hi, i'm alex.
i build ai tools, native apple apps, and small hardware that talks to agents. toronto. i build in public as thealxlabs, which means my bugs are also in public.
i like shipping more than planning. i bought this domain and started building it the same night.
- right now
- alex is around
- building
- conduit, a desk box for talking to my ai agents
- good at
- shipping ai agent products fast
- learning
- esp32 firmware, whisper, and mcp servers
- stack
- swift · typescript · python · esp32
- looking
- a real part-time job in 2027. actual team, actual paycheque. slightly terrifying.
- replies
- usually within a day. naps permitting.
- elsewhere
- github · x · thealxlabs.ca
work
- conduitoct 2026
a desk box for talking to my ai agents. started as fo voice.
- architectfeb 2026
ai code reviewer. paste code or link a repo, get scores and fixes.
- pagecraft studio2026
my web studio. ai-ready websites for small businesses.
- monojan 2026
brutalist timer and stopwatch for ipad and mac. swift.
- aetherjan 2026
a weather app with everything stripped out.
- exif dashboard projan 2026
drop in your photos, see how you actually shoot.
lately
pulled from my public github, so it updates itself.
routine
- learn something
- usually by breaking it first
- ship something
- or push a commit and call it shipping
- gym
- no. the cats get more exercise than me.
- sleep
- a lot, honestly. no notes.
side quests
- doodle art
- dense keith haring style linework, every inch filled
- wallet card art
- custom apple wallet card skins. the defaults are boring.
- weird domains
- i collect them. this one counts.
uses
- computer
- macbook air
- phone
- iphone
- workflow
- terminal first, always
- building
- swift for apple apps, typescript for the web, claude as a pair programmer
- hardware
- esp32 boards, raspberry pi 3s, a zimaboard running the relay
school
what i'm learning, and what i made with it. coming later.
contact
jobs, collabs, or questions. i reply, eventually. probably after a nap.
conduit
oct 2026 · esp32 buttons · touchscreen · zimaboard relay · whisper · claude + the fo mcp server
what it is
a desk box for talking to my ai agents without picking up a phone. it started as fo voice, a three-button esp32 remote, and grew a touchscreen and a 3d-printed case.
built at the wajo gsd hackathon, oct 17–19 2026, then kept going.
how it works
- hold talk and speak. the esp32 buttons send it to a relay running on my zimaboard.
- whisper turns it into text, then claude runs it through the fo mcp server and fo does the thing. it reads the plan back before acting.
- the screen shows fo's status, today's requests and whether they worked, quick actions (my day, send text, set reminder), and a switcher for fo, claude, opencode, and antigravity.
what broke
50+ test runs. about 20 failed early, across the ui, the hardware, and the software. i reworked every layer until it ran 30+ times clean. it still owns up when it misses: "didn't catch that. hold the button and speak."
what's next
make answers come back out of the box. right now it only listens: the esp32 sends to fo and nothing comes back through it. after that, an led strip and better buttons. the parts are already on my desk.