Developer Shout-Outs

Afan Oromo and Somali Language Analysis: Abraham A. developed a Python project analyzing the textual and phonemic relationships between Afan Oromo and Somali. The project uses natural language processing techniques. 1. Github Repo

TypeWeather: Sifen built a responsive weather dashboard application using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and the OpenWeatherMap API. The project dynamically updates weather information based on user searches. 1, 2. Live Link Github Repo

SpaceCast PWA: E¥øbª created SpaceCast, a Progressive Web App (PWA) podcast player built with JavaScript, Node.js, and Express. It features limited offline functionality using service workers. 1. Live Link Github Repo

Abubeker’s Portfolio v2: Corax launched the second version of their portfolio website, featuring design improvements, a dedicated project page, and an image viewer. The portfolio was built using a domain from Yegara. 1, 2, 3. Live Link

Product Listing App: Rick Grims shared a product listing application built with Vanilla JavaScript, highlighting the challenges of state management in pure JS. The project showcases their front-end skills. 1, 2, 3, 4. Live Link Github Repo

Gossip App: fikir🎚 developed an anonymous gossip web application using Next.js. The app allows users to share stories without revealing their identities. 1, 2, 3, 4. Live Link Github Repo

”Kirar” NFT Marketplace: Dagim Abebe is developing “Kirar,” an NFT marketplace designed to connect African artists and creators with their audience. The project aims to empower African content creators and address challenges they face. 1. Project Link Github

AI Mock Interview Taker: Zubeyr Anwar created an AI-powered mock interview application. The project helps users practice for job interviews. 1. Project Link

Telegram Forms Mini-App: Mikxyas shared a Telegram mini-app for creating forms. The project utilizes a bot and offers a streamlined form-building experience within Telegram. 1. Github Repo Form Demo Mini-App Link.

Events and Podcasts

Past

• GDG Dev Dialogue: GDG HiLCoE hosted a Dev Dialogue session on data science with expert Mebatsion Sahle. The session covered various aspects of data science and provided an opportunity for attendees to engage with the expert. 1

• Friday Night Coding with Neba - JWT Authentication: Nebyu Samuel hosted a live coding session on JWT authentication. The session covered the basics of JWT, different methods of using it, and encryption/decryption of payloads. 1, 2, 3

• GDG Open Mic with Gemmechu Hassena: GDG AAU hosted an open mic session featuring Gemmechu Hassena, a CS PhD student at Cornell University. The session focused on his journey, insights into AI, 3D reconstruction, and inverse rendering. 1, 2, 3.

• Devtopia Interlude #001: Fraol and Yafet launched a new short podcast called “Devtopia Interlude.” This interlude series will discuss interesting tech topics and be released between main episodes featuring guests. 1

• Dagmawi Babi Podcast with Guillermo Rauch: Dagmawi Babi interviewed Guillermo Rauch, discussing his upbringing, education, career, Next.js, Vercel, V0, and more. The episode included infographics and marked a new format for the podcast. 1

• QEMER Design Talks Season 2 Launch: QEMER launched its second season of design talks at Hub-Bits Training & Co-Workspace Solutions. The event promised bigger ideas, bolder designs, and creative energy. 1

• E-commerce Discussion: Seyoum Tesfay, CEO & Founder of Aelaf Engineering, led a discussion on the challenges and opportunities of e-commerce in Ethiopia. The event took place on March 1st at 2 PM in Kazanchis. 1

Upcoming

• Cybersecurity Seminar & Competition: The Cyber Vanguard Club is hosting a cybersecurity seminar and competition at the Addis Ababa Institute of Technology on March 5th. The event will feature talks, live hacking demos, and competitions. 1. Join Link

Shared Resources

• Debugging Tetrino Game: G£TN€T is seeking assistance debugging a Tetrino game built with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. The game has issues with pieces sinking too far, a game-breaking error on the second Tetrino, and incorrect score calculation. 1 Project Link.

• SpaceCast Podcast Player: E¥øbª(ያፌት) introduced SpaceCast, a PWA podcast player built with JavaScript, Node.js, and Express. Inspired by radio astronomy programs, it offers limited offline support using service workers. 1 Project Link.

• Abubeker’s Portfolio V2: Corax unveiled the second version of their portfolio website. Updates include design and color changes, a dedicated project page, and an image viewer. They plan to refine the text and potentially add animations. 1, 2, 3 Project Link.

Tech Company Updates

• Silicon Valley Startups Leverage AI: Many Silicon Valley startups are increasingly utilizing AI to enhance productivity in research, coding, and other areas. This trend reduces their dependence on venture capital funding for hiring, leading to “tiny team” success stories. 1

• Yegara Host Invests in Codenight Community: Yegara Host sponsored 117 domain names for Codenight members during DevMeetupV3, representing an investment of 87,750 Birr. This generous contribution demonstrates their commitment to supporting the developer community. 1

• Fintech Companies Eyeing Ethiopian Market: Fintech companies pawaPay, Zuri Health, and Flutterwave plan to enter the Ethiopian market in 2025. They are exploring strategic acquisitions and organic growth opportunities as market liberalization increases competition. 1

• Create React App Sunsets: The popular tool “create-react-app” for scaffolding React projects has been officially deprecated. Developers are encouraged to transition to alternative methods like Vite, Next.js, or custom setups. 1, 2, 3, 4

• Vercel Experiences Outage: Vercel, a popular platform for frontend deployments, experienced a significant service outage lasting approximately three hours. The outage caused elevated latency and disruptions for users. 1, 2

Top Discussions and Reactions:

• DevMeetupV3 Summary: Codistiano shared a comprehensive four-part summary of DevMeetupV3, covering ALX’s introduction, speaker sessions with Mirafe Gebriel and Addis Alemayehu, audience questions, and the live pitch session. The summary highlighted key takeaways about startup success, investment, and the Ethiopian tech scene. 1, 2, 3, 4.

• Codenight Reaches 9000 Members: The community celebrated reaching 9000 members, expressing excitement and welcoming new members. Dagmawi Babi congratulated the moderators and creators for their contributions. The milestone sparked discussions about the growth of the Codenight community and its impact on the Ethiopian tech ecosystem. 1, 2, 3, 4.

• Debate on AI’s Impact on Developers: A discussion arose regarding the impact of AI on developers, particularly in the Ethiopian context. bolshevik argued that the Ethiopian dev market was already challenging before AI, while others discussed the need for developers to adapt and acquire new skills. 1, 2, 3, 4.

• Redesigning CBE Birr App UI: Alazar shared a video showcasing a UI redesign of the CBE Birr app. This sparked a debate about the effectiveness of the redesign and the level of criticism directed at CBE. Some members found the redesign insightful, while others felt it was unnecessarily harsh. 1, 2, 3, 4.