I wrote a quick blog post on my weekend FontForge project, Libron. nicoverbruggen.be/blog/libron (When it's fully done, it's probably going to be my go-to reading font. For now, I'm still tweaking it a little.)

Crafting Libron with FontForge

Some time ago, I made a custom font based on Newsreader. My work hasn't stopped there, so say hello to... Libron!

nicoverbruggen.be

🚀 PHP Monitor 26.05 is now available with a brand-new onboarding flow! PHP Monitor can now guide you through installing Command Line Tools, Homebrew, PHP, Composer, and optionally Laravel Valet. Super convenient!

I'm making sure PHP Monitor's "onboarding update" is really solid before releasing it. It needs a little more time before it's truly ready for release, but it's almost ready, so stay tuned!

I’ve updated this post with some security recommendations as an addendum.

Nico Verbruggen@nicoverbruggen.be · 3mo ago

With all the recent discourse about GitHub reliability and such I figure it was time to write about how I've been self-hosting my own Git forge (like Gitea, Forgejo) for some time now: nicoverbruggen.be/blog/self-ho...

With all the recent discourse about GitHub reliability and such I figure it was time to write about how I've been self-hosting my own Git forge (like Gitea, Forgejo) for some time now: nicoverbruggen.be/blog/self-ho...

Self-Hosting Git

In this post, I have to share some observations about self-hosting a Git forge to supplement my usage of GitHub.

nicoverbruggen.be

I've pushed a small update to address an issue with the latest version of Homebrew. If you can't get PHP Monitor to start, you may need to update manually since the updater only kicks in when the app starts successfully. Get it here: github.com/nicoverbrugg...

Release v26.03.2 · nicoverbruggen/phpmon

PHP Monitor 26.03 is a stability-focused update that hardens command execution, improves Valet domain/proxy handling, and addresses multiple edge cases that could previously cause inconsistent beha...

github.com

For some time now, early access builds of PHP Monitor have been locked behind GitHub Sponsors. I think it would be nice to see that change. If I get a few more donations in the next 24 hours, I'll make it happen. Please share (and consider donating): nicoverbruggen.be/donate

The upcoming version of PHP Monitor makes it easier than ever to set up your PHP on your brand new Mac! You're fully guided through a simple onboarding flow. Installing Homebrew is simply copy-and-paste, and the rest is fully automated. Super convenient. Coming soon.

You can try it out by downloading the preview here: github.com/nicoverbrugg... You can also find the source code here. Consider this an early preview, made with plenty of careful LLM assistance.

Nico Verbruggen@nicoverbruggen.be · 4mo ago

I've been working on a cross-platform writing app for plain text. Electron, because I wanted it to work on Linux. It's not a traditional text editor. It's intended for projects that you're writing (for e.g. a novel or manuscript) with snapshots and integrates with Git. Should I open source this?

Well, I finished Isles of the Emberdark yesterday and now I’m just sitting here… waiting for the next Cosmere book 😅

Sublime Merge is the GOAT.

My hottest “I have no data to back this up” take is that phones aren’t making young people less happy. What’s making them less happy is living in a world where everyone is having their reality defined by recommendation algorithms that can only care about whether something keeps you watching.

I've been working on a cross-platform writing app for plain text. Electron, because I wanted it to work on Linux. It's not a traditional text editor. It's intended for projects that you're writing (for e.g. a novel or manuscript) with snapshots and integrates with Git. Should I open source this?

As I suspected, the squeeze is real with these agentic coding things. Claude at the basic 20 dollar tier is basically useless now as it immediately uses up the entire quota, and Codex will certainly follow now that they've introduced a 100 dollar plan.

🚀 PHP Monitor 26.03 was released over the Easter weekend, and contains mostly various bug fixes for long-term stability. There may be a small patch update in a week or so with a few additional fixes, and then I'm going to be working on the final "big" feature: easy onboarding for new users.

I made a video about how to easily apply tweaks to your Kobo device: www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNtg...

Easily tweak your Kobo with a custom menu, simplified home screen and new fonts

YouTube video by Nico Verbruggen

youtube.com

In the latest episode of @atp.fm atp.fm/683 @marcoarment.bsky.social shares his amazing story of how he, as a lone developer, created a transcripts feature for @overcastapp.bsky.social to compete with Apple Podcasts. You do not want to miss this one. (starts at 54:46) overcast.fm/+BQnv4MC0jU/...

Accidental Tech Podcast: 683: I Didn’t Want to Melt My Rug

Three nerds discussing tech, Apple, programming, and loosely related matters.

atp.fm

New, fun blog post! nicoverbruggen.be/blog/kobopat...

KoboPatch Web UI

All I wanted to do is customize my Kobo's home screen, and I went down a reverse engineering rabbit hole...

nicoverbruggen.be

I've updated my post on Readerly: nicoverbruggen.be/blog/creatin... ... and I've created a new release: github.com/nicoverbrugg... I've also been pushing various improvements to my blog -- links that go to external sites are now indicated as such and open in a new tab!

Creating Readerly

I modified an existing font to create a new font with tweaks specifically made for e-readers.

nicoverbruggen.be

Recently, I've been replacing batteries in some of my older devices (or getting my devices serviced when I lack the tools) which means they last longer. Manual repair makes for a fun experience, too. Pictured: me doing a battery replacement for my original 2017 Switch.

AI companies are paying screenwriters, lawyers, and other white-collar professionals to produce the training data needed to automate their jobs. I spoke with more than 30 workers about conditions inside this fast-growing and extremely secretive new gig economy.

The laid-off lawyers and PhDs training AI to steal their careers

Experienced white-collar workers are now part of a miserable gig economy.

theverge.com

I turned the OFL licensed font Newsreader into my own customized alternative to Amazon's Bookerly, and here's how I did it: nicoverbruggen.be/blog/creatin...

🚀 PHP Monitor 26.02 is now available with various improvements and additions, including a command history feature, and various automatic startup fixes. 📝 You can find the release notes here: github.com/nicoverbrugg... 🔗 phpmon.app ❤️ phpmon.app/sponsor

PHP Monitor 26.02 releases later this week! Here's what's new: - Automatic Fixes, which helps you fix issues at startup - Command History, which lets you audit what PHP Monitor runs in the background There's also some UX improvements and bugfixes included.

This was so much fun to build! It really nicely showcases potential open source font options for e-readers. ebook-fonts.nicoverbruggen.be I plan on expanding the mini-site so people can just download the fonts via here, and include more information about the fonts, licensing etc. here as well.

I'm currently working on v3 of my ebook-fonts collection, and as part of that, I've been tinkering on tweaked OFL fonts in particular that I'm looking to get some feedback on: github.com/nicoverbrugg... If you use an e-reader, please check 'em out!

Preview of upcoming fonts · Issue #8 · nicoverbruggen/ebook-fonts

Coming in the upcoming update of the collection are NinePoint (based on Newsreader's 9pt optical size) and Cartisse (previously known as NV (X)Charter, and I'm looking for some feedback on these fo...

github.com

Give the first 30 minutes of this Vergecast a listen. It is about photo generation, Samsung and some important concerns: www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ber...

The Galaxy S26 is a photography nightmare | The Vergecast

YouTube video by The Verge

youtube.com

Here's one of the things that's coming to PHP Monitor in a couple of days... On the left: PHP Monitor today. On the right: what I'm shipping soon, an improved onboarding / troubleshooting flow with automatic fixes.

Good vid on what’s been happening with Twitter. www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7ZG...

Twitter: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

YouTube video by LastWeekTonight

youtube.com

And here's another thing I'm working on to make resolving PHP issues easier: automatic fixes for crucial issues at startup... If PHP Monitor won't start, I hope to include automatic fixes for most issues. (Depending on what needs to run, macOS will put up a password prompt. UX not final!)