Syntax - Tasty Web Development Treats

Wes and Scott talk about how developers can expose powerful tools to AI using the Model Context Protocol. They discuss tool calling, remote MCP specs, authentication, and real-world use cases that make AI more capable through smarter integrations. Show Notes * 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! * 01:36 What is MCP? * 07:23 MCP tools * 11:33 MCP resources * 13:43 Saving reusable prompts * 16:18 Creating and validating MCP tools * 18:31 Brought to you by Sentry.io [https://sentry.io/syntax/] * 18:31 Tool calling vs MCP servers * 21:28 Remote vs local MCP servers * mcp-remote [https://www.npmjs.com/package/mcp-remote] * 26:24 Useful MCP servers * mcp-server-cloudflare [https://github.com/cloudflare/mcp-server-cloudflare] * use-mcp [https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/use-mcp] * awesome-mcp-servers [https://github.com/punkpeye/awesome-mcp-servers] * 32:48 Sick Picks + Shameless Plugs Sick Picks * Scott: Mario Kart World [https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/mario-kart-world-switch-2/] * Wes: anyloop Kid’s Watch [https://any-loop.com/products/anyloop-kids-watch] Shameless Plugs * Syntax YouTube Channel [https://www.youtube.com/@syntaxfm] Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X [https://twitter.com/syntaxfm] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/syntax_fm/] Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@syntaxfm] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/96077407/admin/feed/posts/] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@syntax_fm] Wes: X [https://twitter.com/wesbos] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/wesbos/] Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@wesbos] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/wesbos/] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@wesbos] Scott: X [https://twitter.com/stolinski] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/stolinski/] Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@stolinski] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stolinski/] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@stolinski] Randy: X [https://twitter.com/randyrektor] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/randyrektor/] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@randyrektor] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@randyrektor]

Scott and Wes recap the current state of web authentication and explore how Better Auth simplifies the whole process. With built-in plugins, modern features, and no need to hand-roll your own solution, Better Auth makes secure login a breeze for developers. SHOW NOTES * 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! * 00:59 Scott’s history with authentication. * 02:05 Brought to you by Sentry.io [https://sentry.io/syntax]. * 03:15 My opinion has changed on auth. * 04:40 Current authentication options. * 06:32 Arctic. * 06:56 OpenAUTH. * 07:36 Auth.js. * 08:02 Better Auth [https://www.better-auth.com/]. * 10:45 Better Auth CLI [https://www.better-auth.com/docs/concepts/cli]. * 11:37 Email integration [https://www.better-auth.com/docs/concepts/email]. * 12:09 Hooks and Tokens [https://www.better-auth.com/docs/concepts/hooks]. * 13:43 CAPTCHA Integration. * 14:36 Database Integration [https://www.better-auth.com/docs]. * 15:04 Integrations [https://www.better-auth.com/docs]. * 15:19 Plugin Ecosystem. * 17:40 Admin features. * 19:41 The Docs [https://www.better-auth.com/docs]. HIT US UP ON SOCIALS! Syntax: X [https://twitter.com/syntaxfm] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/syntax_fm/] Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@syntaxfm] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/96077407/admin/feed/posts/] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@syntax_fm] Wes: X [https://twitter.com/wesbos] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/wesbos/] Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@wesbos] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/wesbos/] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@wesbos] Scott: X [https://twitter.com/stolinski] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/stolinski/] Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@stolinski] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stolinski/] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@stolinski] Randy: X [https://twitter.com/randyrektor] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/randyrektor/] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@randyrektor] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@randyrektor]

Wes and Scott talk with Loïc Houssier about how Superhuman builds lightning-fast, delightfully-designed email software. They dig into engineering philosophy, offline-first architecture, local databases, AI-powered productivity, and what it takes to create tools that people love. SHOW NOTES * 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! * 03:05 Inside Superhuman and Loïc’s role * 06:49 Is Superhuman native? What’s the tech stack? * 08:16 How Superhuman approaches product design and speed * 12:17 Local-first architecture – Sync, storage, and performance * Realm [https://github.com/realm] * 13:46 Vector search, AI, and privacy considerations * 18:12 How the team ships fast and stays focused * 21:27 Rethinking email for the future * 26:54 Brought to you by Sentry.io [http://Sentry.io] * 27:19 How calendar integration and smart features work * 29:54 Where new ideas come from * 31:54 Will there ever be a true dark mode? * 33:02 Are people actually using keyboard shortcuts? * 36:42 How shortcuts work and the role of the command palette * 41:28 Engineering for speed – Costs and trade-offs * 43:32 How Superhuman’s sync engine works * 46:09 What code runs locally and what runs on the server? * 46:51 How Superhuman handled the Google and Cloudflare outage HIT US UP ON SOCIALS! Syntax: X [https://twitter.com/syntaxfm] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/syntax_fm/] Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@syntaxfm] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/96077407/admin/feed/posts/] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@syntax_fm] Wes: X [https://twitter.com/wesbos] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/wesbos/] Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@wesbos] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/wesbos/] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@wesbos] Scott: X [https://twitter.com/stolinski] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/stolinski/] Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@stolinski] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stolinski/] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@stolinski] Randy: X [https://twitter.com/randyrektor] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/randyrektor/] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@randyrektor] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@randyrektor]

Scott and Wes round up the hottest AI tools you should have on your radar; from text-to-speech wizards to self-hosted image generators. They break down what they’re using, what’s worth paying for, and which tools are changing their workflows. SHOW NOTES * 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! * 00:49 Getting too cozy with your tools. * 01:34 Brought to you by Sentry.io [https://sentry.io/syntax]. * 03:40 LangFlow [https://www.langflow.org/]. * 08:44 Super Whisper [https://superwhisper.com/] and Whisper Flow [https://wisprflow.ai/]. * 15:00 Dia [https://www.diabrowser.com/]. * 23:16 Chat apps. * Claude [https://claude.ai/] * ChatGPT [https://chatgpt.com/] * Raycast [https://www.raycast.com/] * Cursor [https://cursor.com/en] * Midjourney (Imagine.art) [https://www.imagine.art/] * 26:58 Self-hosted. * 27:01 Comfy UI [https://www.comfy.org/]. * 31:27 Automatic1111 [https://github.com/automatic1111] and Forge UI [https://github.com/lllyasviel/stable-diffusion-webui-forge]. * Xenova Shoutout [https://huggingface.co/Xenova] * 34:11 Sick Picks & Shameless Plugs. SICK PICKS * Scott: Rat A Tat Cat Card Game [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00000GBQJ?&linkCode=sl1&tag=leveluptuts01-20&linkId=b839d4c45ff12c09bbc5e4633d2cf584&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl]. * Wes: Syntax Hats [https://sentry.shop/] SHAMELESS PLUGS * Wes: Syntax Hats [https://sentry.shop/] HIT US UP ON SOCIALS! Syntax: X [https://twitter.com/syntaxfm] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/syntax_fm/] Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@syntaxfm] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/96077407/admin/feed/posts/] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@syntax_fm] Wes: X [https://twitter.com/wesbos] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/wesbos/] Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@wesbos] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/wesbos/] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@wesbos] Scott: X [https://twitter.com/stolinski] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/stolinski/] Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@stolinski] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stolinski/] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@stolinski] Randy: X [https://twitter.com/randyrektor] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/randyrektor/] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@randyrektor] Threads [https://www.threads.net/@randyrektor]

In this potluck episode of Syntax, Wes and Scott answer your questions about maintaining popular open-source projects, where to start after a layoff, impostor syndrome, Scott’s recording setup, whether a computer science degree is still worth it in the age of AI, and more! SHOW NOTES * 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! * 00:44 Brought to you bySentry.io [https://sentry.io/] * 04:16 How to maintain a successful NPM package * 08:03 What to do in Denver while attending Laracon * 11:18 How to branch out and learn new frameworks while balancing work life and family * 15:55 Built-in state management vs external state management * Full Stack App Build | Travel Log w/ Nuxt, Vue, Better Auth, Drizzle, Tailwind, DaisyUI, MapLibre [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DK93dqmJJYg] * 19:43 Suggestion for CSS battles: Removing white space and new lines after the time limit? * 23:06 What is Scott’s recording setup? * Aputure Light Dome [https://amzn.to/3HoebgC] * Aputure Amaran 150c [https://amzn.to/4mKYO1U] * Sony FX3 [https://electronics.sony.com/imaging/interchangeable-lens-cameras/all-interchangeable-lens-cameras/p/ilmefx3a] * Electro-Voice RE20 [https://products.electrovoice.com/na/en/re20/] * 27:46 Snake case vs camel case * Eye Tracking Study on camelCase and under_score Identifier Styles [https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/5521745] * 31:16 Have you ever had impostor syndrome? * 34:56 Is a degree worth it for computer science or machine learning? * 38:41 Should I use a reverse proxy server? * Ep 798: Self Hosting: Reverse Proxy Servers [https://syntax.fm/show/798/self-hosting-reverse-proxy-servers] * 42:03 Where to start when updating your webdev skillset * 50:11 Sick Picks + Shameless Plugs SICK PICKS * Scott:Cardboard Cutter [https://amzn.to/4kpTlfG] * Wes:Kitchen Scissors [https://www.amazon.com/s?k=kitchen+scissors&crid=3VAEGVD5TS68I&sprefix=kitchen+scissors] SHAMELESS PLUGS * Syntax YouTube Channel [https://www.youtube.com/@syntaxfm] HIT US UP ON SOCIALS! Syntax:X [https://twitter.com/syntaxfm]Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/syntax_fm/]Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@syntaxfm]LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/96077407/admin/feed/posts/]Threads [https://www.threads.net/@syntax_fm] Wes:X [https://twitter.com/wesbos]Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/wesbos/]Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@wesbos]LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/wesbos/]Threads [https://www.threads.net/@wesbos] Scott:X [https://twitter.com/stolinski]Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/stolinski/]Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@stolinski]LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stolinski/]Threads [https://www.threads.net/@stolinski] Randy:X [https://twitter.com/randyrektor]Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/randyrektor/]YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@randyrektor]Threads [https://www.threads.net/@randyrektor]