Technology
The Zero-Width Space-Place
Nothing to see here.
Zero‑Width Space
Click the translucent pill (blue dot marks it) or the big Copy button.
What’s Zero-Width Space?
The zero‑width space (U+200B) is a Unicode glyph that renders nothing and occupies zero width. In the right hands, this “invisible ink” changes how software treats text.
Example
Below are seven tricks I actually use, each with a quick demo.
- Anchor an Alphabetical List
Prefix one or more ZWS characters to push an item ahead of "A".
Newsletter ← with ZWS
Apple
Zucchini
- Break Auto‑Linking
Drop a ZWS into a URL or email to foil scrapers while leaving it human‑readable.
hello@starikov.co
https://starikov.co
- Duplicate C++ Identifiers
ZWS is a valid identifier char in many compilers.
int total = 1; // normal
int total = 2; // looks the same, compiles fine
std::cout << total + total; // prints 3
- Python Indentation Gremlins
Slip a ZWS into leading spaces; code looks aligned but crashes.
def hello():
print("ok") # four spaces
print("boom") # four + ZWS → IndentationError
-
Hide Easter‑Egg Text
Insert a binary watermark every 100 chars; humans never see it, diff tools do. -
Zero‑Length Social Forms
Some platforms allow a username, bios, and other forms that is literally just ZWS. Pure minimalism. -
Control word‑wrapping
Add ZWS inside a super‑long URL to let browsers break the line without inserting a visible hyphen.
<span style="word-break:break-all">
https://example.com/superlongpaththatneverends
</span>
RSS: RSS Starter Set 📰
My recommended RSS feeds—thoughtfully curated over a decade of reading.
The skeleton is automatically generated by this script. Import the following OPML into any reader to pull everything at once.
Apple🍎
-
Apple | Developer — RSS
Official notes on software releases, tooling updates and policy changes inside Apple’s developer ecosystem. -
Apple | Newsroom — RSS
Corporate statements covering product launches, financial results and wider initiatives. -
Daring Fireball — RSS
Commentary and link aggregation focused on Apple and the technology industry. -
MacStories — RSS
In‑depth reviews, workflows and analysis for advanced iOS and macOS users. -
Marco.org — RSS
Occasional essays on software development, podcasting and independent publishing. -
Six Colors — RSS
Reporting and analysis on Apple’s hardware, software and services, aimed at enthusiasts and professionals. -
The Sweet Setup — RSS
Recommendations and workflows that enhance productivity across Apple platforms.
Companies🏢
-
Android Developers — RSS
Technical updates and best practices for building, testing and distributing Android applications. -
Apple | ML Research — RSS
Peer‑review‑style summaries of Apple’s research in machine learning and artificial intelligence. -
AWS Machine Learning Blog — RSS
Case studies, tutorials and announcements on applying AI services within Amazon’s cloud. -
Chromium — RSS
Progress reports from the open‑source browser project that underpins Chrome and Edge. -
Facebook | Engineering — RSS
Technical deep dives into infrastructure, data systems and product engineering at Meta. -
Garmin — RSS
Product news and usage guidance for navigation, fitness and outdoor devices. -
GitHub | Engineering — RSS
Insights into scaling and securing the world’s largest code‑hosting platform. -
Instagram | Engineering — RSS
Engineering narratives on delivering social‑media features to a global audience. -
LinkedIn | Engineering — RSS
Articles on large‑scale data processing, relevance ranking and platform reliability. -
Meta — RSS
Corporate news spanning product releases, policy positions and financial updates. -
Meta | Research — RSS
Academic‑style papers exploring computer vision, natural‑language processing and related fields. -
Microsoft Research — RSS
Peer‑reviewed research and technology transfers from Microsoft’s global labs. -
Netflix TechBlog — RSS
Engineering case studies on content delivery, cloud reliability and data analysis. -
NVIDIA — RSS
Updates on graphics, high‑performance computing and AI initiatives. -
OpenAI — RSS
Announcements and research summaries related to language models and AI safety. -
OpenAI News — RSS
Headline feed distilling OpenAI’s key product and policy updates. -
Signal — RSS
Technical and policy discussions on end‑to‑end encryption and secure messaging. -
Stack Overflow — RSS
Reflections on software‑developer culture, community trends and platform improvements. -
TensorFlow — RSS
Release notes, tutorials and ecosystem news for Google’s deep‑learning framework. -
Wolfram — RSS
Essays on computational science, applied mathematics and software innovation.
Computer Science🐛
-
AI Impacts — RSS
Research exploring the economic and societal consequences of advanced AI systems. -
AI Weirdness — RSS
Experiments illustrating both the creativity and the limitations of neural‑network models. -
And now it’s all this — RSS
Practical scripting advice and observations on engineering workflows. -
Andrej Karpathy — RSS
Essays on deep learning, vision models and large‑scale training techniques. -
arg min — RSS
Technical commentary on optimisation, machine learning and data science. -
Berkeley | AI — RSS
Accessible summaries of recent artificial‑intelligence research from UC Berkeley. -
ByteByteGo — RSS
Illustrated guides to system design, scalable architecture and distributed computing. -
C++ Stories — RSS
Modern‑C++ features, guidelines and best practices. -
CodeProject Latest Articles — RSS
Community‑authored tutorials covering a broad spectrum of software topics. -
Coding Horror — RSS
Essays on software craftsmanship, usability and developer culture. -
Columbia | Statistical Modeling — RSS
Discussions on Bayesian statistics, social‑science methods and data communication. -
Eric Jang — RSS
Research notes on robotics, reinforcement learning and applied AI. -
fast.ai — RSS
Practical deep‑learning instruction aimed at software developers. -
Hacker News — RSS
Daily aggregation of technology news, startup announcements and research papers. -
IEEE Spectrum — RSS
Engineering‑centric reporting on emerging technologies and industry trends. -
It Runs Doom! — RSS
Showcases unconventional devices capable of running the classic video game Doom. -
James Stanley — RSS
Personal projects and commentary on security, electronics and software. -
Joel on Software — RSS
Classic essays on software management, product design and programming practice. -
John D. Cook — RSS
Short, accessible reflections linking mathematics, statistics and software development. -
Journal of Artificial Intelligence Research — RSS
Peer‑reviewed papers presenting state‑of‑the‑art advances across all branches of AI. -
Julia Evans — RSS
Illustrated tutorials demystifying Linux, networking and debugging techniques for practitioners. -
Keet — RSS
Research notes on knowledge representation, ontologies and semantic web technologies. -
Krebs on Security — RSS
Investigative reporting on cyber‑crime, data breaches and digital‑fraud trends. -
learnbyexample — RSS
Concise command‑line and text‑processing guides for developers honing Unix skills. -
Lenny's Newsletter — RSS
Product‑management insights distilled from industry data and operator interviews. -
linusakesson.net — RSS
Technical explorations of low‑level electronics, music synthesis and retro computing. -
Luke Salamone — RSS
Essays on graphics programming, game‑engine design and related tooling. -
Machine Intelligence Research Institute — RSS
Analyses of AI alignment challenges and strategies to mitigate long‑term risks. -
ML Mastery — RSS
Hands‑on machine‑learning tutorials emphasising clear code and practical results. -
Newest Python PEPs — RSS
Live feed of proposals shaping the future syntax and semantics of Python. -
sidebits — RSS
Brief technical notes on performance optimisation, systems programming and Rust. -
Simon Willison's Weblog — RSS
Frequent posts on open data, web tooling and practical large‑language‑model experiments. -
Simplify C++! — RSS
Guidelines for writing clearer, safer and more maintainable modern‑C++ code. -
Slashdot — RSS
User‑moderated headlines covering technology policy, hardware and open‑source news. -
Swift.org — RSS
Release notes and evolution proposals for Apple’s open‑source programming language. -
The Gradient — RSS
Editorial essays unpacking recent machine‑learning research for a broad technical audience. -
The Old New Thing — RSS
Historical and technical commentary on Windows APIs and system design. -
The Pragmatic Engineer — RSS
Operational advice on scaling software organisations and engineering careers. -
The Register — RSS
Independent technology journalism tracking industry moves, hardware and cybersecurity. -
Unixmen — RSS
How‑to articles and reviews focused on Linux administration and open‑source tools. -
VimGolf — RSS
Micro‑challenges showcasing efficient command sequences in the Vim editor.
Cooking🧑🍳
-
101 Cookbooks — RSS
Seasonal, whole‑food recipes emphasising natural ingredients and vegetarian cuisine. -
David Lebovitz — RSS
Recipes and culinary observations from a pastry chef living in Paris. -
Drinkhacker — RSS
Spirits reviews, cocktail recipes and industry news for enthusiasts. -
Love and Lemons — RSS
Plant‑forward dishes presented with bright photography and concise instructions. -
Pinch of Yum — RSS
Accessible comfort‑food recipes paired with blogging and photography tips. -
Serious Eats — RSS
Evidence‑based cooking guides, equipment reviews and culinary science. -
smitten kitchen — RSS
Home‑kitchen recipes designed for reliable results and minimal fuss. -
Tartelette — RSS
Pastry and dessert recipes illustrated with professional‑quality photography.
Culture🦠
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The Substack Post — RSS
Platform news and commentary on the evolving newsletter ecosystem. -
XXL — RSS
Coverage of hip‑hop music, culture and industry developments.
Gaming👾
-
Nintendo Life — RSS
News, reviews and community coverage centred on Nintendo hardware and software. -
Nintendo UK — RSS
Official announcements, release dates and promotional updates for UK audiences. -
PlayStation — RSS
Product news, developer interviews and firmware updates from Sony Interactive. -
Pure Nintendo — RSS
Independent reporting and opinion on Nintendo gaming and related culture.
-
Google | DeepMind — RSS
Research highlights and applications from Alphabet’s advanced‑AI division. -
Google | Developers — RSS
API changes, tooling updates and developer‑centric announcements across Google platforms. -
Google | Security — RSS
Security advisories, vulnerability research and best‑practice guidance from Google. -
Google | Testing — RSS
Methodologies and frameworks for building reliable, well‑tested software at scale. -
Google | Workspace — RSS
Release notes detailing new features and refinements in Google’s productivity suite. -
The Keyword — RSS
Company‑wide announcements spanning consumer, enterprise and research initiatives.
Health⚕️
-
Adjust Services — RSS
Advice on ergonomics, musculoskeletal health and workplace well‑being. -
Different Brains — RSS
News and resources promoting understanding of neurodiversity. -
Exceptional Individuals — RSS
Career guidance and support services for neurodivergent professionals. -
GoodTherapy — RSS
Evidence‑informed articles on mental‑health practices and therapeutic approaches. -
Stronger by Science — RSS
Strength‑training research translated into practical coaching recommendations. -
The Gottman Institute — RSS
Relationship insights grounded in decades of psychological research.
Interest(ing)⌚️💼
-
Atlas Obscura — RSS
Reports on unusual places, histories and cultural phenomena worldwide. -
BOOOOOOOM! — RSS
Contemporary art, illustration and photography features with international scope. -
Europe By Rail — RSS
Practical guidance and commentary on rail travel across the European continent. -
Field Notes — RSS
Dispatches on paper goods, analogue tools and design‑focused manufacturing. -
I Love Typography — RSS
Articles exploring type design, font history and typographic trends. -
Naturally Ella — RSS
Vegetarian recipes highlighting seasonal produce and whole foods. -
Rands in Repose — RSS
Essays on engineering leadership, organisational culture and personal productivity. -
Wait But Why — RSS
Long‑form explorations of technology, psychology and existential questions. -
zen habits — RSS
Minimalist practices aimed at simplifying work, health and daily routines.
News🗞️
-
NATO — RSS
Official statements, operational updates and policy briefings from the alliance. -
ProPublica — RSS
Investigative journalism focused on accountability in public and private sectors. -
The White House — RSS
Executive‑branch announcements, speeches and policy documents. -
United Nations — RSS
Global news and humanitarian updates from UN agencies and missions. -
Economist
A weekly newspaper‑magazine renowned for its dry wit and data‑rich, liberal‑minded analysis of global politics, economics, business, science and culture.- Economist | Asia — RSS
- Economist | Briefing — RSS
- Economist | Asia — RSS
- Economist | Briefing — RSS
- Economist | Asia — RSS
- Economist | Briefing — RSS
- Economist | Business — RSS
- Economist | China — RSS
- Economist | Economic & Financial Indicators —
RSS - Economist | Europe — RSS
- Economist | Explains — RSS
- Economist | Finance & Economics — RSS
- Economist | Graphic Detail — RSS
- Economist | International — RSS
- Economist | Leaders — RSS
- Economist | Middle East & Africa — RSS
- Economist | Science & Technology — RSS
- Economist | The Americas — RSS
- Economist | The World This Week — RSS
- Economist | United States — RSS
Nice🫶
-
Damn Interesting — RSS
Narrative essays revealing overlooked episodes of scientific and historical importance. -
FoxTrot — RSS
Daily comic strip blending family humour with math and technology references. -
Goodreads — RSS
Book‑industry news, author interviews and reading‑list recommendations. -
Longreads — RSS
Curated selection of high‑quality long‑form journalism and essays. -
NASA Image of the Day — RSS
Daily space imagery accompanied by contextual scientific commentary. -
Poorly Drawn Lines — RSS
Single‑panel comics presenting dry humour and absurdist scenarios. -
Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal — RSS
Comics exploring science, philosophy and contemporary life through satire. -
The Atlantic | In Focus — RSS
Photo‑journalistic essays capturing global events and social issues. -
The Oatmeal — RSS
Humour, storytelling and occasional educational comics. -
Three Panel Soul — RSS
Webcomic art dealing with gaming culture and personal reflection.
ST̶EM🧬🧑🏫💊
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Big Data, Plainly Spoken — RSS
Statistical commentary translating complex data into everyday insights. -
Construction Physics — RSS
Analytical essays on the economics and engineering of the built environment. -
FlowingData — RSS
Data‑visualisation projects and tutorials illustrating societal trends. -
Girls' Angle — RSS
Mathematics outreach content aimed at encouraging young women in STEM. -
In the Dark — RSS
Commentary from an astrophysicist on cosmology, academia and science policy. -
Infinity Plus One — RSS
Expositions on advanced mathematics, including category theory and algebra. -
Inframethodology — RSS
Reflections on scholarly writing practices and research methodology. -
Luca Marx — RSS
Interdisciplinary essays bridging physics, technology and philosophy. -
M‑Phi — RSS
Academic posts on mathematical logic, philosophy of mathematics and related topics. -
Math ∩ Programming — RSS
In‑depth articles connecting theoretical mathematics with practical algorithms. -
NASA — RSS
Agency news covering missions, scientific discoveries and aerospace policy. -
Quanta Magazine — RSS
Explanatory journalism on fundamental research in physics, mathematics and biology. -
Sabine Hossenfelder: Backreaction — RSS
Critical analyses of theoretical‑physics claims and broader science communication. -
What If? — RSS
Scientific answers to hypothetical questions, presented with rigorous humour. -
xkcd — RSS
Webcomic offering concise observations on science, technology and relationships. -
Your Local Epidemiologist — RSS
Public‑health analysis interpreting epidemiological data for a general readership.
San Francisco🌉
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CalMatters — RSS
Non‑profit journalism examining California policy, politics and social issues. -
Eater SF — RSS
Restaurant openings, closures and dining trends in the Bay Area. -
Mountain View Post — RSS
Local news and community updates from the heart of Silicon Valley. -
SF Funcheap — RSS
Listings of free and low‑cost events across San Francisco. -
SF Weekly — RSS
Alternative weekly covering local politics, culture and entertainment. -
SFGATE — RSS
Regional news, culture and lifestyle reporting for the broader Bay Area. -
SFist — RSS
City‑focused news briefs spanning transit, weather and civic affairs. -
The SF Standard — RSS
Data‑driven journalism addressing urban change and local governance.
Tech📲
-
Have I Been Pwned — RSS
Alerts on newly disclosed data breaches and compromised account details. -
Internal Tech Emails — RSS
Curated internal memos offering insight into strategy debates at major tech firms. -
No Mercy / No Malice — RSS
Market analysis and commentary on technology, media and economics. -
Official Android Blog — RSS
Product releases, operating‑system updates and ecosystem developments for Android. -
Platformer — RSS
Independent reporting on social‑media governance and content‑moderation policy. -
Product Hunt — RSS
Daily digest of new software tools, hardware gadgets and startup launches. -
Sandofsky — RSS
Insights on mobile photography, software design and indie development. -
Source Code in TV and Films — RSS
Screenshots highlighting real or spoofed code snippets in visual media. -
Spotify — RSS
Company announcements on audio streaming, podcasting and platform expansion. -
Stratechery — RSS
Strategic analysis of technology business models and competitive dynamics. -
The Waving Cat — RSS
Commentary on the societal impact of connected devices and digital policy.
Україна🇺🇦
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Euromaidan Press — RSS
English‑language coverage of Ukrainian politics, reforms and the ongoing conflict. -
European Pravda — RSS
Reporting on Ukraine’s diplomatic relations with the EU and neighbouring states. -
Kyiv Post — RSS
Independent journalism addressing business, society and security in Ukraine. -
President of Ukraine | Speeches — RSS
Official transcripts of presidential addresses and policy announcements. -
President of Ukraine | Videos — RSS
Recorded statements and event coverage from the Office of the President. -
The Kyiv Independent — RSS
Startup newsroom delivering investigative reports and on‑the‑ground updates. -
Thinking about... — RSS
Historian Timothy Snyder’s essays on Eastern Europe and democratic resilience. -
Ukrayinska Pravda — RSS
National news outlet covering politics, corruption inquiries and social issues. -
ukrinform — RSS
State news agency providing wire‑style updates on national and international events.