DEV Community: tarat

I built an AI news app that gets you informed in 30 seconds (here's what I learned)

tarat — Mon, 04 May 2026 05:10:21 +0000

After getting frustrated with news apps designed to keep me scrolling forever, I built Trace - an Android app that aggregates news from 100+ sources and uses AI to create 30-second summaries.

The app is free, no ads, no subscription. Just news that respects your time.

The Problem

Every morning I'd open Google News or Twitter and 30 minutes would vanish. Not because I was learning anything useful, but because the algorithms were designed to keep me engaged, not informed.

I'd end up reading the same story from 5 different angles, missing important things entirely, and feeling anxious about stuff that didn't matter.

So I asked myself: what if there was a news app that actually respected my time?

What I Built

Trace is an Android app that does one thing well: gets you informed fast.

How it works:

Set your role once (developer, founder, designer, PM)
Pick your interests (AI, startups, world news, etc.)
Every hour, Trace aggregates from 100+ sources and creates 30-second summaries
You read the highlights, tap into any story for full context, done

The features I'm most proud of:

• Story Timelines - When a story breaks, Trace groups every angle across publications into one timeline. You see how the story developed without jumping between apps.

• AI Summaries - Not clickbait headlines, not full articles. Just the facts, summarized into 30-second reads.

• Streak Tracker - Gamification that actually works. Track your daily reading habit and stay disciplined.

• Multiple Reading Modes - Scroll through your feed for a quick overview, or tap into a story for full context. Your choice.

What I Learned

Free Gets 10x More Downloads

I initially thought about charging $2.99. Then I made it free and downloads jumped immediately. The Play Store algorithm favors free apps, and users are more likely to try something with zero friction.

ASO is SEO for Apps

App Store Optimization is the Play Store equivalent of SEO. Your title, description, and keywords determine if anyone finds your app.

I rewrote my Play Store description to include specific keywords: "AI news app", "tech news aggregator", "daily news summary". Small changes, big impact.

Reddit is the Best Channel

For indie Android apps, Reddit outperforms everything. r/androidapps, r/androiddev, r/SideProject - these communities actually want to discover new apps.

The key: be genuine. Don't pitch. Share what you built and why.

Building in Public Creates Accountability

When I started sharing progress on Twitter and Reddit, I found myself more committed. Public accountability is a powerful motivator.

Reviews Matter More Than Downloads

The Play Store algorithm weighs ratings heavily. Getting 10 5-star reviews is worth more than 1000 downloads with no reviews.

I added a gentle in-app prompt after users complete their 3rd day streak. Conversion rate: ~8%.

Current Stats

• Downloads: 100+ (just launched)
• Rating: 4.8 stars
• Sources: 100+
• Cost: Free forever
• Ads: None

What's Next

• iOS version (coming soon)
• Browser extension for desktop
• More AI features (personalized insights)
• Newsletter integration

Try It

The app is free on Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=online.yourtrace.app

My Actual AI Coding Setup in 2026 (And How I Decide What to Use for What)

tarat — Sat, 28 Mar 2026 08:07:20 +0000

I went from doing everything in Cursor to running multiple AI agents across projects. Here's exactly what I use, when, and the budget-friendly alternatives.

I made a video about this recently but figured I'd write it up properly for the dev.to crowd since there's more nuance I wanted to get into.

About 6 months ago, my entire AI coding workflow was just Cursor. Claude models, composer, done. It handled UI, debugging, features — everything lived in one place.

That setup already feels ancient.

There's a pretty clear progression I've noticed most devs going through right now:

IDE-based AI (Cursor) → Terminal agents (Claude Code) → Agent orchestration (Codex desktop, Claude Code desktop)
I've been through all three. Here's where I've landed.

Cursor — still use it, just differently now

Not going to pretend I've abandoned Cursor. It's still great for quick edits and when I want AI assistance without leaving my editor.

The one change: I default to Composer 2 for basically everything. I know the launch was controversial but honestly — it's nearly Opus-level for 99% of daily tasks and way cheaper. If you're still manually picking models per prompt, just switch to Composer 2 as your default and forget about it.

But Cursor alone isn't enough anymore. It's one layer of the stack now, not the whole thing.

Claude Code — where I do all my UI work

This was the bigger mental shift. Building full apps from your terminal without opening a single file in your editor is wild when you first experience it.

Where it really clicks for me: UI and frontend work.
Once you connect MCPs and agent skills — particularly Figma MCP — you can go from Figma design → pixel-perfect UI directly through Claude Code. That pipeline alone changed how I approach frontend tasks.

If you haven't set up MCPs for Claude Code yet, seriously do it. It's a multiplier.

Agent orchestration — where I think everything is heading

This is the part that feels newest and most underrated.
Tools like the Claude Code desktop app and Codex desktop app let you run and manage multiple agents across multiple projects at the same time. Instead of one terminal, one agent, one task — you spin up several and keep tabs on all of them.

My split:
Codex → backend, architecture, system design stuff
Claude Code (desktop app) → UI and frontend work

Running Claude Code through the desktop app instead of raw terminal means I can manage multiple instances and actually see what each agent is doing. That visibility matters when you're juggling things.

This separation has been my biggest productivity unlock this year. Stop forcing one tool to do everything.

The budget stack (if subscriptions are killing you)

All of the above is expensive. Here's what I'd do on a budget:
Open Code instead of Claude Code. Runs in terminal, similar workflow, but gives you access to non-Anthropic models that are generally cheaper.

Codex subscription if you're going to spend money on one thing. Best output-per-dollar ratio right now IMO. Cursor + Claude Code costs stack up fast.
Pair those two with something like Windsurf and you're covering most use cases at a fraction of the cost.

The thing nobody talks about

Half of being productive with AI tools is just knowing what exists. The space moves weekly. New MCPs, new agent frameworks, new models, new workflows that make last week's setup feel inefficient.

I got tired of checking Twitter, Reddit, HN, and a dozen newsletters every morning trying to keep up. So I built Trace — it pulls from 100+ sources daily and gives you a curated, summarized view of what's actually happening in AI and tech. No infinite scroll, just the stuff that matters. Might save you some time if you're in the same boat.

TL;DR
The tools will keep changing every few months. The habit of matching the right tool to the right task is what actually sticks.

Would love to hear what setups other people are running — especially if you've found good orchestration workflows. Drop a comment.