### What Occurs When Apple Sherlocks Your App Concept? You Create It Regardless.
#### Before Sherlocking
In the rapid realm of app creation, the phrase “sherlocked” has come to represent the situation where bigger corporations, such as Apple, take on and merge features originally conceived by independent developers. This article delves into the experience of developer Gui Rambo, who encountered this situation personally.
Some months ago, Rambo had an inventive concept: instead of starting with a blank Safari page or depending on a physical ring light for video conferencing, why not harness the Mac’s screen to create a ring-light effect? He imagined a feature that would not only brighten the user but also dim the surrounding space when the cursor neared the ring-light effect, facilitating smooth interaction. However, he was uncertain about the feasibility of the idea and chose to set it aside.
Fast forward to 2025, and Apple declared the launch of macOS 26.2, which featured a new function called the Edge Effect. This function reflected Rambo’s initial idea by dimming areas around the cursor, confirming his original thought. Motivated by this news, Rambo opted to revive his initiative.
#### LightBuddy
Today, Rambo is excited to unveil **LightBuddy**, a groundbreaking application that delivers the ring-light effect straight to the Mac’s display. Upon activation, LightBuddy applies a gentle distortion and dimming effect, ensuring that the light does not disrupt cursor movement at the screen’s edges.
LightBuddy provides numerous customization features, including:
– **HDR Capability**: For HDR-compatible displays, users can turn on HDR lighting and modify its intensity.
– **Color Selections**: In addition to standard blue and amber temperature adjustments, users can pick any color for the illumination.
– **Multi-display Functionality**: Users with several displays can establish separate settings for each screen.
LightBuddy is neatly positioned in the Mac’s menu bar and displays animations inspired by Apple’s Liquid Glass aesthetic.
Beyond its vast customization options, LightBuddy holds a notable edge over Apple’s native Edge Effect: it is usable on any Mac running macOS 14 or newer, including Intel Macs, whereas Apple’s version is restricted to Apple Silicon Macs.
While primarily crafted for Apple displays, LightBuddy can also operate on third-party monitors, such as LG’s UltraFine, though performance may differ.
Rambo is dedicated to further improving LightBuddy, with proposals to introduce keyboard shortcuts, Shortcuts integration, Night Mode, and True Tone support for color temperature adjustments.
LightBuddy is up for grabs at $4.99. For those curious about the development journey and insights into Rambo’s story, he offers additional information on his [blog](https://rambo.codes/posts/2025-12-15-sherlocked-before-it-was-born-lightbuddy).
### Final Thoughts
The narrative of Gui Rambo and LightBuddy showcases the tenacity and ingenuity of independent developers amidst competition from major players in the industry. Instead of being discouraged by Apple’s introduction of a comparable feature, Rambo seized the opportunity to craft a distinctive product that provides users with improved functionality and personalization.
