/essential-ssh-productivity-tips-e23289bbd1f7

Never tried editing a file over ssh

5 Powerful Python f-strings Use Cases

https://betterprogramming.pub/5-powerful-python-f-strings-use-cases-acfb6070a8dd

Some a little too fancy for my taste

Open source no-code database and Airtable alternative

https://baserow.io/

We'll see how mature it is.

An open source note taking and to-do application with synchronisation capabilities

https://joplinapp.org/

Sorta like an opensource evernote

Wednesday, June 23, 2021

Why scientists think this hack is crucial for lifelong learning

https://www.inverse.com/mind-body/new-skills-brain-study

The brain actually learns during rest.

4 Linux Monitoring Tools You Should Use

https://betterprogramming.pub/4-linux-monitoring-tools-you-should-use-38a136e68639

Monit is new to me. I'll have to try it out.

Math Books you should read in 2021

https://medium.com/data-science-rush/math-books-you-should-read-in-2021-2e878331be04

If only I had time. I'd probably buy the Princeton volume used for reference.

How Software Is Eating the Car

https://spectrum.ieee.org/cars-that-think/transportation/advanced-cars/software-eating-car

Excellent piece from Spectrum about software in automobiles.

Monday, June 14, 2021

Authorization API for your application

https://authress.io/

Interesting authentication as a service middleware.

This Centuries-Old Trick Will Unlock Your Productivity

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/26/magazine/productivity-self-mesmerism.html

Was Mesmer onto something?

Information about B2B website visitors

https://liftcertain.com/

Information about B2B website visitors

The easiest way to build stuff from Airtable, in minutes. No code required.

https://www.softr.io/

Another no-code tool to turn data into a website, this time from airtable.

Thursday, June 3, 2021

Amazon SES vs Mailgun - the ultimate guide

https://engage.so/blog/amazon-ses-vs-mailgun-the-ultimate-guide/

Title says it all: each do about the same thing, but SES is much cheaper.

Should you build in-house or buy a solution?

https://zapier.com/blog/build-vs-buy/

The ancient buy-vs-build decision with some no-code updating.

My Favorite CLI Tools

https://medium.com/swlh/my-favorite-cli-tools-c2fa484cee52

A lot of these add color, so I'm not sold. But some appear to have genuine functionality.

Laravel Service Container and Service Providers Explained

https://dev.to/fhsinchy/laravel-service-container-and-service-providers-explained-5a1

Important concepts in the Laravel realm.

Welcome to your podcast studio. Our AI-powered, production-quality tools can help bring your stories to life.

https://podcastle.ai/

AI-based transcription and text-to-speech-to-podcast tools.

Saturday, May 22, 2021

Mailtrain Self Hosted Newsletter App Built on Top of Nodemailer

https://mailtrain.org/

Self-hosted email newsletter platform that uses commercial delivery for the actual sending.

The golden ratio: An ancient Greek formula could be responsible for most hit musicals

https://phys.org/news/2021-05-golden-ratio-ancient-greek-formula.amp

The Golden Ratio and Les Mis.

How to save up to 500€/year switching from Mailchimp to Open Source Mailtrain and AWS SES

https://carlchenet.com/how-to-save-up-to-500e-year-switching-from-mailchimp-to-open-source-mailtrain-and-aws-ses/

For years there weren't good open source alternatives to commercial email marketing platforms. Seems to be changing now.

An Interactive Web Dashboard with Plotly and Flask

https://towardsdatascience.com/an-interactive-web-dashboard-with-plotly-and-flask-c365cdec5e3f

How does this compare with other visualization dashboards?

Monday, May 17, 2021

Kobra A visual programming language for machine learning

https://kobra.dev/
Reminds me a lot of Scratch

https://www.analyticsvidhya.com/blog/2021/05/pandas-functions-13-most-important/

Probably pretty accurate list.

A new kind of IDE for Data Science. Supercharge your Data Science workflow.

https://www.orchest.io/

Interesting take on visual workflow/pipelines inside an IDE.

Sunday, May 16, 2021

Exploratory Data Analysis of Text data Including Visualization and Sentiment Analysis

https://towardsdatascience.com/exploratory-data-analysis-of-text-data-including-visualization-and-sentiment-analysis-e46dda3dd260

Good step-by-step walkthrough of NLP sentiment analysis.

Saturday, May 15, 2021

Need Email Forwarding For Your Domain? Receive, Send and Create unlimited email addresses with your own domain

https://hanami.run/

I've tried doing this before. It's not as easy as it appears.

UserBooster The Notion dashboard that helps you build your launch strateg

https://userbooster.co/

Just what it says: helping products launch by using notion.

Notion

https://www.notion.so/

The latest all-in-one, be-everything web creation app.

How to Setup Tailwind CSS in Vue 3

https://devjavu.space/post/how-to-setup-tailwind-css-in-vue-3/

Do two great tastes taste great together?

How to sell eBooks on your website with MemberSpace

https://www.makerpad.co/tool-path/how-to-sell-ebooks-on-your-website-with-memberspace

Extending MemberSpace to sell ebooks

Turn any part of your website into members-only with just a few clicks

https://www.memberspace.com/

Another spin on pay-for-content

Wednesday, May 12, 2021

The (soon) open source search engine on object storage with sub-second latency

https://quickwit.io/

Interesting project to build a low-cost web search.

We build and maintain an open repository of web crawl data that can be accessed and analyzed by anyone.

https://commoncrawl.org/

Interesting open data set of web crawl data sitting out on S3

Friday, April 30, 2021

Lessons I learned from achieving a 99.99% platform uptime

https://dev.to/germangonzo/lessons-i-learned-from-achieving-a-99-99-platform-uptime-1c9o

We all know what we have to do. We just have to actually do it.

15 YouTube Channels to Learn Data Science for Free

https://dev.to/theinsightfulcoder/15-youtube-channels-to-learn-data-science-for-free-487b

A surprising number of single-creator channels here.

The NGINX Handbook

https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/the-nginx-handbook

I'm more of an Apache guy myself, but for those who use NGINX, this looks useful.

The #1 Online School for App Entrepreneurs

https://www.appswithoutcode.com/

Another spin on the no-code movement: a school for no-code app creators.

This simple yet powerful desktop application allows you to run PHP code and quickly try out new ideas – all within the context of your application.

https://tinkerwell.app/

A scratch-your-own-itch development tool for Laravel.

Connect Google sheets to different data sources

https://dataconnector.app/

Not quite full-baked yet, but shows promise.

Monday, April 26, 2021

Laravel Best Practice [Coding Standards Part 02]

https://dev.to/lathindu1/laravel-best-practice-coding-standards-part-02-a40

Looks to be some reasonable advice on Laravel coding standards.

How To Create A Kickass GitHub Profile Page

https://catalins.tech/how-to-create-a-kickass-github-profile-page

For those whose primary social platform is GitHub

Netflix Open Sources ConsoleMe to Manage Permissions and Access on AWS

https://www.infoq.com/news/2021/04/netflix-consoleme-aws/

Dealing with IAM is one of the most painful parts of AWS. Maybe this will help.

1 Line of Python Code for Data Profiling

https://towardsdatascience.com/1-line-of-python-code-for-data-profiling-660496883d8f

kind-of-amazing all-in-one data profiling package.

Tuesday, April 13, 2021

Why Your ‘True Self’ Is An Illusion

https://www.vice.com/en/article/v7mwa3/why-your-true-self-is-an-illusion

Is there a "true self", or is it just mainly a useful fantasy?

11 Pandas Built-in Functions You Should Know

https://towardsdatascience.com/11-pandas-built-in-functions-you-should-know-1cf1783c2b9

Good intro to the panda way of thinking

Turn your passion into income Everything you need to sell online courses, webinars, downloads, and memberships without worrying about the tech.

https://www.podia.com/

Another Saas product to sell knowledge online.

Sunday, March 28, 2021

List of JSON tools for command line

https://ilya-sher.org/2018/04/10/list-of-json-tools-for-command-line/

I've only ever used jq.

Friday, March 19, 2021

Billion Events Per Second with Millisecond Latency: Streaming Analytics at Giga-Scale

https://jet-start.sh/blog/2021/03/17/billion-events-per-second

That's a LOT of events

I bought 300 emoji domain names from Kazakhstan and built an email service

https://tinyprojects.dev/projects/mailoji

So are email emoji domains useful?

Saturday, March 6, 2021

A Vim Guide for Intermediate Users

https://dev.to/phantas0s/a-vim-guide-for-intermediate-users-4i0p

I really need to learn to use tabs

Costly Mistakes: Why We Had to Abandon Firebase

https://js.plainenglish.io/costly-mistakes-why-we-had-to-abandoned-firebase-b89930c10d92

Dare I say? They got burned by firebase.

Analyze and transcribe audio and video. Extract insights from text. Transform your media into incredible assets for growth.

https://speakai.co/

Not exactly sure how this differs from other transcription services.

Friday, March 5, 2021

Turn Photos into Cartoons Using Python

https://towardsdatascience.com/turn-photos-into-cartoons-using-python-bb1a9f578a7e

kinda nice look on the supplied photo. Wish it had more examples.

Sunday, February 7, 2021

Beware dealing with amazon

https://imgur.com/gallery/Eh9gPsC

They might not deal fairly with you

Thursday, January 21, 2021

SOUL language for audio plugins

https://soul-lang.github.io/SOUL/docs/SOUL_V1_Release.html

Interesting audio processing development language.

Food on the table while giving away code

https://daniel.haxx.se/blog/2021/01/15/food-on-the-table-while-giving-away-code/

The business of Curl

Friday, January 8, 2021

Saving bookmarks is easy Keeping them tidy, not so much

https://bkmark.io/

Another bookmarking service. I don't see and API yet, though.

Things I Wished More Developers Knew About Databases

https://rakyll.medium.com/things-i-wished-more-developers-knew-about-databases-2d0178464f78

Some rather subtle points here

Wednesday, January 6, 2021

DALL·E: Creating Images from Text

https://openai.com/blog/dall-e/

Some of the most amazing AI I've seen.

Sunday, October 31, 2021

Monday, September 20, 2021

Sunday, September 19, 2021