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Grok is not as good in coding as Claude for example. But for researching stuff it is incredible. While they have a model for coding now, did not try that one out yet.

https://docs.x.ai/developers/models

peterspathon Making Firefox's right-click not suck with about:config

I really miss the look up, translate, and search with... options in Firefox I have anywhere else when I right click on a selected word.

peterspathon Don't use passkeys for encrypting user data

That standard also allows for importing and exporting passkeys. Apple added that in iOS/macOS/etc 26 to their platforms. https://9to5mac.com/2025/06/13/ios-26-passkeys-password-tran...

peterspathon Don't use passkeys for encrypting user data

Some password managers do not support the PRF extension yet. ProtonPass is one of them that does not: https://www.passkeyprf.com

peterspathon Don't use passkeys for encrypting user data

I was looking into this to start using this. Because it’s quite user friendly to not let the user worry about all the details that involve encryption of data.

I guess informing them is a good way to start. Are there any other tips on how this can be improved?

peterspathon A deep dive into Apple's .car file format

I choose binary formats over JSON almost every time I can. JSON sucks big time.

peterspathon I want to wash my car. The car wash is 50 meters away. Should I walk or drive?

Grok 4.1:

Drive.

50 meters is nothing — literally a 30-second walk or a 10-second drive — but the key point is: your car isn’t going to wash itself.

If you walk to the car wash, you arrive alone. The car stays parked at home, still dirty.

If you drive, the car actually gets to the car wash and gets cleaned.

So unless you’re planning to push the car the whole way (which is technically possible but ridiculous), the only practical option is to drive it there.

Bonus reality check: Driving 50 meters uses a tiny amount of fuel (maybe 0.005–0.01 liters in a normal car) and produces a negligible amount of emissions. Walking would be “greener,” but it literally doesn’t solve the problem.

Verdict: Get in the car, drive the 50 meters, wash it, and drive back.

You’ll have a clean car and still be home in under 5 minutes. Walking is for when you don’t need to move a 1.5-ton vehicle.

peterspathon E2EE Backend part 1: Homomorphic Encryption

This is the first post in a series exploring a truly privacy-preserving, end-to-end encrypted backend and client.

The goal of this part: a demo that can calculate totals on encrypted user data without ever seeing the plaintext.

peterspathon FBI couldn't get into WaPo reporter's iPhone because Lockdown Mode enabled

I do have it enabled and webbrowsing is still fine, the things I use are or websites or simple web apps that aren't javascript heavy anyway...

when I want to do something for longer I will pickup my MacBook anyway.

peterspathon Ask HN: European alternative to Vercel/Cloudflare for hosting

also take a look at https://bunny.net

peterspathon Improving the usability of C libraries in Swift

This is a good write up about Swift Concurrency: https://fuckingapproachableswiftconcurrency.com/en/

peterspathon Stories removed from the Hacker News Front Page, updated in real time (2024)

I wish hacker news had filters, ... if LLM, AI, or other hyped tech... make it hidden

peterspathon Canada Announces Divorce from America

It is like they play in a reality tv show. We are being entertained... or at least if they did funny shit. Maybe it is best to just ignore it?

peterspathon EU–INC – A new pan-European legal entity

This + only pay taxes where the company is founded, not where you live at that moment in time.

That's what the personal income tax is for.. and all the other taxes payed by the individual.

That way countries can compete in being the best environment for companies.

peterspathon EU–INC – A new pan-European legal entity

Same in the Netherlands for BV's. At least a few years ago, maybe it changed...

peterspathon Dutch experts warn US takeover of DigiD platform poses security risks

That is why the suggestion for competition is there.

DigiD is a bit less indeed, estimation: €239M GDI-budget / ~17M users ≈ ~€14 per user per year.

peterspathon Dutch experts warn US takeover of DigiD platform poses security risks

Time to ditch DigiD? Unfortunately we are locked in as citizens.

Maybe they should open up 'eHerkenning' to citizens as well instead of only companies. And a bit more competition should be good, like use your bank to sign-in into government services.

peterspathon Ask HN: How can we solve the loneliness epidemic?

Go to church.

Data from various studies, including those from academic institutions and public health organisations, supports the idea that regular church attendance helps reduce loneliness by fostering social connections, support networks, and a sense of community.

1. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3551208/

2. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/human-flourishing/20...

3. https://hrbopenresearch.org/articles/7-76

4. https://www.cardus.ca/research/health/reports/social-isolati...

5. there are plenty more...

also if you allow anecdotal data:

I have been going to a church half a year now, and the sense of community is amazing, made new friends and know more people I could dream of. So there is a way, there is a light. Never felt lonely again since.

peterspathon Ask HN: What did you find out or explore today?

Playing around with Dictionary Services[1] (an api in iOS and macOS).

Figuring out how to create my own dictionary with Dictionary Development Kit to create a dictionary where people can find definitions of terms.

Also let the system learn names of products and services, so the system can do better autocorrect.

1. https://developer.apple.com/documentation/coreservices/dicti...

peterspathon Show HN: Top Four – a directory of /top4 pages

A /top4 page is a personal webpage where you can share your definitive ranked list of your top 3 favourites and an honourable mention. You can list films, music albums, national parks, computer keyboards, snacks for trips, tools for commands, or comfort foods. List anything you feel strongly about and rank in exactly four places.

Read announcement: https://peterspath.net/blog/project-top-four/

peterspathon Ask HN: Share your personal website

https://peterspath.net

Peter's Path is my personal endeavour to live a life of purpose through hiking, reading, and embracing the beauty of nature, faith, and ideas.

peterspathon Lights and Shadows (2020)

I love that the car animation has reversing lights on when reversing. The details are so good.

peterspathon 'Doomsday fish': Once-in-a-lifetime sea creature encountered in Monterey Bay

It was not to blame, more to tell that there is a solution. Yes it is too bad those website exist. I agree with that completely. But it is not something that will stop until the root evil is destroyed, ads.

peterspathon 'Doomsday fish': Once-in-a-lifetime sea creature encountered in Monterey Bay

I do not know what your setup is. But here on my machine I did not encounter this behaviour.

Safari 26 on macOS 26, Lockdown Enabled (limits javascript to make your system more secure)[1], and 1Blocker (to block ads and trackers)[2].

1. https://support.apple.com/en-us/105120

2. https://1blocker.com

peterspathon Publish on your own site, syndicate elsewhere

Add yourself to so called slashpage (https://slashpages.net) directories. I discovered a lot of personal blogs over the years from those.

Like:

- https://nownownow.com

- https://defaults.rknight.me

- https://aboutideasnow.com

- https://chrisburnell.github.io/interests-directory/

- https://bukmark.club/directory/

- https://uses.tech

I find browsing and discovering fun. So, after years of lurking I decided to make my own directory. It is called Top Four (https://topfour.net).

A /top4 page is a personal webpage where you can share your definitive ranked list of your top 3 favorites and an honorable mention. In a specific topic, such as movies, albums, snacks, games, or anything else you feel strongly about. Or read the announcement: https://peterspath.net/blog/project-top-four/