Blog
Essays on marketing, brand, narrative and apps.
Long-form reading on what BLA learns by doing. Medical marketing, editorial branding, scientific narrative, our own apps and brand voice.
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01
Crossword
May 26, 2026
6 min read
A crossword as reading
Cruzadinha BLA is a crossword app with clues written by people who love to read. The difference is in the clue.
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02
Crossword
May 25, 2026
6 min read
Mini, Big Sunday, Archive, Special Editions, how Cruzadinha BLA works
The crossword is not one. It is an editorial calendar.
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03
Crossword
May 24, 2026
6 min read
The clue that teaches more than the answer
Layered clues, automatic validator and why a BLA clue is a phrase, not a definition.
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04
Crossword
May 23, 2026
6 min read
The Big Sunday as a tribute to the newspaper
Every week, a 15×15 crossword. Big, contemplative, in the rhythm of the printed Sunday paper.
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05
Crossword
May 22, 2026
6 min read
What to ask of a Portuguese crossword before installing
A list of criteria to pick a crossword that respects you.
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06
Crossword
May 21, 2026
5 min read
A free, offline, ad-free crossword: does it really exist?
There is an app that fits the question. How the Daily Mini and the Big Sunday close the equation.
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07
Crossword
May 20, 2026
5 min read
The daily crossword, a 3-minute morning ritual
Daily Mini 5×5, after the coffee, before the day starts pushing.
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08
Crossword
May 19, 2026
6 min read
7 habits of people who finish the 15×15 Sunday
No pep talk. Practical methods to get through the 15×15 without giving up.
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09
Crossword
May 18, 2026
8 min read
The history of the Brazilian crossword, in 100 years
From 1913 in the United States to Coquetel, to the Sunday newspaper, to the iPhone screen.
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10
Crossword
May 17, 2026
7 min read
22 Brazilian crossword terms enthusiasts use
Definition, clue, filler, black square, Big Sunday, Mini, Special Edition: the short vocabulary.
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11
Crossword
May 16, 2026
6 min read
A crossword from Goiânia, read across Brazil
Why having a Brazilian crossword outside the São Paulo-Rio axis changes who enters the archive.
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12
Crossword
May 15, 2026
6 min read
From Palavrão to Cruzadinha, why the app got renamed
Editorial precision applies to naming a product too.
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13
Apps
July 7, 2026
6 min read
Apps that work without asking permission for what they do not need
If you have to keep one phrase about BLA, it is this one. It sums up the whole line: the radicalism, the lightness, the respect for whoever uses it. And it fits in an opened app.
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14
Apps
July 6, 2026
6 min read
BLA walks on two legs
BLA is not only a line of its own apps, and it is not only a studio for commissioned development. It is both things, and each one sustains the other.
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15
Apps
July 5, 2026
6 min read
Software has an author too
A book has an author. A magazine has an editor. Software, most of the time, has neither. BLA treats its apps as signed work, and that changes what they are.
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16
Apps
July 4, 2026
6 min read
Apps that give something back
Inclusion, childhood, sensory touch. Lines that look distant on the map, united by a single idea: they are apps that give something back to whoever uses them, instead of asking for more.
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17
Apps
July 3, 2026
6 min read
BLA is not answering a market, it is building one
There are few Brazilian apps thought out for the domestic market with editorial care. BLA is not disputing that small space. It is betting that it can be much bigger than it is today.
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18
Apps
July 2, 2026
6 min read
Goiânia is not an address, it is a perspective
Goiânia shows up in the story of the first app of BLA as a counterpoint to Silicon Valley and to Faria Lima. But it is not the address of one app. It is the lens of the whole line.
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19
Apps
July 1, 2026
6 min read
The consistency that makes the family look like a family
Whoever opens a second BLA app recognizes the form before reading the name. That consistency is not coincidence or chance. It is the decision that turns separate apps into a family.
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20
Apps
June 30, 2026
6 min read
Design is about saying no
The phrase is from Steve Jobs and it organizes the way BLA decides what goes into each app. It is not about adding until the app is complete. It is about pruning until it is doable.
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21
Apps
June 29, 2026
6 min read
The 6 product lines of BLA were not planned, they were noticed
BLA organizes its apps into six product lines. But they did not come from a plan drawn beforehand. They came from noticing, afterward, a pattern that was already there.
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22
Apps
June 28, 2026
6 min read
An editorial decision, not a dashboard decision
BLA apps do not measure you. No analytics, no funnel, no A/B test. What looks like a renunciation is what keeps every decision about the app editorial instead of statistical.
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23
Apps
June 27, 2026
6 min read
Why a BLA app is under 5 MB
Most apps weigh hundreds of megabytes, some pass a gigabyte. BLA apps are under five. It is not a technical detail, it is the consequence of a decision about what an app should be.
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24
Apps
June 26, 2026
6 min read
The rule does not kill the idea, it redraws the app
Every BLA app passes a rule before it exists: would someone use this as the main app for that function? When the answer is no, the rule does not discard the idea, it rewrites the app until the answer becomes yes.
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25
Apps
June 25, 2026
6 min read
The first app was the proof of concept for the whole line
Before the app line existed as a line, it was just a bet. The first published app was what turned the bet into a plan. What a single app proved, and why that unlocked all the others.
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26
Apps
June 24, 2026
6 min read
BLA always made apps, it just did not call them that
Programming is not a recent chapter at BLA. It is the oldest skill of its director, going back to 1996. The app line was not a pivot, it was a new name for a practice that came from far back.
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27
Apps
June 23, 2026
8 min read
Notas BLA, Apple Notes, Bear, Obsidian: what each one is for
Four notes apps on the iPhone, four different purposes. When Notas BLA fits and when it does not. An honest comparison, no demonization, no miracle promises.
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28
Apps
June 22, 2026
7 min read
Flashlight app, native iOS flashlight, physical flashlight: when each one makes sense
Is a flashlight app worth it when the iPhone already has a native one? Yes, if your routine asks for what the native does not do. Three objects with three different purposes. When each one fits and when it does not.
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29
Apps
June 16, 2026
6 min read
Same note on iPhone, iPad and Mac
Notas BLA is universal by design. One-time purchase, three screens, automatic sync via iCloud. How each device changes the use, without changing the app.
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30
Apps
June 15, 2026
7 min read
How a flashlight turns on inside the iPhone, and why the app asks for camera
How many lines of code does an iPhone flashlight really need? Three turn the LED on. The other two hundred do everything that separates a Swift exercise from an editorial product. The Lanterna BLA back story.
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31
Apps
June 9, 2026
7 min read
The open folder in iCloud Drive: anti-lock-in by design
Why Notas BLA keeps your notes in .md files in iCloud Drive instead of a proprietary database. An editorial and technical decision, with real consequences.
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32
Culture
June 8, 2026
7 min read
The phone flashlight, the object that replaced three others
When the flashlight became part of the phone, and what it carries as a cinematic sign from Twin Peaks, Stranger Things and Stephen King. How Lanterna BLA gives back a little ceremony to the gesture.
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33
Culture
June 2, 2026
7 min read
Writers’ notebooks, from Joan Didion to Anaïs Nin
Why keeping notebooks is an old practice of serious writers. Joan Didion, Anaïs Nin, Susan Sontag, Marcus Aurelius. How Notas BLA enters this line.
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34
Apps
June 1, 2026
7 min read
The six Lanterna BLA presets, in concrete scenarios
When does a flashlight app really matter? The six curated presets of Lanterna BLA, explained in concrete scenarios. Late-night bathroom, Don’t wake anyone, Looking for something, Dark room, Emergency, SOS.
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35
Apps
June 1, 2026
7 min read
The editorial typography of Sudoku BLA
Why Sudoku BLA uses Literata for the numbers, IBM Plex Mono for the eyebrow and Derina for the logo. The typographic decisions that make the board feel like a book page instead of an app screen.
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36
Apps
May 31, 2026
7 min read
How Sudoku BLA was built
Behind the scenes. Pure SwiftUI, no UIKit, no third-party dependency. Algorithmic generation of eight thousand puzzles, Canvas instead of view hierarchy, design system extracted into Modelo BLA.
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37
Apps
May 30, 2026
6 min read
The editorial silence of Sudoku BLA
Steve Jobs said focus is about saying no. Every thing Sudoku BLA does not do is a deliberate decision, not an oversight. An editorial manifesto on what is missing from the app, and why.
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38
Sudoku
May 29, 2026
7 min read
Sudoku and chess: two logic games, two ways of thinking
Chess is an adversarial game. Sudoku is an absolute game. The philosophical difference between the two defines when each fits in your week.
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39
Sudoku
May 28, 2026
6 min read
Sudoku, crosswords and cryptics: three games, three brains
The broad family of brain games has three main members. Each one exercises a different muscle. Whoever understands the difference picks better, or rotates between them.
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40
Sudoku
May 27, 2026
7 min read
History of sudoku
From the French newspaper Le Siècle in 1895 to American Howard Garns in 1979, from Japanese publisher Nikoli in 1984 to The Times of London in 2004. A crossing of three continents in nearly 130 years.
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41
Apps
May 26, 2026
6 min read
Invisible markdown: how Notas BLA hides the symbols
You type two hashes followed by a title, and the screen shows a large title in serif. How Notas BLA’s editorial rendering works and why it changes who can use the app.
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42
Habit science
May 26, 2026
7 min read
Sudoku for better sleep
Why playing Sudoku before bed, in the Tinta theme, is less aggressive than infinite scrolling. It is not insomnia treatment. It is a habit swap.
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43
Habit science
May 25, 2026
8 min read
Late-night light and the sleep you do not lose
Does the light you turn on at three in the morning ruin your sleep? It has a gradient. What the literature says about melatonin, blue light and sleep hygiene, and why Lanterna BLA was made with exactly that window in mind.
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44
Apps
May 25, 2026
6 min read
Sudoku in the morning, Sudoku at night
Two opposite rituals using the same app. In the morning, waking the brain before coffee. At night, closing the day without infinite scroll. How each Sudoku BLA theme fits each moment.
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45
Apps
May 24, 2026
6 min read
Sudoku on the subway, on the plane, in the line
There is a category of app that deserves its own name: waiting app. Why Sudoku BLA was built for those moments, and how the automatic save changes everything.
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46
Habit science
May 23, 2026
7 min read
Sudoku as a contemplative practice
Why playing Sudoku fifteen minutes a day works as a short antidote against digital distraction. Flow state, single-tasking and ataraxia in a nine-by-nine grid.
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47
Habit science
May 22, 2026
7 min read
Sudoku against cognitive decline
What cognitive reserve is, how it builds up across a life, and why Sudoku enters (with no miracle promise) the menu for people who want to take care of the brain past 60.
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48
Sudoku
May 21, 2026
6 min read
Pencil marks: the secret behind hard sudoku
Why marking candidates inside cells is the difference between the casual player and the one who finishes expert puzzles. How auto-notes work in Sudoku BLA, and the design decision behind the Sombra BLA gray.
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49
Apps
May 20, 2026
6 min read
Why Sudoku BLA has 4 difficulty levels
Some Sudoku apps have three levels, five, seven. Why Sudoku BLA has exactly four. The design philosophy behind an app that says no to excess.
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50
Apps
May 19, 2026
6 min read
Automatic Carousel: from text to Instagram in one tap
How the Carousel button in Notas BLA works, and why it turns structured notes into three sizes ready for Instagram. The center feature of the app.
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51
Sudoku
May 19, 2026
7 min read
Sudoku and suspense TV shows: why both keep you hooked
The narrative structure that makes a suspense show hook you from start to finish is the same one that keeps you from leaving a Sudoku puzzle halfway.
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52
Apps
May 18, 2026
7 min read
Why the SOS blinks in real Morse code
The Lanterna BLA SOS follows the international Morse standard, with the timing of recommendation ITU-R M.1677-1. Three short, three long, three short, in loop. Not a decorative blink.
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53
Habit science
May 18, 2026
8 min read
Sudoku, racquet sports and reading: three habits to live longer
The three habits that show up in almost every serious longevity study. How combining logic, movement and reading became a non-medical prescription.
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54
Habit science
May 17, 2026
8 min read
Does sudoku improve reasoning? What research actually says
An honest review of the scientific literature on sudoku, cognitive training and brain function. No hype, no miracle promises.
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55
Sudoku
May 16, 2026
9 min read
The 5 sudoku techniques every player should know
From naked single to X-wing. The five techniques that separate the beginner from the player who finishes expert puzzles.
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56
Sudoku
May 15, 2026
8 min read
How to play sudoku, from zero
A complete tutorial for someone who has never played. The single rule, the three basic techniques, and where to start with Sudoku BLA.
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57
Apps
May 14, 2026
7 min read
The best Sudoku app on the App Store
Why the standard "the best Sudoku app on the App Store" is not a marketing line, it is a product test. The five editorial decisions behind Sudoku BLA.
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58
Apps
May 13, 2026
7 min read
The best markdown editor on the App Store
Why the standard "the best markdown editor on the App Store" is not a marketing line, it is a product test. The five editorial decisions behind Notas BLA.
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59
Apps
May 13, 2026
7 min read
Notas BLA, notes ready to post
The story of Notas BLA. A universal iOS and Mac app, with invisible markdown for the common user and a Carousel button that turns what you wrote into three image sizes ready for Instagram. Made in Goiânia by BLA.
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60
Apps
May 13, 2026
6 min read
Lanterna BLA, the simplest possible flashlight
The first app in BLA’s line of single-purpose apps. A nighttime flashlight for iPhone, fixed charcoal theme, six curated presets, real Morse code SOS. No ads, no login, no data collection, no subscription.
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61
Apps
May 13, 2026
6 min read
Flashlight without noise
Why a flashlight app can be editorial. The five decisions that organize Lanterna BLA, from the choice of six presets to the real Morse code SOS, by way of commercial silence.
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62
Apps
May 13, 2026
7 min read
Sudoku BLA, from Goiânia to the world
The story of BLA’s first app. A Sudoku built in Goiânia, available on the App Store worldwide, with the standards of someone who wanted a Sudoku app that simply worked.
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63
Apps
May 15, 2026
5 min read
Comet Tail BLA, a one-finger arcade
The first arcade game in BLA’s family. You drag, the comet follows. Lift your finger and it runs away. iPhone, no ads, no data collection.
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