Developer Builds Custom Geo-fencing Engine After Google API Proved Too Imprecise

·6 views

A developer building an app called Muffle — designed to automate phone sound profiles based on location and context — initially used Google's Geofencing API but abandoned it due to poor precision and unpredictable latency. The API failed to detect zone transitions accurately, sometimes delaying exit events until the user had moved several blocks away. To gain finer control, the developer switched to a custom engine built on Android's FusedLocationProviderClient, using the Haversine formula for distance calculations within a persistent Foreground Service. An adaptive polling system was implemented, reducing location update frequency when stationary and increasing it upon detected movement to conserve battery. The shift away from Google's high-level API introduced new challenges around Android's fragmented power management behavior across device manufacturers.

Read the full story at DEV Community

This is an AI-generated summary. ShortSingh links to the original source for the complete article.

Discussion (0)

How Consistent Design Rules Create Calm in Complex UI Systems

Complex interfaces can feel manageable when built on a small, consistent set of design rules rather than stripped of detail. Designers achieve this calm through repetitive spacing patterns, clear typographic roles, and components that behave predictably under varied content. The effect is most noticeable in administrative tools and dashboards, where hierarchy often begins with clear language choices. Importantly, calm in design is distinct from simplicity — a well-structured complex screen allows users to focus on decisions rather than navigating the interface itself. This principle serves as a benchmark when systems begin accumulating extra panels, options, or exceptions over time.

0 comments Read more at DEV Community

ProgrammingDEV Community ·

Open-Source Tool Helps Teams Track Forgotten Subdomains and Exposed Ports

A developer named Nizar has released Attack Surface Monitor (ASM), a free, self-hosted security tool published on GitHub under the Apache-2.0 license. The tool addresses a common vulnerability where forgotten infrastructure — such as staging subdomains or debug-era firewall rules — remains publicly reachable and unmonitored. ASM leverages Certificate Transparency logs, which publicly record every HTTPS certificate ever issued, to discover subdomains belonging to a verified domain without guessing. It continuously monitors for changes such as newly opened ports or appearing subdomains, reducing daily review to a short list of updates rather than an overwhelming static inventory. Users can get started by downloading the binary, verifying domain ownership via a DNS TXT record, and accessing the dashboard locally at 127.0.0.1:8423.

0 comments Read more at DEV Community

ProgrammingDEV Community ·

Why Small UI Details Define the Overall Quality of a Product

A design perspective shared on DEV Community argues that minor interface details, such as pixel alignment, empty states, and button feedback, carry significant weight when repeated across an entire product. While individually these elements may seem trivial, their cumulative effect determines whether an interface feels thoughtful or merely functional. The author notes that such details are easiest to spot after stepping away from the code and returning with fresh eyes. The final stretch of product development, often called the last ten percent, is described as the stage where a product's true character becomes apparent. Developing the habit of catching these moments before users encounter them is presented as the essence of good craft in software design.

0 comments Read more at DEV Community

ProgrammingDEV Community ·

Guide: Deploying SafeLine WAF as a Kubernetes Workload to Protect Apps

SafeLine is a containerized, reverse-proxy web application firewall that can be deployed on Kubernetes like any standard workload. It sits between the cluster's Ingress or LoadBalancer and upstream application services, inspecting all incoming traffic before it reaches protected apps. The setup involves creating a Deployment and Service for SafeLine, then pointing existing Ingress rules at it instead of directly at individual applications. Each protected app is registered in the SafeLine management console using its internal Kubernetes Service DNS address as the upstream. The free Community Edition supports up to 10 applications at 800 requests per second.

0 comments Read more at DEV Community