936: Realtime LED Wall With React + Websockets (I Let Strangers Control It)
Scott, Wes, and CJ dive into Wes’s Hackweek project: a real-time, web-controlled LED grid. They break down the hardware build, custom 3D-printed diffuser, ESP32 microcontroller, and Cloudflare durable objects powering live pixel art, GitHub activity displays, and interactive web drawings.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
02:03 Wes’ Hackweek project: a web-controlled LED grid
03:52 The hardware: LED panels, soldering, and power
WS2812 LED panels
06:38 ESP32 microcontroller and WLED firmware explained
ESP32 Microcontroller
10:57 Power supply challenges and injection fixes
15:05 Debugging and testing a DIY LED matrix
15:56 Shorts, blown circuits, and melted wires
17:58 Designing and 3D-printing the diffuser for crisp pixels
21:29 The software: Cloudflare Durable Objects + Party Server
Cloudflare Durable Objects
Party.server
22:18 Real-time sync and state management across clients
Party Client
28:43 Connecting the server to the LED hardware
41:51 Open access fun: scripts, NSFW images, and moderation
Cloudflare tunnel
44:10 Live demos
45:34 Future plans: stats, rooms, and making it always-on
Hit us up on Socials!
Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads
Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads
Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads
Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads
-------- Â
47:12
--------
47:12
935: CJ Made A Sega Game In 2025
CJ takes us behind the scenes of Hackweek to share how he built a custom Sega Genesis game from scratch, complete with assembly code, level loading, and retro hardware tricks. From SGDK to parallax faking, this episode is a deep dive into old-school game dev with a modern twist.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
00:44 Why a Sega game?
Sega Genesis.
Sega Master System.
MKBHD Retro Tech: Sega.
06:55 What is it running on?
07:49 Working with assembly code.
10:11 Sega Genesis Development Kit.
Stephane-D GitHub.
10:54 Awesome Megadrive.
12:02 Booting on an emulator.
13:07 Gens and KMod.
15:54 Compiling stage.
17:44 Genesis Code VS Code Extension.
18:22 Images and Assets.
19:46 Loading images with bitmap.
23:50 Megacat Studios.
25:21 Z index?
Faking Parallax.
27:34 Specific code examples.
27:51 Platformer Engine.
30:01 Platformer Sample Game.
30:44 LDTK (Level Designer Toolkit).
33:13 Tiled Collision mapping.
37:42 What about debugging?
39:37 Loading in levels.
RetroGameMechanicsExplained.
Sega Mega-CD Development Unit.
43:56 Challenges with graphics.
49:56 Adding music.
Super Cartridge.
Flahskit Programmer MD.
Flashkit Cart MD.
Hit us up on Socials!
Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads
Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads
Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads
Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads
-------- Â
52:29
--------
52:29
934: We Built a Real-Time, Local-Data, Competitive Coding Game
Scott, Wes, and CJ dive into SynHax, Scott’s Hackweek project for code battles. They discuss live coding duels, referee controls, and the surprisingly simple tech stack that delivers instant updates and audience engagement.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
01:50 Brought to you by Sentry.io
02:30 What is SynHax?
This Button Broke Our Brains (CSS Challenge)
04:21 The Stack
SvelteKit
Postgres
Drizzle
Zero Sync
Better Auth
Syntax 931: How to make good choices when starting a coding project
07:39 How it works
15:03 The battle experience
28:28 Fun details
34:12 Creating new battles & the admin dashboard
Hit us up on Socials!
Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads
Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads
Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads
Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads
-------- Â
37:07
--------
37:07
933: Hackweek Overview - What Is It, What Did We Build
It’s Hackweek at Syntax! Scott, Wes, and CJ break down what Hackweek is all about - how they picked their projects, what came out of them, and why it’s the best excuse to experiment, build, and have fun before the deep-dive episodes roll in.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
00:04 What is Hackweek?
01:05 Hackweek projects spark motivation.
04:05 Choosing our projects.
04:34 What we chose.
05:11 CJ’s Hackweek Project.
05:51 Using SGDK C language toolkit.
07:02 Writing to an Everdrive.
08:09 What game engine did you use?
Platformer Engine.
LDtk.
12:11 What was the end result?
14:09 Wes’ Hackweek Project.
16:15 Why hardware projects?
Watch the Video Here.
19:09 Scott’s Hackweek Project.
Watch the Video Here.
21:42 Early considerations.
25:42 AI usage.
Hit us up on Socials!
Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads
Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads
Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads
Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads
-------- Â
32:05
--------
32:05
932: Vibe Coding’s Huge Problem
Wes and Scott talk about the dangers of vibe coding when it comes to authentication and access control. They share real-world examples of security fails, discuss how to avoid client-side-only checks, and offer practical tips for protecting sensitive user data in your apps.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
We build the world’s most painful CAPTCHAs (Kitboga scammers)
02:08 Brought to you by Sentry.io
02:33 Wes’ vibe coding experience
Wes’ app
04:38 The Tea app disaster
Tea app
07:45 Don’t vibe code access control
Better Auth with Better Auth
09:38 Let in, don’t lock down
11:23 Server vs. client-side code
13:46 Visualize access control
15:30 Automate tests
17:00 Sick Picks + Shameless Plugs
Sick Picks
Scott: A City on Mars
Wes: Hotel Collection Essential Oils
Shameless Plugs
Syntax YouTube Channel
Hit us up on Socials!
Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads
Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads
Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads
Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads
Full Stack Developers Wes Bos and Scott Tolinski dive deep into web development topics, explaining how they work and talking about their own experiences. They cover from JavaScript frameworks like React, to the latest advancements in CSS to simplifying web tooling.
Canada - english