When I added local database encryption to HomeBudget+ this semester, I made the decision mostly on principle: a personal finance app should protect its data if the phone is lost, so the SQLite database is encrypted with SQLCipher. What I hadn’t actually measured was what that decision costs in performance. This article is that measurement […]

Abstract Many mobile apps look simple until they must preserve an unfinished edit, work offline, survive a crash, and reconcile changes from two devices. Then “save and sync” becomes an architecture, and a promise to the user. An offline-first iOS app treats its local store as the immediate source of truth. User actions update it […]

Software projects are often described through architecture, data models, and technical milestones. Interface design tends to appear later in that story, as if it were simply the visible layer added once the important work is complete. During the development of this personal planning app, I experienced almost the opposite. The design process helped define how […]

Software projects often begin with a feature list. This one began with a feeling: everyday planning tools are everywhere, and yet personal organization still often feels fragmented. Calendars live in one place, tasks in another, reminders somewhere else, and the mental work of connecting them is left to the user. The goal of this project […]

For my second semester project, I continued working on HomeBudget+, the offline budgeting app I originally built in Semester 1. The first version could track expenses and income, but categories had to be selected manually and recurring payments had to be entered again every month. This semester, I extended the app with automatic categorization, recurring […]

Introduction On-device artificial intelligence (AI) is a system that works on mobile devices, such as smartphones and laptops, as well as other wearables. It is more independent because it can be used on the go without an internet connection. This is just one of the advantages of these systems. Another is the privacy benefits of […]

As my project for the first semester, I developed HomeBudget+, a personal finance management mobile application designed to help users track and organize their expenses in a simple, secure, and offline-first way.The app is intended for individuals or households who want to monitor their financial activities—such as rent, groceries, utilities, transportation, and personal expenses—in one […]

Introduction Web performance has become a critical quality attribute of modern web applications. Users expect fast load times, smooth interactions, and responsive interfaces, regardless of device or network conditions. From a business perspective, performance directly affects user retention, conversion rates, and search engine visibility. Modern frontend frameworks such as React, Angular, and Vue have significantly […]