Best of DevTools — December 2025

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    Article
    Avatar of addyAddy Osmani·23w

    Farewell for now, Chrome.

    Addy Osmani reflects on nearly 14 years working on Chrome, highlighting major contributions including Core Web Vitals that saved users 30,000 years of waiting time, evolution of DevTools into the industry standard debugging tool, advancement of PWAs and Service Workers for offline-capable web apps, collaboration with frameworks and tooling ecosystems, development of Speedometer benchmarks with other browser vendors, transition to Manifest V3 for extensions, improvements in browser automation through Headless Chrome and WebDriver BiDi, and early AI agent tooling with Chrome DevTools MCP. He announces his transition to a new role at Google while expressing gratitude to the web development community.

  2. 2
    Article
    Avatar of ploehploeh blog·19w

    Git integration is ten years away

    Git integration in IDEs like Visual Studio has been under continuous development for over a decade, with "improved Git integration" appearing in release notes since 2013. Rather than waiting for perfect IDE integration, developers should invest a few hours learning Git fundamentals through the command line. This tactical approach provides immediate productivity without dependency on IDE features that may perpetually remain "in development."

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    Article
    Avatar of zedZed·22w

    Zed Has Rainbow Brackets — Zed's Blog

    Zed code editor introduces rainbow brackets, a highly-requested feature that colors nested brackets at different levels for improved code readability. The implementation uses a chunk-based approach with tree-sitter queries rather than maintaining full syntax trees in memory. Brackets are colored in 50-row chunks that invalidate on buffer changes but only re-query when visible, avoiding the complexity of global state management. The feature is opt-in per language, reuses theme accent colors, and includes performance optimizations to tree-sitter's query execution.

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    Article
    Avatar of react_nativeReact Native·21w

    React 19.2, New DevTools features, no breaking changes · React Native

    React Native 0.83 is released with React 19.2, introducing the Activity component and useEffectEvent hook. Major DevTools improvements include new Network and Performance panels, plus a standalone desktop app that no longer requires Chrome or Edge. The release adds stable Web Performance APIs and experimental Intersection Observer support. This is the first React Native release with no breaking changes, making upgrades from 0.82 seamless. Additional features include Hermes V1 performance improvements, iOS legacy architecture removal option, and precompiled binary debugging capabilities.

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    Article
    Avatar of thnThe Hacker News·20w

    Two Chrome Extensions Caught Secretly Stealing Credentials from Over 170 Sites

    Two malicious Chrome extensions named "Phantom Shuttle" have been discovered stealing credentials from over 170 websites. Disguised as VPN services with paid subscriptions ($1.40-$13.50), the extensions inject proxy credentials, route traffic through attacker-controlled servers, and exfiltrate user passwords, cookies, API keys, and other sensitive data every five minutes. The extensions target developer platforms (GitHub, Stack Overflow), cloud services (AWS, Azure), social media, and other high-value domains. The operation appears to be China-based and has been active since 2017. Users should immediately remove these extensions, and security teams should implement extension allowlisting and network monitoring.

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    Article
    Avatar of mitchellhMitchell Hashimoto·22w

    Ghostty Is Now Non-Profit

    Ghostty terminal emulator has become fiscally sponsored by Hack Club, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. This structure ensures the project remains free and open source while enabling tax-deductible donations, transparent financial operations, and legal protections against commercialization. The project lead Mitchell Hashimoto will continue technical leadership while establishing sustainable funding through community contributions, with 7% of donations supporting Hack Club's administrative costs. All financial transactions will be publicly visible, and funds will support contributor compensation, upstream dependencies, and operational costs.

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    Article
    Avatar of phProduct Hunt·19w

    Gitdocs AI: Make your repository explain itself.

    Gitdocs AI is a tool that automatically generates production-ready README files for GitHub repositories. It analyzes repository code and creates structured documentation with customizable templates. Recent updates include improved AI workflow, multiple documentation templates, and near-zero downtime. The service is currently free and aims to make industry-standard documentation accessible to all developers.

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    Article
    Avatar of github_updatesGitHub Changelog·20w

    Copilot Memory early access for Pro and Pro+

    GitHub Copilot Memory is now in early access for Pro and Pro+ subscribers. This feature allows Copilot agents to learn from user feedback and actions, building repository-specific memory to improve assistance across coding and code review workflows. Users can enable it through Settings > Copilot, and GitHub plans to expand availability to more subscription tiers in the future.

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    Article
    Avatar of aspnetASP.NET Blog·22w

    Microsoft Learn MCP Server Elevates Development

    Microsoft introduces the Learn Model Context Protocol (MCP) server, which provides GitHub Copilot with up-to-date Microsoft documentation, code samples, and learning resources. This integration addresses the problem of AI models lacking knowledge about recent technologies by connecting Copilot to current Microsoft Learn content. The server offers improved code suggestions, context-aware documentation, and faster problem-solving directly within development environments. It's available as a built-in feature in Visual Studio 2022/2026 and can be installed as an extension in VS Code, Copilot CLI, and Copilot Coding Agent through straightforward configuration steps.

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    Article
    Avatar of jetbrainsJetBrains·22w

    Meet the Islands Theme – The New Default Look for JetBrains IDEs

    JetBrains introduces the Islands theme as the new default UI across all their IDEs starting with version 2025.3. The theme features rounded corners, balanced spacing, improved tab recognition, and clearer separation between working areas. It includes distinct tool window borders for easier resizing and an optional setting for different tool window backgrounds to emphasize the editor. The design was shaped by user feedback and testing, aiming to create a softer, more comfortable environment that supports focus and productivity while aligning with modern design trends from macOS and Windows 11.

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    Article
    Avatar of atlassianAtlassian·22w

    Bitbucket’s new look: user experience and navigation updates coming soon

    Bitbucket Cloud is getting a visual redesign and navigation overhaul in early 2026, aligning with Atlassian's unified design system. The update includes modernized navigation for faster access to repositories, pull requests, and pipelines, along with improved typography, color system, iconography, and components for better readability and accessibility. Icons and components will roll out progressively over the coming weeks, with the full navigation update launching early next year.

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    Article
    Avatar of antonzAnton Zhiyanov·20w

    Go feature: Modernized go fix

    Go 1.26 reimplements the `go fix` command using the same analysis framework as `go vet`, bringing modernization tools from gopls to the command line. The tool now includes 22 analyzers that automatically update code to use newer language features like `any` instead of `interface{}`, `slices.Sort` instead of `sort.Slice`, range-over-int loops, and iterator-based APIs. Unlike `go vet` which reports problems, `go fix` focuses on safe, automated code modernization that doesn't indicate bugs but helps keep codebases current with Go's evolving idioms.

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    Article
    Avatar of jetbrainsJetBrains·22w

    GoLand 2025.3 Is Out!

    GoLand 2025.3 introduces on-the-fly resource leak detection to catch unclosed files and connections, bundled Terraform plugin with syntax highlighting and code completion, and multi-agent AI support with Claude Agent and Junie. The release includes Kubernetes deployment improvements with in-editor secret management and port forwarding, single-file editing without project setup, and golangci-lint formatting support enabled by default. Performance enhancements reduce memory warnings and improve indexing for large projects, while the new Islands theme becomes the default UI.

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    Article
    Avatar of googledevsGoogle Developers·20w

    Conductor: Introducing context-driven development for Gemini CLI

    Conductor is a new extension for Gemini CLI that introduces context-driven development by formalizing project specs and plans in persistent Markdown files. Instead of relying on chat logs, it helps developers create structured documentation that lives alongside code, enabling better planning, team collaboration, and AI agent control. The workflow involves setting up project context, creating tracks for features with spec and plan documents, and implementing changes while maintaining state across sessions. This approach keeps developers in control while allowing AI to work with deep project awareness.

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    Article
    Avatar of css_tricksCSS-Tricks·20w

    Search CSS-Tricks Raycast Extension

    Jelte Lagendijk created a Raycast extension that enables quick searching of CSS-Tricks articles directly from your desktop. The extension fetches content from the WordPress REST API and provides real-time search results with summaries and browser links, offering a faster alternative to searching the site directly.

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    Video
    Avatar of fknightForrestKnight·21w

    33 Linux Commands EVERY Dev Should Know

    A walkthrough of 33 essential Linux command-line tools for developers, including modern alternatives to classic commands. Covers file searching with ripgrep and fd, terminal multiplexing with tmux, Docker management with lazy-docker, Git workflows with lazy-git, network diagnostics, process monitoring, and various productivity tools. Demonstrates practical examples of each command with emphasis on Rust-based modern alternatives that offer better performance and user experience than traditional Unix utilities.

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    Article
    Avatar of iotechhubiO tech_hub·22w

    Designing with Prompts: AI Powered Frontend Development and Its Next Step

    AI-powered development tools are transforming frontend workflows through prompt-based coding, autonomous agents, and design-to-code automation. Tools like Cursor IDE, Builder.io, and v0.app enable conversational development where natural language descriptions generate production-ready components. AI agents can now plan workflows, run tests, fix bugs, and deploy code with minimal human intervention. While these tools dramatically reduce development time, they introduce challenges around security, context management, and ethical governance. The future points toward AI-native frameworks and full-stack autonomy, but human oversight remains essential for creativity, architecture decisions, and ethical judgment.

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    Article
    Avatar of jetbrainsJetBrains·22w

    WebStorm 2025.3: Enhanced Monorepo Support, Framework Improvements, Vitest 4 Support, Multiple Agents in AI Assistant, Remote Debugging, and More

    WebStorm 2025.3 introduces a service-powered TypeScript type engine for better performance and accuracy, enhanced monorepo support with improved pnpm and Nx workspace handling, and remote debugging capabilities for JavaScript projects in WSL and Docker. The release adds Vitest 4 support, integrates Claude Agent and Junie in the AI Assistant, updates CSS syntax to align with WebRef specifications including new math functions, and consolidates Node.js, Bun, and Deno configuration into a unified JavaScript Runtime settings page. Additional improvements include Angular 20.2 template syntax support, Vue 3.6 Vapor mode recognition, Astro parser fixes, and a new Prettier language status widget.

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    Article
    Avatar of nickjanetakisNick Janetakis·19w

    Productivity Environment on Windows with WSL 2 and Docker — Nick Janetakis

    A comprehensive walkthrough of a Windows-based development environment that combines WSL 2 for Linux tooling with native Windows applications. The setup includes terminal configuration with Tmux and Neovim, Docker Desktop integration, productivity tools like AutoHotKey for hotkeys and Dexpot for virtual desktops, and various utilities for screenshots, clipboard management, image/video editing, and system monitoring. The workflow demonstrates how to effectively balance Linux development tools through WSL 2 with Windows native applications for a complete productivity setup.

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    Article
    Avatar of ubqa4zl8noglmlpvdnr79Prince Kumar·19w

    One is highly technical, one is a vibe coder.

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    Article
    Avatar of ergq3auoeReinier·22w

    The ONE Tool That Makes Claude Code Lightning Fast

    React Grab is a developer tool that accelerates AI-assisted coding with Claude by 55% by providing direct locations of React elements, eliminating file searching. Created by Aiden Bai, it reduces token usage and costs but relies on React internals, making it risky for production use. The tool should only be used in development environments due to potential security vulnerabilities and breaking changes in React's internal architecture.

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    Video
    Avatar of savvynikSavvyNik·22w

    A New Linux Computer Just Dropped.. And It’s Wild

    The Caligra C100 is a new Linux-based developer terminal with a retro wedge chassis design reminiscent of Commodore 64. It features AMD Ryzen 9 9440HS processor, 96GB DDR5 RAM, 1TB SSD, and mechanical keyboard, priced at $2,000 with $99 pre-order deposit. The device runs a custom Linux OS called Workbench, marketed as distraction-free for creators and technical work. However, the product lacks clear differentiation, detailed specifications about the OS, and concrete use cases, making its target audience and value proposition unclear compared to competitors like Framework, System76, or standard Linux workstations.

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    Video
    Avatar of developedbyeddevelopedbyed·20w

    Arch Linux...time to say goodbye?

    A developer shares their experience using Arch Linux as their primary operating system after switching from VS Code to Neovim. While praising the tiling window manager and low resource usage, they encounter significant challenges with audio drivers, video editing software compatibility, application availability, and constant troubleshooting. The developer is considering switching to macOS (Mac Mini or MacBook Pro) or dual-booting to regain productivity and access to essential applications like DaVinci Resolve, Streamlabs, and Affinity, prioritizing stability over customization.

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    Article
    Avatar of collectionsCollections·19w

    Java Weekly and Ecosystem Updates: Spring, IntelliJ, Quarkus, and More

    Spring Boot 4 launches with declarative interface clients, API versioning, and enhanced security. Spring Security 7 adds multi-factor authentication, passkeys, and OAuth Identity Provider support. Spring AI expands with MCP integration and agentic frameworks, while Spring gRPC reaches General Availability. Java improvements include script execution, virtual threads, GraalVM native images, and Project Leyden AOT caches offering 75%+ startup time improvements. Kotlin developers gain JSpecify-based null-safety in Spring Boot 4. Additional updates include IntelliJ IDEA debugging enhancements, Spring Vault 4.1.0 interfaces, JDK 26 field immutability enforcement, and releases for Quarkus, Infinispan, and Gradle.

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    Article
    Avatar of h9v3y3qnlw8vo005u8it8Saad Hasan·22w

    Quick Bookmark - Organize Your files in a Better way

    Quick Bookmark is a VS Code extension that helps developers organize and access files in large projects. It allows bookmarking files and folders, organizing them into custom groups, and accessing them through a dedicated Favorites view, eliminating the need to repeatedly search through project trees.

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