Daily Digest

Your day, intelligently summarized - where AI meets inbox intelligence

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Daily Digest - My Journey

Inspiration

As a busy grad student juggling multiple courses, assignments, and deadlines, I found myself constantly overwhelmed by the flood of Canvas notifications in my email and scattered calendar events. I would often miss important assignment deadlines or lecture schedule changes simply because they got lost in my cluttered inbox. This personal struggle inspired me to create Daily Digest - a smart assistant that helps students like me stay on top of their academic communications and schedules.

What it does

Daily Digest seamlessly integrates with Google Calendar and Gmail to provide:

  • AI-powered summaries of class schedules and Canvas notifications
  • Audio briefings perfect for catching up to the schedule of the day
  • Smart organization of assignment deadlines and course announcements
  • Priority-based sorting of academic emails and events
  • Real-time updates for class schedule changes
  • Secure handling of student data

How we built it

As a solo developer, I built Daily Digest using technologies:

  • Backend: Python Flask (which I learned in my web development class)
  • Frontend: React.js (self-taught through online resources)
  • Database: MongoDB for storing user preferences
  • AI Integration: Google's Gemini AI for intelligent and fast summarization
  • Authentication: OAuth2 for Google services
  • API Integration: Google Calendar and Gmail APIs
  • Security: SSL/TLS encryption for data protection

Challenges we ran into

  1. Time Management: Balancing project development with coursework and assignments
  2. Learning Curve: Teaching myself new technologies while implementing them
  3. OAuth2 Complexity: Understanding and implementing Google's authentication flow
  4. AI Integration: Fine-tuning Gemini AI to understand academic context

Accomplishments that I'm proud of

  • Successfully integrated complex APIs and AI technology
  • Created something that solves a real problem
  • Learned multiple new technologies while building a practical solution
  • Implemented secure authentication and data handling

What I learned

  • Full-stack development from ground up
  • Working with AI APIs and OAuth2 authentication
  • Database design and management
  • The importance of user-centered design
  • Time management and project planning

What's next for Daily Digest

  1. Add more Google Calendar Integration Features
  2. Mobile app development
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