Podcast
Syntax - Tasty Web Development Treats
Hosted by Wes Bos & Scott Tolinski - Full Stack JavaScript Web Developers · EN
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.
65episodes
Episodes
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1013: Cloudflare Acquires VoidZero
1w ago00:14:41Tap to summarizeLive at JSNation in Amsterdam, Scott, Wes, and CJ break down Cloudflare’s acquisition of VoidZero, the company behind Vite, Vitest, Rolldown, and Oxc. They dig into why this is genuinely exciting, not scary, covering what it means for the open source tooling you already use, Cloudflare’s growing tip-to-tail stack, and why infrastructure might be the one thing LLMs can never sherlock Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! Live from JS Nation Amsterdam 00:35 The Big News: Cloudflare Acquires VoidZero 01:06 First Reactions: Is This a Good Thing? 01:57 Vite+ Overview: Who’s Using It 03:07 Why Would Cloudflare Want This? 03:38 The Void Framework: Cloudflare’s Vite Plugin 04:31 VoidZero’s Void Hosting Product (Built on Cloudflare) 04:53 Cloudflare Now Has Everything: Tip to Tail 05:57 What Cloudflare Is Still Missing (Auth) 06:20 Infrastructure as the Last LLM Frontier 07:27 Vendor Lock-In: The Trade-Off Worth Making? 08:09 Wrangler is Bad. 09:00 Vite’s Impact on Web Dev 09:22 AI Acquiring Engineers: What It Says About the Industry 10:10 Behind the Scenes: Who Knew Before the Announcement 10:40 Recap: Everything Stays Open Source, MIT Licensed 11:06 The $1M Vite Ecosystem Fund 11:35 Wrap Up 12:14 Brought to you by Sentry.io 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
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1012: Who Decides What Ships on the Web?
2w ago01:09:00Tap to summarizeScott and Wes sit down with Jake Archibald from Mozilla to unpack how web standards actually get made at Firefox. From browser features and developer feedback to the drama around the Prompt API. They discuss Interop 2026, the future of web APIs, and what it’s really like shaping the web after a career spanning both Google and Mozilla. Show Notes 00:00 The Importance of Sunscreen 02:29 Welcome to Syntax! 04:35 Transitioning from Google to Mozilla 06:00 Brought to you by Sentry.io 06:43 Mozilla’s Current Position and Development Priority HTML Sanitizer API 08:35 Feature Implementation and Developer Feedback 13:12 JPEG XL and AVIF: The Future of Image Formats 18:06 Balancing User Features and Web Standards 20:56 Navigating the AI Translation Dilemma 23:03 Understanding the Prompt API Controversy 32:56 Rethinking the Future of Prompt APIs 39:00 Exploring Local Models and User Control 44:04 The State of Firefox DevTools 45:42 Browser Stability and Developer Editions 47:39 Introduction to the Heading Offset API 51:14 Interop APIs and Their Importance Headingoffset & Headingreset attributes 54:10 Developer Feedback and Browser Features Developer Signals 58:05 Animating Display None and Its Challenges 01:00:44 HTML and Canvas: Opportunities and Concerns 01:04:01 Sick Picks + Shameless Plugs Sick Picks Scott: Wes: Jake: Clues by Sam Shameless Plugs Scott: Wes: Jake: Bluesky Mastodon Threads LinkedIn YouTube X Insatgram Tiktok 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
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1011: tmux + Terminal Maxxing with Ben Vinegar
3w ago01:05:51Tap to summarizeScott and Wes sit down with Ben Vinegar, former Syntax GM and founder of Modem.dev, to geek out over terminal-maxxing, from SSH-based development and tmux workflows to AI-powered coding agents. Ben also demos two of his open source tools: Hunk, a slick terminal code reviewer with 4k+ GitHub stars, and TermDraw, a terminal-based diagramming tool that posts directly to your agent. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:49 Introduction to Modem and AI Project Management 01:40 Exploring Terminal Usage and Productivity 04:26 Setting Up Remote Development Environments 08:38 The Power of TMUX in Development 11:20 What makes TMUX splitting different? 12:46 Integrating AI with Terminal Workflows 14:56 The Future of Terminal Applications 17:31 Balancing GUIs and Terminal Interfaces getfresh.dev Ben’s talk at AI Engineer Miami 24:39 Navigating Development Tools and Environments 26:44 The Balance of Security and Convenience in Coding 30:27 Cautionary Tales: The Risks of YOLO Mode 33:53 Innovative Tools for Enhanced Coding Experience 34:09 Hunk: Terminal code review. 41:39 TermDraw: A New Way to Visualize Code and Ideas 46:22 The Dynamics of Open Source Contributions 48:31 Visualizing Code: Tools and Techniques 50:54 Podcasting and Editing Processes State of Agentic Coding. Podguy: Agent-driven post-production workflow for video podcasts 56:23 Introducing Modem: A Product Intelligence Platform 01:01:39 Connecting Feedback to Product Development 01:03:15 Sick Picks Sick Picks Ben: Nirvanna: The Band - The Show - The Movie, Timecrimes Shameless Plugs Ben: https://modem.dev/ 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
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1010: No one cares anymore?
3w ago00:56:06Tap to summarizeOn this episode, Scott and Wes dig into the messy reality of modern front-end work, from struggling to find skilled devs and navigating team chaos to questioning code quality, testing, and even whether AI is stealing the joy of programming. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax 01:06 The Challenge of Finding Skilled Front-End Developers 05:11 Understanding Design Mode and Its Applications 10:33 Navigating Team Dynamics and Code Quality 12:37 The Importance of Testing Strategies 13:39 Learning and Growing as a Developer 18:11 Consolidating Multiple Animation Libraries 21:16 Draw UI with Code Only 22:38 Avoiding Interview Scams 26:40 Embracing Change in Tech Careers 32:21 Why People Don’t Do Software Updates 41:04 AI Kills my Joy of Programming 49:18 Sick Picks + Shameless Plugs Sick Picks Scott: USB LED Light Wireless Carplay Adapter Wes: Shameless Plugs Scott: Phases Podcast Wes: 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
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1009: 54% AI-Generated and Climbing — State of AI
4w ago00:54:32Tap to summarizeScott and Wes react to the freshly released State of AI 2026 survey, covering everything from skyrocketing AI adoption and the rise of coding agents to the pain points, job security fears, and big philosophical questions developers are wrestling with right now. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:06 Introduction to the State of AI in Web Development 02:47 Survey Insights: AI Coding Adoption and Sentiment 06:55 Models and Providers: Usage and Sentiment Analysis 09:14 Paid Agent Usage: Who’s Paying for What? 11:31 Agents and Assistants. 15:21 Personal Experiences with AI Tools 20:33 Paid Agent Usage 22:36 Programming Languages: Trends in AI Coding 23:54 Image Generation Tools: A Shift in Usage 26:48 The Evolution of Image Generation Tools 28:44 The Future of Video Generation 29:42 AI in App Development 30:54 Code Review Tools 31:27 Brought to you by Sentry.io 34:59 AI’s Role in Code Generation and Review 35:50 The Financial Impact of AI Tools 38:03 Local AI: Trends and Misconceptions 41:28 AI Risks and Pain Points 45:13 User Sentiment Towards AI 48:44 The AI Bubble: Current Perspectives 50:52 Survey Insights and Future Directions 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
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1008: Diffs, Trees, and VS Code 2.0
May 2700:59:56Tap to summarizeScott and Wes sit down with Alex Sexton and Amadeus De Marzi from Pierre Computer to dig into the gnarly performance challenges behind building blazing-fast code review tools, covering virtualization, progressive rendering, and why GitHub’s UI feels so sluggish. They also chat about how major AI coding tools like Claude, Codex, and Cursor are adopting Pierre’s diffs library, plus the role of web components, benchmarking, and what it takes to build “VS Code 2.0.” Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 04:00 The Need for Better Infrastructure 05:53 Understanding Diffs and Trees diffs.com Trees by the Pierre Computer Co 08:16 Performance Challenges in Code Review 10:49 Virtualization Techniques for Smooth Scrolling 15:04 In-Page Find and Virtualization Limitations 17:00 Browser Limitations and Content Visibility 19:29 Progressive Rendering and Syntax Highlighting 23:05 Tools and Techniques for Performance Testing 33:35 Optimizing Performance with AI 36:31 Mastering Auto Research for Efficiency 42:00 Exploring Web Components and State Management 44:05 Innovations in Rendering and Virtualization 49:12 Business Insights and Future Directions 53:58 Sick Picks 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
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1007: 8 Tech Choices to Lock In Before Agentmaxxing
May 2500:17:01Tap to summarizeWes and Scott talk about the foundational decisions that make AI-assisted coding actually work—database schemas, validation, routing, CSS structure, and more. They explore why consistency matters more than specific tools, and how a little upfront planning can keep agents from turning your codebase into chaos. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 03:19 Planning your database schema before AI touches it 06:08 Picking a validation strategy that won’t drift 07:18 Mapping your routing structure and auth flow 08:48 Brought to you by Sentry.io 10:52 Locking in your CSS methodology and UI framework 13:31 Choosing how your client and server communicate 15:03 Creating a folder structure agents can follow 16:16 Don’t be afraid to switch up your AI setup later 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
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1006: Can AI Make Good Design?
May 2000:35:04Tap to summarizeWes and Scott talk about whether AI can actually create good design, or if it just remixes the same patterns over and over. They dig into AI-generated UX, design systems, YouTube thumbnails, Google’s design.md spec, programmatic design, and the tools designers are actually using today. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 03:20 Can AI actually make you creative? 08:52 Why AI-generated YouTube thumbnails all look the same 10:34 Can good design be extrapolated from patterns? 13:46 Google’s design.md and AI steering documents 16:57 Can AI make good UX? 19:37 Brought to you by Sentry.io 21:03 Can good design be programmatic? 23:57 Can AI optimize design for outcomes and conversions? 27:40 Should designers use AI to enhance their work? 32:41 The AI design tools people are actually using 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
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1005: Programatic and Skill based Video Creation with Remotion
May 1800:43:33Tap to summarizeScott and Wes are joined by Jonny Burger, creator of Remotion, to talk about the explosion of programmatic video, going from 125k to 800k installs per day, and how AI and a new HTML-in-Canvas Chrome spec are changing the game. They dig into monetization, the wild world of video slop, motion graphics workflows, and the new Media Bunny tool. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! Remotion has skills! 02:20 Monetization Strategies and Sustainability Remotion Pro 04:40 The Impact of AI on Video Creation 07:46 User Demographics and Use Cases 09:49 The Future of Video Editing Workflows 13:14 HTML in Canvas: A Game Changer 16:17 Technical Challenges and Innovations 18:44 Brought to you by Sentry.io 19:09 The Future of Remotion and Community Feedback 22:59 Rendering CSS Animations and Performance Optimization 27:05 The Underworld of Video Slop 29:12 Transition to Media Bunny remotion.dev/docs/mediabunny/ 33:50 Motion Graphics Workflow 39:42 Sick Picks + Shameless Plugs Sick Picks Jonny: ENTTEC DMX to USB Interface 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
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1004: TanHacked
May 1300:23:16Tap to summarizeScott and Wes break down the “Mini Shai-Hulud” supply chain attack that compromised TanStack and other popular npm packages through a clever GitHub Actions cache poisoning exploit; a self-propagating worm that stole credentials and persisted through Claude Code hooks and VS Code tasks. They also cover how developers can protect themselves using pnpm’s security defaults, dev containers, and other practical defenses. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:25 Understanding the Shai-Hulud Worm Post Mortem of Shai Hulud Attack 02:47 Mechanics of the Attack: GitHub Actions and Cache How the attack happened Who Was Involved in the Attack Several npm latest releases are compromised Socket.dev Step Security 05:44 Brought to you by Sentry.io 06:09 Propagation and Impact of the Worm 09:30 Preventative Measures for Developers Dead Man’s Switch 12:33 The Role of Package Managers in Security Block Exotic Subdeps 18:39 Using Dev Containers Why You Should Use Dev Containers Scott Tolinski’s Security Review 20:57 Conclusion and Final Thoughts Sentry has Skills! 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
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