086 - CSS Grid, Faster JSON, Uniwind Experience, React Native Rails & Tiny Harvest Game Update

This week’s episode covers a mix of major React Native updates, powerful new tools, and insights from publishing my AI-engineered farming game, Tiny Harvest. We also talk about early experiments like React Native Rails and what CSS Grid means for the future of layout on mobile.

⚛️ React Native Radar:

• ✨ Gifted Chat v3 rewrite – modernized API, performance fixes
• 📦 New expo-targets library for advanced project configuration
• 📄 React Navigation PageSheet – new modal presentation style
• 🧻 ActionSheet v10 – cleaner API & better native behavior
• 🎨 Skia zIndex – layering now works more intuitively
• ⚡ Faster JSON parsing improvements from Tzvetan Mikov
• 🧩 Expo Brownfield Target – integrate RN into existing native apps more easily
• 🔲 CSS Grid is coming to React Native (!)
• 🖥️ Radon IDE free trial – RN-focused development environment
• 🍏 Apple Mini Apps Program announced
• 📱 How Vercel built the v0 iOS app – great read on architecture & innovation

🧠 From My Projects:

• 🌬️ My Uniwind experience — what I’ve learned using it in real projects
• 🌾 I Built a Mobile Farming Game in 6 Days (AI + Expo)
• 📲 Tiny Harvest is now available on iOS & Android: https://tinyharvest.app/

🚀 Learn React Native: https://galaxies.dev/missions/zero-to-hero

🔥 Weekly Videos: https://www.youtube.com/@galaxies_dev

❤️  Socials

• https://x.com/schlimmson
• https://www.tiktok.com/@simongrimm_
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/simongr

👨‍💻 Apps

• Matrix Manager: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/matrix-manager-task-manager/id6739463021
• Quick Track: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/quick-track-calorie-counter/id1669892980
• Text to Voice AI: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/text-to-voice-ai-reader/id6739965632
• Healthy Food Swap: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/healthy-food-swap/id6743627410

🔗 Links

• React Native Advent Calendar: https://galaxies.dev/calendar/2025
• Tiny Harvest: https://tinyharvest.app/
• Gifted Chat: https://github.com/FaridSafi/react-native-gifted-chat
• Expo Targets: https://github.com/csark0812/expo-targets
• Actions Sheet: https://github.com/ammarahm-ed/react-native-actions-sheet/releases/tag/v10.0.0
• Hermes JSON: https://x.com/tmikov/status/1993080321626284194
• Brownfield Target: https://x.com/swmansion/status/1991177091841208581
• CSS Grid: https://github.com/facebook/yoga/pull/1865
• Radon Free Plan: https://x.com/swmansion/status/1990801086622429568
• How we built the v0 iOS App: https://vercel.com/blog/how-we-built-the-v0-ios-app

What is Rocket Ship?

Welcome aboard the Rocket Ship, the ultimate podcast voyage into the heart of React Native development with Simon Grimm! Whether you're a seasoned mobile app developer or just starting your journey, this is your go-to destination for all things React Native and Expo.