It all started with a simple goal: free up some space on my phone. After three intense days hacking away in Termux, I managed to compress a bunch of videos and reclaim a solid 10GB. But of course, it didn’t stop there. One successful script just opened the floodgates to a ton of new ideas, pulling me in all sorts of directions.

This is how a straightforward cleanup task spiraled into a multi-day exploration of new projects. My brain went in several directions:

  • AI for smart cleanup: Compressing videos made me think about finding duplicate images. Instead of just comparing resolutions, why not use an AI library for more accurate matching? It feels like we’re in an era where building a small, custom tool is often faster than hunting for a perfect pre-made solution.
  • The “Second Brain” ambition: Once the space was clear, my mind went to organization. I started dreaming up a Listary-style system for my phone (a way to query the content of any file: PDFs, images, audio). A bit ambitious, maybe, but turning my phone into a searchable “second brain” is a tempting idea.
  • Progress and bugs on the RTL project: I did make some headway on my RTL tool. The visual flipping works nicely, but I found a new bug where copying content crashes the tab. I also added Gemini support and plan to test Groq next.
  • Starting a Captain’s Log: To keep track of all these branching thoughts and projects, I’ve started a “Captain’s Log.” It’s helping me stay connected to my work, remember what I’ve done, and build out my portfolio. It feels good.

I admit I burned a lot of time chasing these ideas. It’s the nature of being a developer, I guess. Sometimes these detours are draining, but this time it felt energizing. It helped me clarify my thoughts and figure out what I actually want to build next, even if it meant not finishing the original task right away.

Next: Okay, enough new ideas for now. Time to focus and finally wrap up the synagogue project.

Tags: side-projects, developer-log, Termux, productivity, AI, RTL