Sidebar Calendar, 1 Year and 70 Updates Later
Hey r/MacApps, my name is Gabe and I'm the developer of Sidebar Calendar: an app I made to help myself stay on schedule. But this post isn't for promotion (I mean if you are interested please check it out!!). This post is mainly for my fellow app devs.
I've been working on Sidebar Calendar since May of 2025. I've pushed 70 updates to the App Store so that's roughly 1.3 per week for a year straight. I want to write (rant?) a bit about my experience.
I know this is an unfathomably dead horse at this point, but LLMs have been a paradigm shift for app dev. On one hand it empowers people to create the app they've always wanted without needing the perquisite programming skills. But that's also the very thing that can stink about it.
If you downloaded an app back in 2020 it was probably created by someone genuinely interested in development. They learned a programming language to create it, they spent hours focusing on the finer details, there was just a uniqueness to their creation (a warmth maybe?). There were definitely a fair share of stinkers back then too, but for the most part if someone put in the effort to publish an app it was worth taking a look at.
But we are now living in a different world. Most apps stink now.
I woke up one day and found that my app Sidebar Calendar was slop-cloned. I'm not going to go into the details of who the developer is or what the app name is, because I'm not interested in calling them out like that publicly. Needless to say, they found my app and used an LLM to clone it. It's blatant. It's perhaps the most unapologetic instance of plagiarism that I have ever seen.
Looking at the screenshots of their app, it makes me think a lot about the future of app development. It's a cheap clone and reeks of LLM generated slop. But it exists! It's on the App Store! And LLMs are only getting better...
I don't know. Not sure where we go from here. Wishing you all the best,
Gabe
https://redd.it/1te7q2d
@macappsbackup
Hey r/MacApps, my name is Gabe and I'm the developer of Sidebar Calendar: an app I made to help myself stay on schedule. But this post isn't for promotion (I mean if you are interested please check it out!!). This post is mainly for my fellow app devs.
I've been working on Sidebar Calendar since May of 2025. I've pushed 70 updates to the App Store so that's roughly 1.3 per week for a year straight. I want to write (rant?) a bit about my experience.
I know this is an unfathomably dead horse at this point, but LLMs have been a paradigm shift for app dev. On one hand it empowers people to create the app they've always wanted without needing the perquisite programming skills. But that's also the very thing that can stink about it.
If you downloaded an app back in 2020 it was probably created by someone genuinely interested in development. They learned a programming language to create it, they spent hours focusing on the finer details, there was just a uniqueness to their creation (a warmth maybe?). There were definitely a fair share of stinkers back then too, but for the most part if someone put in the effort to publish an app it was worth taking a look at.
But we are now living in a different world. Most apps stink now.
I woke up one day and found that my app Sidebar Calendar was slop-cloned. I'm not going to go into the details of who the developer is or what the app name is, because I'm not interested in calling them out like that publicly. Needless to say, they found my app and used an LLM to clone it. It's blatant. It's perhaps the most unapologetic instance of plagiarism that I have ever seen.
Looking at the screenshots of their app, it makes me think a lot about the future of app development. It's a cheap clone and reeks of LLM generated slop. But it exists! It's on the App Store! And LLMs are only getting better...
I don't know. Not sure where we go from here. Wishing you all the best,
Gabe
https://redd.it/1te7q2d
@macappsbackup
App Store
Sidebar Calendar App - App Store
Download Sidebar Calendar by Gabriel Catalfo on the App Store. See screenshots, ratings and reviews, user tips, and more apps like Sidebar Calendar.
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Upgrading the Mac version of Sapling, our 3D scanning/photogrammetry app
https://redd.it/1teg39s
@macappsbackup
https://redd.it/1teg39s
@macappsbackup
[OS] AndroidFileSync: Free macOS app to transfer files between your Mac and Android wirelessly/USB — open source, no cloud
https://redd.it/1tekizz
@macappsbackup
https://redd.it/1tekizz
@macappsbackup
Reddit
From the macapps community on Reddit: [OS] AndroidFileSync: Free macOS app to transfer files between your Mac and Android wirelessly/USB…
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Logi Options mouse replacement update
After Logi Options Offline version stopped updating, I ended up trying Steermouse. I tried to go without a replacement for a long time but some things are just helpful - like Mission Control with the thumb button. This sub was helpful - there's fake or duplicate steer mouse websites so after perusing here I knew to use plentycom's website.
Dev is still responsive even though it's an older app. I ended up purchasing after using the whole trial period. Why this app is useful for me: I can set up per app settings. Right click might do something different in each app. You can also set up mouse combos - like pressing two buttons at the same time to do something else. From what I understand, there's still no mouse button + drag. Reverse natural scroll is simple but helpful (probs not unique to this app!). I'm not a coder or whiz but I'm on the computer a lot at work and home, and have some quality of life settings that I like.
I think the best part is when I entered my license to activate the app, there was a celebratory jingle haha. I haven't seen/heard something like that in a very long time.
Anyways, there's a ton of other options. I think most people like bettermouse, and that has a slick interface, but I had a single, minor but sour interaction with the dev and I didn't really feel like supporting them financially. Really slick app and very useful.
Shout out to the mods who do a good job even with the onslaught of AI focused apps on this subreddit. There's also this resource and maybe it would benefit to have a mouse app comparison sheet too https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1j56vvb/mac\_app\_comparisons\_2025\_update/ but if you're on a desktop its behind the 'Community guide link' so its kind of hidden.
Over the years, I got a lot of use out of that comparison sheet. Notenik, CleanshotX, Moom, etc.
https://redd.it/1terq70
@macappsbackup
After Logi Options Offline version stopped updating, I ended up trying Steermouse. I tried to go without a replacement for a long time but some things are just helpful - like Mission Control with the thumb button. This sub was helpful - there's fake or duplicate steer mouse websites so after perusing here I knew to use plentycom's website.
Dev is still responsive even though it's an older app. I ended up purchasing after using the whole trial period. Why this app is useful for me: I can set up per app settings. Right click might do something different in each app. You can also set up mouse combos - like pressing two buttons at the same time to do something else. From what I understand, there's still no mouse button + drag. Reverse natural scroll is simple but helpful (probs not unique to this app!). I'm not a coder or whiz but I'm on the computer a lot at work and home, and have some quality of life settings that I like.
I think the best part is when I entered my license to activate the app, there was a celebratory jingle haha. I haven't seen/heard something like that in a very long time.
Anyways, there's a ton of other options. I think most people like bettermouse, and that has a slick interface, but I had a single, minor but sour interaction with the dev and I didn't really feel like supporting them financially. Really slick app and very useful.
Shout out to the mods who do a good job even with the onslaught of AI focused apps on this subreddit. There's also this resource and maybe it would benefit to have a mouse app comparison sheet too https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1j56vvb/mac\_app\_comparisons\_2025\_update/ but if you're on a desktop its behind the 'Community guide link' so its kind of hidden.
Over the years, I got a lot of use out of that comparison sheet. Notenik, CleanshotX, Moom, etc.
https://redd.it/1terq70
@macappsbackup
Reddit
From the macapps community on Reddit: Mac App Comparisons - 2025 Update
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AirSpace V2. Tired of Desktop 1? Track and rename your spaces in the menu bar. Now with HUDs, per-space colors, fullscreen support, and more. Written with 0 AI.
https://redd.it/1texsg7
@macappsbackup
https://redd.it/1texsg7
@macappsbackup
(OS) I built my first Mac app: a tiny stock ticker that rotates in your Dock
https://reddit.com/link/1tewxww/video/krn53ve3qi1h1/player
Hey everyone @ r/macapps,
First-time Mac app developer/builder here.
I just launched my first macOS app and would love some feedback.
The app is called Rotating Stock Watchlist.
It’s a tiny stock ticker for your Mac Dock that rotates through your favorite stock tickers while you work. You can choose up to 25 stocks, and they rotate in the dock based on your desired interval (7s, 10s, 20s, etc).
The idea is simple:
Instead of opening a brokerage account, yahoo finance, bloomberg or any one of the million stock watchlist apps, I wanted something lightweight that sits passively in the Dock and keeps the main tickers I care about visible throughout the day.
Problem:
I sort of built this for myself. I personally have a small diversified portfolio of 5-7 stocks in my retirement account, and I honestly dont like opening my brokerage account/checking the balances in there, just set and forget for the most part (but i do like price updates, not to actively trade or buy/sell, but just get a gauge on where they are price wise).
I didnt want to constantly be checking Koyfin or Stocktwits (the two main watchlist apps I use)
Comparison:
Menu bar apps can be useful and is probably the closest to what this is (UpTick and TickerBar), and there are a lot of those out there, but I liked the idea of using the Dock itself and building this as a small glanceable, rotating ticker. (and this menu bar feature is on the roadmap to give users options).
What Rotating Stock Watchlist does:
\- Rotates through your selected stock tickers in the macOS dock
\- Lets you choose the rotation interval
\- Add/remove tickers from your watchlist
\- Rotates on your Mac in your dock while you work
\- Lightweight (973KB) and simple by design
Current version:
Right now, the app is Dock-focused.
The ticker rotates through your watchlist directly in the Dock icon, showing the stock symbol, price, and price movement.
The roadmap I’m thinking through is:
Dock ticker first. Menu bar option next and eventually giving users the choice to toggle between menu bar or dock ticker.
Future ideas I’m considering:
\- Menu bar ticker mode
\- Quick-add preset watchlists like Mag 7, semiconductors, energy, ETFs, crypto, etc.
\- Small quick-view charts (1D, 5D, 30D, etc)
\- More Dock/icon display customization (pausing, re-starting, etc)
\- Optional alerts/watchlist notifications
\- Maybe a combined stock + crypto mode later
\- Brokerage syncing??
Pricing:
The app is currently a simple one-time purchase:
$2.99 on the Mac App Store
No subscription. I am considering adding freemium to help with download numbers. Like you can download and watch up to 5 stocks and if you want to add more it will be $2.99. Willing to test different models here if you think thats a good idea.
My current App Store Connect stats are pretty shite. I just launched about a week ago and I still havent made my first sale outside of friends and family.
Current impressions; 1,150
Product page views: 87
Sale outside of friends/family: 0
I know this is super simple and basic, Im not curing cancer here, and the goal isnt to compete with Bloomberg or Yahoo Finance, I just wanted something simple that rotates in the dock and there wasnt anything really like this out there and wanted to test my building skills and see if I could actually build and launch a product for the first time. And I did do that!
I’d genuinely love feedback from this community:
\- What do you like/dislike about it?
\- Do I have something here?
\- Would you use this in the Dock or would you prefer it in the menu bar?
\- Would both be useful? (like a toggle option!?)
\- What would make this feel like a real daily-use Mac utility instead of just a novelty?
This is my first published Mac app, so any feedback, criticism, feature ideas, or App Store advice would be massively appreciated!
Also, lastly; My goal
https://reddit.com/link/1tewxww/video/krn53ve3qi1h1/player
Hey everyone @ r/macapps,
First-time Mac app developer/builder here.
I just launched my first macOS app and would love some feedback.
The app is called Rotating Stock Watchlist.
It’s a tiny stock ticker for your Mac Dock that rotates through your favorite stock tickers while you work. You can choose up to 25 stocks, and they rotate in the dock based on your desired interval (7s, 10s, 20s, etc).
The idea is simple:
Instead of opening a brokerage account, yahoo finance, bloomberg or any one of the million stock watchlist apps, I wanted something lightweight that sits passively in the Dock and keeps the main tickers I care about visible throughout the day.
Problem:
I sort of built this for myself. I personally have a small diversified portfolio of 5-7 stocks in my retirement account, and I honestly dont like opening my brokerage account/checking the balances in there, just set and forget for the most part (but i do like price updates, not to actively trade or buy/sell, but just get a gauge on where they are price wise).
I didnt want to constantly be checking Koyfin or Stocktwits (the two main watchlist apps I use)
Comparison:
Menu bar apps can be useful and is probably the closest to what this is (UpTick and TickerBar), and there are a lot of those out there, but I liked the idea of using the Dock itself and building this as a small glanceable, rotating ticker. (and this menu bar feature is on the roadmap to give users options).
What Rotating Stock Watchlist does:
\- Rotates through your selected stock tickers in the macOS dock
\- Lets you choose the rotation interval
\- Add/remove tickers from your watchlist
\- Rotates on your Mac in your dock while you work
\- Lightweight (973KB) and simple by design
Current version:
Right now, the app is Dock-focused.
The ticker rotates through your watchlist directly in the Dock icon, showing the stock symbol, price, and price movement.
The roadmap I’m thinking through is:
Dock ticker first. Menu bar option next and eventually giving users the choice to toggle between menu bar or dock ticker.
Future ideas I’m considering:
\- Menu bar ticker mode
\- Quick-add preset watchlists like Mag 7, semiconductors, energy, ETFs, crypto, etc.
\- Small quick-view charts (1D, 5D, 30D, etc)
\- More Dock/icon display customization (pausing, re-starting, etc)
\- Optional alerts/watchlist notifications
\- Maybe a combined stock + crypto mode later
\- Brokerage syncing??
Pricing:
The app is currently a simple one-time purchase:
$2.99 on the Mac App Store
No subscription. I am considering adding freemium to help with download numbers. Like you can download and watch up to 5 stocks and if you want to add more it will be $2.99. Willing to test different models here if you think thats a good idea.
My current App Store Connect stats are pretty shite. I just launched about a week ago and I still havent made my first sale outside of friends and family.
Current impressions; 1,150
Product page views: 87
Sale outside of friends/family: 0
I know this is super simple and basic, Im not curing cancer here, and the goal isnt to compete with Bloomberg or Yahoo Finance, I just wanted something simple that rotates in the dock and there wasnt anything really like this out there and wanted to test my building skills and see if I could actually build and launch a product for the first time. And I did do that!
I’d genuinely love feedback from this community:
\- What do you like/dislike about it?
\- Do I have something here?
\- Would you use this in the Dock or would you prefer it in the menu bar?
\- Would both be useful? (like a toggle option!?)
\- What would make this feel like a real daily-use Mac utility instead of just a novelty?
This is my first published Mac app, so any feedback, criticism, feature ideas, or App Store advice would be massively appreciated!
Also, lastly; My goal
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