Ember is a native Hacker News reader for iOS, iPad, and Mac that avoids third-party dependencies. Built with SwiftUI, the app targets iOS 18 and uses Mac Catalyst for desktop support. It implements a responsive layout that shifts from a mobile tab bar to a three-pane view on larger screens.

Engineering choices focus on performance and accessibility. The developer uses the Observation framework for state management and async/await for networking. To keep the experience fast, the app parses Hacker News HTML into native Attributed String blocks instead of using web views, and it fetches full comment trees in a single request via Algolia.

Accessibility is integrated as a core feature rather than an add-on. The app detects system settings like Voice Over and Reduce Motion during a smart onboarding flow to auto-configure the interface. It uses a custom JSON disk cache to enable offline reading and ensures status indicators never rely on color alone.

This project demonstrates a lean architectural approach by leveraging the official Firebase API and Algolia to deliver a high-performance reader. It provides a blueprint for building accessible, native Apple platform apps without external library bloat.