Small Cat Labs

About The Lab

This is a side project I've created as a platform to teach myself new tricks... while at the same letting me build exactly the apps I want on my phone.

I cut my teeth on a legacy FORTRAN codebase managed with RCS, and I'm comfortable in MATLAB, Python, and c++17, but times have changed. We have iPhones. Clouds. Vibe coding. Small Cat Labs is how I'm going to bring myself up to speed on modern technologies like this.

The spread of AI development tools has enabled the mass customization concept Stan Davis wrote about in 2001. Only now it's software, and we have generative AI. It's a fascinating time to be alive.

Welcome to Small Cat Labs.

—Tom Holz

PS - Everything below this line is AI-generated, with some manual polishing.

PPS - Except for this note. I'm waiting for my MacBook Air to arrive since I can't build iOS apps on my windows desktop.

Project #1: Solar Noon

This is a digital sundial that provides precise solar information based on your location using standard opens-sourced astronomy libraries.

MVP Features:

• Calculate and display the time of solar noon for the user's current location.
• Use standard astronomy libraries for accuracy.
• Simple, distraction-free UI.

Future Enhancements:

• Additional solar event tracking (sunrise, sunset, golden hour, etc.).
• Widgets and notifications.
• Historical and predictive solar data.

Project #2: DIY White Noise

A personalized ambient noise generator where users can design their own noise spectrum.

MVP Features:

• Generate standard white, pink, and brown noise.
• Simple interface for adjusting frequency emphasis.
• Looping playback with no gaps.

Future Enhancements:

• Full-spectrum custom tuning.
• Presets for different focus/sleep environments.
• AI-generated noise profiles based on user preference.

Roadmap

May 2025

• Develop and release the Solar Noon MVP.
• Set up web presence (landing page, blog, GitHub, etc.).
• Research AI integration for future projects.
• Begin prototyping the Custom White Noise Generator.

June/July 2025

• Expand Solar Noon to include more solar event calculations.
• Add advanced customization to Custom White Noise Generator.
• Experiment with AI-assisted development.

H2 2025

• Develop additional niche utility apps.
• Investigate cross-platform expansion.
• Automate app testing and deployment with CI/CD.
• Build a knowledge base or blog documenting AI-powered indie development.

Tooling

Possible Tech Stack

• Languages: Swift, SwiftUI, Python
• Libraries: Astronomy libraries for solar calculations, AudioKit for noise generation.
• AI: OpenAI APIs, Core ML.
• Infrastructure: AWS, Firebase.
• Development: Xcode, GitHub Actions.

Get in Touch

• [Twitter/X] TBD
• [GitHub] TBD
• [Email] TBD