Syntax - Tasty Web Development Treats

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]

AI coding agents are getting wild. Scott and Wes break down the latest tools that run in the background, write code across multiple steps, and charge you $200 a month to do it. From CLI-based primitives to full-on copilots, this episode covers the next wave of dev tools and what it takes to use them effectively. SHOW NOTES * 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! * 03:13 Background Agents. * 04:26 Appropriate tasks for background agents. * 12:46 CLI tooling. * 14:17 Claude Code Pricing. * 18:20 Approaches to get the most from these tools. * 19:56 PRD Documents. * Atlasian What’s a PRD Document [https://www.atlassian.com/agile/product-management/requirements]. * 20:50 Claude Taskmaster [https://www.task-master.dev/]. * Langflow [www.langflow.org]. * 25:29 Sick Picks & Shameless Plugs. SICK PICKS * Scott: RingConn [https://amzn.to/4nkXe7w]. * Wes: Dell Projector SHAMELESS PLUGS * Scott: Syntax on YouTube [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]