Cool links

I collect cool, interesting links spread all over the web and share them here every Thursday. Hope you enjoy! More of them in the archive.

The TV industry finally concedes that the future may not be in 8K, Ars Technica. The realization came after LG and TCL ended production of 8K TVs. (I'm still on Full HD…)

NanoFlow i2 Air. Crowdfunding for the self-proclaimed “world’s smallest horizontal mouse.” (What would be the “world’s smallest vertical mouse”?)

Just the Browser. Configuration files to remove all the junk (AI, telemetry, advertising, integrations) from Chrome, Edge, and Firefox browsers. Requires basic command line knowledge.

Particle Flow. Using your device's camera, see a visual representation of your face and hands in the form of particles. (I only tested it on a laptop.)

I collect cool, interesting links spread all over the web and share them here every Thursday. Hope you enjoy! More of them in the archive.

AI controls are coming to Firefox. Starting with Firefox 148, scheduled for February 24^th, it will be possible to disable all or just some of the browser's AI features. Let's ignore Mozilla's insistence on this for a moment; at first glance, the implementation seems quite good.

Notepad++ has been compromised by state-sponsored hackers. For those in a hurry, the recommendation is to download version 8.9.1 and run the installer to update the app manually.

Calibre 9. The main new features are a new “bookshelf” view, which displays the spines of the books.

Loops is now the App Store. Loops is a FOSS alternative to TikTok, from the same creator of Pixelfed.

OpenTTD. A FOSS alternative to the old Transport Tycoon, maintained and modernized, but with the same vibe as in 1994. The new version, 15, was released last month.

AntiRender. Upload one of those renders of condos projects, city halls etc., and this site will search for an image from any Tuesday in November to contrast reality with what was promised.

delphitools. A collection of small online tools, or “simple handmade conveniences.” I love its aesthetics.

I collect cool, interesting links spread all over the web and share them here every Thursday. Hope you enjoy! More of them in the archive.

Deezer confirms demonetization of up to 85% of AI-music streams due to fraud and moves to sell AI-detection Technology. More than 60,000 AI-generated songs are already sent to Deezer *every day*, or 39% of the total. Now the French streaming service will sell its detection technology to other companies. AI generating business! (Cleaning up the mess made by AI, in this case.)

The Realme P4 Power arrives with 10,001 mAh battery and a tough chassis, GSMArena. Very cool, yes (it has more battery than my tablet with its 7,306 mAh), but what collective delusion is this to think that a 219g cell phone is light?

Google begins rolling out Chrome's "Auto Browse" AI agent, Ars Technica. Nothing new on the front, just Gemini performing web tasks for you, like all other “AI browsers.” For now, only for those who pay for Google's AI plans.

Spotify rolls out group chats, TechCrunch. Great, another app with group conversations. I’m glad they’re filling this gigantic market gap. There are days when I can’t talk to anyone, due to lack of a messaging app with groups. Thank you, Spotify.

Threema has a new owner, blueWin. Every now and then, this messaging app pops up as a more private alternative. And it's paid. It was already a bit suspicious, but now… The new owners are a German private equity firm.

Zotero 8. Major new update to Zotero, with a new centralized citation area, list annotations, and a panel to customize text display.

European Alternatives. Directory of alternative internet services to those in the US, all located in Europe.

Fun with the web. I'm always impressed by how much you can do with just CSS. The important thing is to try to have fun with all these possibilities.

I collect cool, interesting links spread all over the web and share them here every Thursday. Hope you enjoy! More of them in the archive.

New features in Android theft protection. Special mention to Brazil, where from now on, two of these features are enabled by default when setting up a new phone.

Neocities is blocked by Bing. Neocities is a kind of spiritual successor to Geocities. No one knows what is happening. Worse, the disappearance of the domain affects other search engines that depend on Bing's index, such as DuckDuckGo.

Transmission 4.1. Almost three years after version 4.0, this update to the (excellent) torrent app arrives. Several internal improvements. The only visible ones are icons adapted for the current macOS and Windows. FOSS, for Linux, macOS, and Windows.

Apple’s “Creator Studio” app bundle now available for USD 12.99 Per Month, MacRumors.

Chawan. A state-of-the-art browser with a TUI interface (runs on the terminal), capable of rendering websites in a way that resembles the OG graphical browsers. FOSS.

What are the odds?. Probabilities become increasingly unlikely as you scroll down the screen. (I haven't checked if the information is correct.)

Firefox icons. Firefox for Android offers alternative icons. There's the classic 2004 version, a pixelated version, and a cute one designed by illustrator Momo.

I collect cool, interesting links spread all over the web and share them here every Thursday. Hope you enjoy! More of them in the archive.

Apple updates iOS 12 to extend iMessage and FaceTime support on older devices. iOS 12 was released in 2018. (Other more recent versions, including 26.2, have also been updated.)

Boomerang. A simple website for sharing files. Similar to WeTransfer, and for good reason: Boomerang was created by the founder of WeTransfer. Free, with an optional paid plan.

FitDrop 1980–2025. A personal exploration of fashion. Outfits fall from the sky, and you can toss them from side to side or drag them to the square in the upper right corner for more details.

TestUFO 3.0. This website shows the refresh rate of the browser on your device. It is useful for testing whether the 120 Hz screen is working as it should.

I collect cool, interesting links spread all over the web and share them here every Thursday. Hope you enjoy! More of them in the archive.

Signal's popularity soars in Europe. In Finland, the app is the most downloaded one in the Play Store's communication category among free apps. I'm curious about the reasons. It can't be sovereignty or anti-American sentiment, since Signal is based in the US. (By the way, have you downloaded it yet?)

WinDirStat 2.5.0. This Windows utility visually displays the device's memory, distinguishing the directories (folders) that take up the most space. The new version adds dark mode support and brings several improvements. Download it here.

stegodon. A CMS for blogs accessible via SSH that communicates with ActivityPub. (The published blog can be read on the web and generates an RSS feed.)

Start a f***ing blog (archived links). I don't know if it's “the best thing on the web you can do,” but it's certainly among the best.

rekall. A fairly dose of cyberpunk aesthetics.

I collect cool, interesting links spread all over the web and share them here every Thursday. Hope you enjoy! More of them in the archive.

30 years of ReactOS. The project aims (since 1996!) to create a FOSS alternative that is compatible with applications and drivers made for Windows. What perseverance!

Substack’ app for TVs, in beta. Remember when Substack was a newsletter service? The app, available for Google TV and Apple TV, even has a “For You” tab with algorithmic recommendations.

Resurf. Schedule emails to your future self. “A time capsule for your thoughts.” Free during the beta period. Please don't write anything confidential in this thing.

Skyreader. RSS feed aggregator built on Bluesky's AT protocol. It promises to bring back the social aspect of the late Google Reader. Free.

The origin of the names MySQL and MariaDB. Today I learned that MySQL and MariaDB are named after the daughters of the guy who created these databases. (Yes, one of them is called My.) The family is Finnish.

I collect cool, interesting links spread all over the web and share them here every Thursday. Hope you enjoy! More of them in the archive.

MBCompass. Modern compass and navigation app for Android. FOSS and free, available on F-Droid and Obtainium.

PowerToys 0.97 brings a new utility for the mouse. Microsoft's (FOSS!) Swiss Army knife for Windows 11 has gained “Cursor Wrap,” a feature for those who use large screens that allows you to move the cursor from one side of the screen to the other by “teleporting” it around the edges. (Like Pac-Man, you know?)

WalletWallet. Convert physical barcodes and QR codes into cards compatible with the iPhone Wallet. Free and runs in your browser.

Gnome website. The official Gnome website expanded its translations and now is available in English, Bulgarian, Basque, Brazilian Portuguese, Swedish, Ukrainian, and Chinese. (The announcement was made on January 9^th.)

I collect cool, interesting links spread all over the web and share them here every Thursday. Hope you enjoy! More of them in the archive.

Sony and TCL form a TV joint-venture. TCL, which owns 51% of the new business, will now manufacture TVs under the Sony and Bravia brands.

Asus confirms its smartphone business is on indefinite hiatus, Ars Technica. Asus has tried to differentiate itself in various ways throughout its history. Intel chips (may they rest in peace), gaming phones (which never made sense), "small" phones. It didn't work.

Hand Mirror 4, @rafa@mastodon.design. A small mirror in the macOS menu bar. The new version is full of cool details and has gained a “snaps” feature, which simulates instant photos. Available on the App Store for USD 6.99.

Win8DE. Miss Windows 8? This graphical interface reproduces the much-maligned interface of the worst Windows on Linux.

ReliCSS. Paste your CSS and this site points out hacks and obsolete practices, i.e., lines that can be removed from the file.

Imginn. Private front-end for Instagram, without relying on login/authentication. Can open stories.

I collect cool, interesting links spread all over the web and share them here every Thursday. Hope you enjoy! More of them in the archive.

Ads on ChatGPT. Testing will begin in the US, on the free and Go plans (USD 8/month) — which has been expanded worldwide. Who could have imagined this would happen…?

KDE for creators. KDE Project piggybacked Apple Creator Studio's announcement to promote its suite of professional apps. They are quite good. And free.

The January 11^th update prevented Windows 11 from shutting down. I am increasingly convinced that Microsoft is forcing employees to outsource programming to Copilot. The bug only affected version 23H2 and was fixed on Saturday (17^th).

iKKO: Mind One. I think I would enjoy using a square phone. On the other hand, the “AI phone” part, with a supposed separate operating system, sounds very suspicious. Still in pre-sale, for USD 429.

Zoneless. This website offers an easy-to-read view of time zones. Great help for deciding on meeting times between people from different countries.

Boing. Pull the spring and release it. The physics are really good! (Warning: it makes noise.)

I collect cool, interesting links spread all over the web and share them here every Thursday. Hope you enjoy! More of them in the archive.

25 years of Wikipedia. Wikipedia is one of the most inspiring projects of our generation. Imagine if we could take the dynamics from there to other areas of life? The world would be a better place.

Wikimedia Enterprise's new commercial partners. A new wave of leech AI companies has decided to pay for access to Wikipedia's treasure trove of data and information. Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, Mistral AI, and Perplexity join Google, Ecosia, Nomic, Pleias, ProRata, and Reef Media, which were already contributing.

ChatGPT Translate. The best application of AI is translation. OpenAI now has a Google Translate-style interface in ChatGPT. (You could already request translations in the standard interface.)

TranslateGemma: A new suite of open translation models. On the other side of the AI battlefield, Google has announced new translation-specific models that promise to be more efficient. You need to know how to run these models in the cloud or on a super PC at home.

Digg. The latest reincarnation of Digg, this time with founder Kevin Rose, opened its doors to everyone on Wednesday (14^th). Access was by invitation only.

TickTick 8.0. Smart task suggestions for today, a new calendar view (annual), and several visual changes mark this update.

stegodon. A CMS for blogs accessible via SSH that communicates with ActivityPub. The published blog can be read on the web and generates an RSS feed.

Drone Photo Awards 2025. The winning photos of the Drone Photo Awards 2025 are, unsurprisingly, breathtaking. (I recommend viewing the photos on a large screen.)

WebTiles. Hundreds (thousands?) of personal websites arranged in squares. It has zoom and a space to exchange messages with those on the site. Caution: it's a bit heavy.

I collect cool, interesting links spread all over the web and share them here every Thursday. Hope you enjoy! More of them in the archive.

Meta is under investigation in Brazil for blocking ChatGPT and Copilot on WhatsApp (pt_BR), G1.

Holos. Join the fediverse (ActivityPub) using your own phone as a server. FOSS and free.

Regression of Apple icons, @heliographe_studio@mastodon. “If you put the Apple icons in reverse it looks like the portfolio of someone getting really really good at icon design.”

WikiFlix. A "streaming" (more like an index) of free movies or those that have fallen into the public domain. There's a lot of good stuff!

I collect cool, interesting links spread all over the web and share them here every Thursday. Hope you enjoy! More of them in the archive.

End-to-end encryption in iOS RCS? (in French), @TiinoX83/xcancel. Evidence has been found in iOS 26.3 beta 2. It's the missing piece that will make RCS a viable alternative to the best messaging apps on the market.

Are You Dead?: The viral Chinese app for young people living alone, BBC. That’s depressing…

Linux Mint 22.3 “Zena”. The visible changes are a new Start menu and new apps for system information and administration tools. This is a long term support version (until 2029).

Apple Creator Studio. Apple's “Adobe subscription” offer lowers the barrier to entry for the company's professional apps. Even a subscription can be good sometimes.

Firefox 147. Firefox's first update of 2026 focuses on behind-the-scenes improvements, such as WebGPU support on Apple Silicon and standardization of cache and settings directories on Linux (only valid for new profiles or installations). The only visible new feature is automatic PiP when switching from a tab that is playing video.

BTN-1 Macro Deck. A four-key (mechanical!) keypad made especially to be integrated with Home Assistant. Available for USD 35.

CColorPaletter. A beautiful and completely free color palette generator. Press the space bar to generate a new one.

Discos do Brasil (in Portuguese). An excellent catalog of Brazilian music, created by Maria Luiza Kfouri (1954–2023). Tip from Renato.

I collect cool, interesting links spread all over the web and share them here every Thursday. Hope you enjoy! More of them in the archive.

Apple and Google formalize partnership to use Gemini in the new Siri, @NewsFromGoogle/xcancel. The only good thing to take away from this news is the jab that both companies took at OpenAI.

Bose open-sources its SoundTouch home theater smart speakers ahead of end-of-life, Ars Technica. Instead of turning old products into e-waste, Bose has released the API documentation for its SoundTouch speakers. It should be normal and/or required by law, but here we are — once again — praising a company for doing the bare minimum.

I’ve never used a trackball, but Keychron’s Nape Pro looks like the perfect one, The Verge. An intriguing accessory presented at CES 2026. It can be used under the keyboard, on the sides, or held in your hand. No release date or price yet.

OG Preview Lab. An online tool that offers previews for various online platforms of how links will appear on those cards (OG tags, for those in the know). Great to use before sharing something.

Pi Clock. A clock that displays the time in pi digits. Keys 1–5 change the clock (key 5 activates gamer mode, aka RGB).

enclose.horse. Use all the barriers to prevent the horse from escaping and, at the same time, give it as much space as possible. A new challenge every day, free of charge.

Editor’s note: This week issue arrives a little later and after a mistake that triggered last week’s sent over the newsletter. My apologies for that!

I collect cool, interesting links spread all over the web and share them here every Thursday. Hope you enjoy! More of them in the archive.

“We will not use an LLM to add a chatbot, a summarization solution or a suggestion engine to fill up forms for you, until more rigorous ways to do those things are available.” In a moment of euphoria in which even Mozilla — which would have the most to gain from caution around reckless adoption of generative AI — at least one web browser embraces that stance.

The size of Adobe Reader installers over the years. I would never have guessed the Adobe Reader installer is nearly 700 MB. (SumatraPDF’s is ~8.2 MB.)

Mavericks Forever. This person loves macOS 10.9 “Mavericks” so much they decided to modernize Apple’s 2013 OS that was discontinued in 2016. (Don’t try this at home.)

doxx. A Word document (*.docx) viewer for the terminal.

Drawmote. I haven’t tried it, but this site promises you can draw by waving your phone. (I think it only works in Chromium-based browsers.)

MakeACopy. An Android app that scans and transcribes documents (OCR). Private, offline, and open source.

Karousel. A script that turns KDE Plasma into a “scrollable” interface.

dnsperftest. A simple script that tests the speed of popular public DNS servers from your connection.

Gamer Church. I’m not entirely sure whether this is a blog or a video-game directory. The layout is pretty cool. Tip from Juan.

Instapaper integration with Kobo goes live.

Typepad is shutting down. Everything will be deleted on September 30^rd.

SuperTuxKart Evolution promises a “new experience”, Omg! Ubuntu. Backstage disagreements over the most iconic Linux game resulted in a split. (They could’ve settled it with a best-of-three match in STK, right?)

Microsoft Copilot launches on Samsung TVs and monitors. Is this what Cory Doctorow calls “enshittification”?

Koko Analytics 2.0. A WordPress analytics plugin. The new version expands monitoring site-wide, not just for posts and pages.

Essayist. An academic writing editor. For iOS, iPadOS and macOS, about USD 5,99/month.

digitalsolitude. A site that only works when a single person is accessing it.

bookmarks.txt. A concept for keeping URLs (bookmarks) in plain text files.

TiledScreen. If for any reason you want KDE Plasma 6 to look like Windows 8, this theme is all you need.

A presentation app that works on your phone. As long as your phone is an iPhone.

SVG Crop. A web tool that “trims” whitespace around any *.svg file.

EPSON MX-80 Fonts. A font that simulates dot-matrix printers.

In ❤️ with PDA. A site that emulates an old PDA.

The Useless Web. A classic: press the button and go to a random “useless” site.