Jess Robinson
castaway.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy
Jess Robinson
@castaway.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy
Working with Perl, Typescript at Shadowcat. Tinkering with Flutter/dart. Tech guru at Fool's Dog. Living in Swindon, UK

[bridged from https://fosstodon.org/@castaway on the fediverse by https://fed.brid.gy/ ]
Stay weird, #brussels
February 2, 2026 at 10:42 AM
Post #fosdem / #brussels morning cafe recommendation: Damn Good Cafe (north edge of the pentagon), proper tea (with a timer!) and pastries / cake
February 2, 2026 at 10:03 AM
Reposted by Jess Robinson
Starting tomorrow, #wordle will begin reusing words, for those who partake in the game.

https://forkingmad.blog/wordle-crisis/
A Crisis comes to Wordle: Reusing old words!
A few days ago, The new York Times (owner of Wordle) announced that from 2 February it would start reusing some words from previous years. Their announcem...
forkingmad.blog
February 1, 2026 at 9:51 PM
I solved the daily #cluesbysam, Feb 1st 2026 (Hard), in less than 19 minutes
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https://cluesbysam.com
Clues by Sam
A daily logic puzzle where you deduce who is a criminal!
cluesbysam.com
February 1, 2026 at 2:13 PM
Most useful #fosdem / #conference device, my pocket #spunspoon
February 1, 2026 at 1:56 PM
I solved the daily #cluesbysam, Jan 31st 2026 (Hard), in less than 13 minutes
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https://cluesbysam.com
Clues by Sam
A daily logic puzzle where you deduce who is a criminal!
cluesbysam.com
January 31, 2026 at 5:29 PM
I solved the daily #cluesbysam, Jan 30th 2026 (Tricky), in less than 11 minutes
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https://cluesbysam.com
Clues by Sam
A daily logic puzzle where you deduce who is a criminal!
cluesbysam.com
January 30, 2026 at 8:41 AM
Reposted by Jess Robinson
New Vivaldi release for Windows, Mac & Linux. We got some cool stuff for you and we avoided AI, so enjoy!

#windows #macos #linux #browser #vivaldi #computer #ai

https://vivaldi.com/blog/vivaldi-7-8-launches-with-message-to-big-tech-humans-dont-need-ai-babysitters/
Vivaldi 7.8 launches with message to Big Tech: humans don’t need AI babysitters
### **OSLO, Norway – January 29th 2025, 09:00 CET** As Google, Microsoft, and Apple pour billions into cramming AI assistants into their browsers, on the 29th of January Vivaldi Technologies will release version 7.8 with a radically different thesis: human intelligence, equipped with genuinely powerful tools, beats artificial algorithmic assistants every single time. The centerpiece is a completely reimagined Tab Tiling system that lets users work with multiple pages simultaneously through intuitive drag-and-drop, instant layouts, and workflows that adapt in real-time. It’s the biggest leap in browser multitasking since tabs were invented, and it required zero machine learning models. > _The entire browser industry is solving the wrong problem_. _They’re building assistants that filter what you see, decide what you don’t see, and ultimately outsource your judgment. We’re building tools that amplify your ability to explore, compare, and think. One approach treats you like a passenger. The other treats you like a pilot._ > > Jon von Tetzchner, CEO of Vivaldi Technologies. ## **Big Tech Browsers vs. Vivaldi: A Study in Priorities** While other browsers add AI summarization and Edge pushes Copilot integration, Vivaldi 7.8 ships features users have actually requested: * **Drag-and-Drop Tab Tiling** : Create split-screen layouts instantly by dragging tabs into your workspace. Compare prices, monitor live data, reference documentation, all without breaking flow. Whilst Chrome and Edge’s split-screen is locked to two tabs. Vivaldi supports unlimited, flexible grid layouts. You decide how far you take it. * **Open Link in Tiled Tab** : Right-click any link to open it beside your current content. Your main tab stays visible. Your context stays intact. It’s multitasking that respects your workspace instead of hijacking it. * **Smarter Pinned Tabs with Domain Restriction** : Pinned tabs now enforce domain boundaries, your mail tab stays on mail, your project tool stays on the project. No more accidental navigation breaking your pinned tab setup. * **Cross-Window Mail Access** : Vivaldi’s built-in email client now works across all browser windows and workspaces. Mail becomes a true part of the browser, always available without forcing window juggling or context switching. Drag and drop tabs to create horizontal/vertical or grid layouts. Restrict pinned tabs to domain. Open link in Tiled Tab > _We spent our engineering time on stability and features users actually requested. Not on AI assistants that hallucinate answers, while training on your private browsing history. Novel idea, apparently._ > > _Jon von Tetzchner_. ## ****Control vs. Convenience**** The philosophical divide in browser development has never been starker. Chrome’s latest AI features can summarize articles, Edge can reheat plagiarised images, Safari added AI writing tools. While every major browser is racing to cram AI no one asked for into their products, Vivaldi’s approach is different: give users genuinely powerful tools, then get out of the way. Tab Tiling doesn’t decide what you should see, it gives you the workspace to see everything at once and make your own decisions. > _“Browsing should light up your brain, not numb it. When you outsource exploration to an algorithm, you’re not browsing anymore. You’re being browsed.”_ > > Jon adds as final remarks. ## **Availability** Vivaldi 7.8 will be available on January 29th for Windows, Mac, and Linux at vivaldi.com. The European browser remains completely free, with no tracking, no data selling, and no artificial assistants forced between you and the web to limit your exploration. For users tired of being treated like beta testers for Big Tech’s AI experiments, it’s the ideal option.
vivaldi.com
January 29, 2026 at 8:10 AM
I solved the daily #cluesbysam, Jan 29th 2026 (Tricky), in less than 11 minutes
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https://cluesbysam.com
Clues by Sam
A daily logic puzzle where you deduce who is a criminal!
cluesbysam.com
January 29, 2026 at 8:06 AM
#fosdem/#brussels day 1: Made it from home to the hotel, despite some interesting navigation
January 28, 2026 at 10:14 PM
Reposted by Jess Robinson
Want to be a member of my team. I have a role open for a 12 month fixed term contract Platform Engineer/Ops Engineer/DevOps Engineer/SysAdmin (Or whatever we are calling ourselves this month).

https://www.dxw.com/jobs/operations-engineer-12-month-ftc/

I am mostly looking for someone who can […]
Original post on mastodon.me.uk
mastodon.me.uk
January 22, 2026 at 5:35 PM
Reposted by Jess Robinson
According to Tech Radar, a reason to avoid using Vivaldi web browser is "No AI-powered assistant". Yup - and we're proud of it! If you don't want slop while you shop, or scurf while you surf, give the European browser a try.
https://vivaldi.com/blog/a-i-browsers-the-price-of-admission-is-too-high/
January 15, 2026 at 11:39 AM
Reposted by Jess Robinson
To all the open source developers who put hours and hours of their lives into a project they built, put it out into the world, and now it sits with approximately zero users.
January 9, 2026 at 1:24 PM
Reposted by Jess Robinson
Today I learned that asking for help on #3dprinting will immediately result in an avalanche of suggestions to dry my filament. Even if it was just unpacked. From a vacuum sealed bag. That had silica gel in it.

_One guy_ suggested I do a #temptower and looking into […]

[Original post on mstdn.dk]
January 6, 2026 at 1:12 PM
Reposted by Jess Robinson
rLab have another Ultimaker 2+ on eBay, fully working & with a bunch of filament!

I know these are still popular and very hackable (Stockholm hackspace has...many). We're open to offers, especially if it's finding a new home in another #hackspace or […]

[Original post on social.crablab.uk]
December 28, 2025 at 3:37 PM
Reposted by Jess Robinson
💭 new insult: your code is worse than if an AI agent wrote it
December 23, 2025 at 10:26 PM
Reposted by Jess Robinson
Low-key incensed that rainbow and ginger don't count towards the 'flora with colours in their names' goal in Earth. This is like dickcissel and tit not counting towards 'birds with body parts in their names' in Wingspan all over again. #boardgames
December 22, 2025 at 1:53 PM
Reposted by Jess Robinson
The @distrowatch end-of-year roundup does not pull its punches, in an admirable way:

«
Some distributions, particularly the commercial projects, shifted focus this year, discarding useful tools and replacing them with AI buzzwords, less capable installers, and broken core packages. We saw Red […]
Original post on social.vivaldi.net
social.vivaldi.net
December 22, 2025 at 12:14 PM
Reposted by Jess Robinson
> This mod adds mainly one thing with vast ramifications: a system for calculating the stress-strain curve of metals in the game. If you arent familiar with stress-strain curves consider getting a Materials Science Engineering degree or looking at this wikipedia article (whichever one is cheaper […]
Original post on mastodon.social
mastodon.social
December 20, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Today in cursed setups: Running screen inside tmux - what could possibly go wrong?
December 20, 2025 at 12:42 PM
Reposted by Jess Robinson
(also every single digital product for sale anywhere ever needs a "Make offer" button. Because I'm sure as hell not gonna spend sixty bucks a year on a podcast, that's just completely out of the question for me, but I'd be alright with twenty. A button that says "Make offer" with a number field […]
Original post on retro.social
retro.social
December 19, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Reposted by Jess Robinson
The more I think about it, the more I think that the True Meaning Of Whamageddon has been lost

Once you start deliberately avoiding Christmas songs, you're denying yourself joy.

Klingons enter battle knowing they may enter Sto'Vo'Kor should chance go against them, and welcome the possibility […]
Original post on wandering.shop
wandering.shop
December 14, 2025 at 9:19 PM