DEV Community: Stanis Leonov

I tried HexaCrop to cut my images into hexagons without Photoshop

Stanis Leonov — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 18:59:25 +0000

I needed hexagon-shaped profile pictures for a side project and didn't want to mess around with Photoshop. Turns out there's a free tool called HexaCrop that does exactly this—you drop in any image and it crops it into a hexagon shape with a transparent background. The whole thing runs in your browser, so nothing gets uploaded anywhere, which is honestly nice when you're just testing things out.

What caught me off guard was how much more it does beyond the basic crop. There's a batch mode if you need multiple hexagons at once, different export formats (PNG, WEBP, SVG, JPG), and you can toggle between pointy-top and flat-top orientations. The Pro version adds stuff like rotation, borders, corner rounding, and custom sizing. I haven't needed to pay for anything yet, but I can see designers or people building icon sets appreciating those extra controls.

If you're building a honeycomb pattern for a website or need hexagon avatars for something, this saves a ton of time. No signup, no watermarks, just drop the image and download. Felt good to use something straightforward that actually works without any friction.

Check it out: hexacrop.com

I Stopped Building My Own File Conversion Pipeline With ApiJolt

Stanis Leonov — Tue, 15 Sep 2026 18:57:02 +0000

I've been building features that need to generate PDFs from all kinds of sources—HTML pages, Word docs, spreadsheets, even screenshots—and it's always been a pain to manage. Either you're spinning up Chrome instances and keeping them alive, or dealing with clunky libraries that don't handle layouts properly. ApiJolt just handles it with a single HTTP call. You send whatever format you've got, and it comes back as a PDF. The API figures out what you're sending on its own, which saves you from writing format detection logic.

What actually sold me was the simplicity of the pricing. It's a flat monthly fee with no surprises. No credit system where you're constantly worried about overages. The free tier gives you a thousand conversions a month, which is plenty for testing and smaller projects. The actual conversions are fast—they use Puppeteer and Chrome for rendering HTML with full CSS support, plus LibreOffice for Office files and ImageMagick for images. Files get cleaned up after an hour, so there's no server bloat.

If you're sick of managing PDF conversion infrastructure or dealing with finicky libraries, this cuts through the noise. Works great whether you need the PDF streamed back instantly, returned as base64 for JSON workflows, or handled async. Worth checking out if document generation is eating your development time.

Check it out: ApiJolt

I Actually Switched from YouTube Studio to TubeAnalytics and Here's Why

Stanis Leonov — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 02:07:15 +0000

I was spending way too much time bouncing between YouTube Studio, spreadsheets, and three different analytics tools trying to figure out which videos were actually moving the needle for my channel. It's exhausting, and half the time I'd miss patterns because the data was scattered everywhere. Then I started using TubeAnalytics and it honestly changed how I approach content planning.

What makes it different from tools like VidIQ, TubeBuddy, ViewStats, and SocialBlade is that it actually consolidates everything I need into one dashboard without feeling bloated. I can see my views, watch time, subscriber growth, and revenue metrics alongside competitor tracking and audience retention breakdowns. More importantly, I can quickly spot which topics and video formats are working, then test thumbnail and title variations to see what sticks. For me, that's been the real value—going from guessing what to make next to having actual data backing those decisions.

If you're running multiple channels or managing content for clients, it's even more useful. The platform lets you track performance consistently across channels and keep reporting centralized. You're not fighting with scattered data anymore, which means you can actually focus on making better videos instead of being a data janitor.

Check it out: tubeanalytics.net

I've been using Recaply to stay current with AI news instead of doom-scrolling

Stanis Leonov — Fri, 11 Sep 2026 21:55:09 +0000

Keeping up with AI releases is basically impossible right now. There's something new every day, and I was spending way too much time scrolling through Twitter and Reddit trying to figure out what actually matters versus what's just hype. The problem is, a lot of it doesn't apply to what I'm building, so I was wasting energy filtering through the noise.

Recaply AI sends me a weekday recap that actually cuts through that. It focuses on model releases and agent tools that are relevant for builders like me, and more importantly, it explains the why behind each one. So I'm not just seeing "new model dropped" with zero context. I'm getting enough detail to know whether it's worth my time to dig deeper or if I can skip it entirely.

If you're building anything with AI and you want to stay informed without it consuming your whole day, this saves a lot of friction. Five minutes in the morning with coffee, and you're caught up on what actually shifted in the space.

Check it out: Recaply AI

How Anam let me add real-time face tracking to my AI app without building it from scratch

Stanis Leonov — Thu, 10 Sep 2026 21:53:09 +0000

I've been working on a chatbot that felt lifeless, and I realized the problem wasn't the conversation quality—it was that users were just staring at text or talking to a voice without any face. Adding a real avatar shouldn't be this hard, but most solutions out there create pre-recorded videos that feel fake and can't actually respond in real time. That's where Anam clicked for me.

What makes Anam different is that it actually lets your AI listen and respond with a real face in the same conversation. The avatar reacts to what's happening, which makes the whole thing feel genuinely interactive instead of robotic. I integrated it into my existing setup pretty quickly using their API, and the latency is low enough that conversations don't feel awkward. It's built specifically for things like AI coaches, interview bots, tutors, or customer service agents—basically anything where you want a human touch without an actual human.

If you're building anything conversational and want to add that face layer without starting from scratch, Anam saves you a ton of time. Their Lab lets you test it out free before committing to anything, which was helpful for me to see if it'd actually work for what I needed.

Check it out: Anam

How I Finally Stopped Burning Out With Genomic Testing

Stanis Leonov — Wed, 09 Sep 2026 21:51:08 +0000

I've been juggling a fitness app, a finance tracker, and then getting lost trying to understand my insurance policy whenever something goes wrong. It's annoying having to switch between three different apps just to manage the basics of staying healthy and not going broke. ThriveXDNA actually pulls this together in one place, which sounds simple but saves a ton of friction.

The fitness side is legit because it's built by someone who actually trained athletes at a professional level, not some generic workout program. But what really sold me was the insurance stuff. They have this policy scanner that reads through your actual policy document and explains it in plain language. I tested it on my health insurance and it caught things I'd missed. There's also a calculator for healthcare savings and they can pull instant quotes for life, auto, Medicare, whatever you need. A licensed agent handles the guidance so you're not just getting AI nonsense.

If you're someone who wants to get serious about fitness but also knows your financial life needs attention—especially around insurance—this cuts out a lot of the app fatigue. You're managing your body and your money from one dashboard instead of bouncing between five different services. It's practical stuff, not flashy.

Check it out: ThriveXDNA

I tried ThinkVelocity AI to stop rewriting my prompts five times

Stanis Leonov — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 21:50:24 +0000

I've been using AI tools constantly for work, and I kept running into the same problem: my prompts would get mediocre results, then I'd spend twenty minutes rewriting them to get what I actually wanted. I tried a couple of the other prompt tools out there like Pretty Prompt and Prompt Genie, but they felt pretty surface-level—just basic rewording without really understanding what I was trying to do or which AI tool I was using.

Then I started using Prompt Assistant from ThinkVelocity AI, and it actually works different. Instead of just polishing your wording, it understands the context of what you're doing, which AI platform you're on, and what you're actually trying to achieve. The browser extension sits right there while I'm working in ChatGPT or Claude, and when I type something rough, it transforms it into a prompt that actually gets me better results on the first try. I've noticed I'm using way fewer tokens and getting significantly better outputs across different tools.

The built-in prompt library is genuinely useful too—it's not just random templates, they're actual prompts people have tested and know work. If you're someone who uses multiple AI tools regularly and gets frustrated with mediocre outputs, this saves you real time and actually improves what you get back. It's worth trying if you've looked at the alternatives and felt like something was missing.

Check it out: Prompt Assistant: ThinkVelocity AI

I Stopped Paying for Stock Photos After Finding Videm AI

Stanis Leonov — Mon, 07 Sep 2026 21:48:21 +0000

I've been generating AI images for a few months now, and honestly, the friction of signing up for accounts and dealing with watermarks got old fast. Most tools like Leonardo AI and Ideogram require you to jump through hoops before you can even try them out, which defeats the purpose when you're just experimenting with prompts. Videm AI cuts through all that—you can start generating images immediately without creating an account, and your finished work stays completely clean without any watermark plastered across it.

What actually matters is that the workflow is straightforward. You type in your prompt, get your image, and then you can save it or keep refining it if you want to explore different creative directions. The whole thing lives in your browser, so there's nothing to download or install. It's particularly useful if you're someone who likes to test out different AI image generators without committing to yet another platform, or if you're just dipping your toes into AI image generation and don't want to deal with signup friction first.

The no-watermark part is genuinely important too. If you're pulling images for a blog post, design project, or just to share with friends, you're not stuck having to edit out branding afterward. It's a small thing but it makes a real difference in how quickly you can actually use what you create.

Check it out: Videm Ai

Why I Finally Got My Tattoo Done at Tattoo Factory of Hickory

Stanis Leonov — Sun, 06 Sep 2026 21:46:21 +0000

I got my first tattoo last month and was nervous about finding a place that actually felt clean and professional instead of sketchy. Tattoo Factory of Hickory completely changed my mind about the whole experience. They've got licensed artists with over 15 years in the business, and you can tell the second you walk in that they take sanitation seriously. Everything is single-use, pre-sterilized, and they explain exactly what they're doing before they start. No pressure, no weirdness, just straightforward work.

What really sold me was the pricing. I'd called around at places like Ink Engraved, Pink Pixie, Python Ink, and some others, and their quote seemed way higher than what I needed to spend. Tattoo Factory does tiny tattoos for twenty-five bucks and basic work starting at forty, so there's actually an option if you're on a budget or just want to test the waters. They also do walk-ins, which meant I didn't have to plan weeks in advance.

My friend took her daughter there for ear piercings and said the piercer explained everything to her kid and used quality titanium jewelry. It's genuinely kid-friendly, so you're not hunting for a babysitter. If you're anywhere in the Hickory area—or even driving from Conover or Newton—and want reliable work without the markup, they're worth your time.

Check it out: Tattoo Factory of Hickory

How I stopped losing money on international transfers with Montezy

Stanis Leonov — Sat, 05 Sep 2026 20:58:21 +0000

I move money across three countries for work, and honestly it was a mess before I started using Montezy. I'd have multiple apps open just to check exchange rates, move funds, and keep track of what I actually had where. The fees were never clear, and I'd constantly second-guess whether I was getting a decent rate or getting taken advantage of.

What actually made me stick with Montezy is how straightforward it is. Everything lives in one place — my different currency balances, the cards I can use abroad, the actual costs of sending money. I can see exactly what I'm paying and why. The platform is built for people like me who don't want to think about whether they're using the right tool for each task. It's all there. The multi-currency setup means I'm not constantly converting between accounts, and I can pay people or businesses in different countries without the usual friction.

If you work across borders, travel frequently, or just deal with multiple currencies regularly, this actually solves a real problem. No weird hidden charges popping up later, no juggling five different apps. It's the kind of thing that makes you realize how clunky everything else was once you use it.

Check it out: Montezy

How I cut my API costs by $400/month switching to Femail

Stanis Leonov — Fri, 04 Sep 2026 20:56:22 +0000

I was going through our AI spending last week and realized we're throwing money at expensive models for work that doesn't need them. Basic summarization, data extraction, formatting—stuff that's straightforward enough that cheaper models handle just fine. But because everything defaults to the premium tier, that's what gets billed.

Femail does something simple that actually saves money: they audit your AI usage line by line and move routine work to cheaper models without changing your output. You get an itemized breakdown of what's actually happening in your bill, a map of which tasks should move where, and the savings number with the math shown. If they can't find at least 30% in cuts, the audit costs nothing.

We got about a third knocked off our monthly spend, which for us means real money going back into the budget. The whole process took one call and some follow-up review. Nothing changed about how our team works or what we get back—just smarter routing behind the scenes.

Check it out: Femail

I Built a Telehealth App Without Writing a Single Medical System

Stanis Leonov — Thu, 03 Sep 2026 20:48:21 +0000

I've been watching a ton of consumer health brands try to build telehealth offerings for weight loss and hormone therapy, and most of them get stuck on the same problem: they either need a medical license they don't have, or they end up handing over their entire business to a HIPAA-compliant vendor and lose control of their customer relationships. Cuvo solves this by operating the licensed clinic in the background while you keep ownership of everything—the brand, the patients, the revenue, all of it. They handle the providers in all 50 states, the prescribing, the pharmacy fulfillment, and the regulatory compliance. You handle what you're actually good at: marketing and acquiring customers.

The pricing is refreshingly straightforward. No revenue share, no gated pricing, no vendor lock-in—just a monthly platform fee plus twenty-five dollars per consult, and medications at zero markup. Your customers' payments go straight to your merchant account. If you want to export your patient data and leave tomorrow, you can. That matters more than it sounds like it should.

If you're a founder or brand thinking about entering weight loss, TRT, or peptides, this is worth a real look. You get to move fast because the clinical infrastructure already works, but you're not trading away the thing you built.

Check it out: Cuvo Health