Many of us have to manage massive amounts of media stored on our computers or external hard drives. To stop wasting time hunting for specific files, I built Invenio: an app that uses local AI to transform any folder of videos and photos into an instantly searchable library.
Just type a description – and find the exact moment.
I have terabytes of raw footage, and I was tired of two things: 1. Manually tagging files. 2. Privacy concerns with uploading my life to the cloud. I wanted to see if I could make Apple's Neural Engine do the heavy lifting locally.
The Tech Behind It 🛠:
- Stack: Swift & SwiftUI for a fully native macOS experience.
- AI Engine: Integrated CoreML to run models directly on the user's hardware.
- Optimization: Heavily optimized for Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3) using the Apple Neural Engine to keep indexing fast without draining the battery.
- Privacy: Since it’s all local, there is no vector data sent to any 3rd party servers.
What Invenio can do:
- Semantic Search: "red Range Rover," "bride smiling at a wedding," "drone shot of a forest" – it understands objects, actions, moods, and brands. No manual tagging required.
- Find moments in long videos: It identifies the exact timecode of the scene you’re looking for.
- Speech Search (Pro): Finds the specific moment where a particular phrase was spoken.
- Drag & Drop: Move files directly into Premiere, Final Cut, DaVinci Resolve, and other editors.
- Menu Bar App: Always within reach with a minimalist, native design.
Why it’s great for Mac:
- 100% Local and Private: Nothing ever leaves your device or goes to the cloud.
- Optimized for Apple Silicon: Search results appear instantly.
- Efficient Indexing: Fast indexing of large libraries that takes up only a few megabytes on your disk.
- Fully native macOS app with a minimalist Apple design.
Unlike other services, Invenio works 100% locally and private with zero data collection. At the same time, the search is faster and more accurate because the models are optimized specifically for Apple Silicon.
Pro features are available via subscription or a Lifetime license. Specifically for dev.to community – the code DEVTO49 gives you Lifetime access for just $49 🎁 . This offer is limited to the first 500 activations.
Download Invenio on the App Store
I’d love to hear your feedback! I’m actively gathering opinions right now, and your input can directly influence the app's development – I’m happy to add the features you want to see. I’m also curious to hear how this app solves your specific workflow problems. Thanks!
I’m curious to hear your thoughts:
- Do you prefer local-first tools for your privacy, or do you still find cloud-based AI services more convenient?
- Are you currently using any AI tools in your video/photo workflow, or is it still mostly manual sorting?
Let’s discuss in the comments!
Follow me on X/Twitter:
Top comments (0)