Kickstart 2026: The Best New DIY Tools and Side Projects

As we kick off the first week of 2026, the developer and maker communities are already buzzing with innovation. This week’s ‘I made a useful thing’ roundup highlights a surge in AI-powered productivity tools and minimalist web utilities designed to cut through digital noise.

Key trends emerging from today’s thread include a wave of personalized browser extensions that leverage local LLMs for privacy-focused summarization, alongside several elegant open-source alternatives to expensive SaaS platforms. Notably, hobbyist hardware projects are making a comeback, with creative coders showcasing custom smart-home dashboards built entirely on Raspberry Pi 5.

These releases underscore a growing movement: developers are prioritizing ownership and efficiency in their software stacks. If you are looking for inspiration or a coding challenge to kickstart your New Year’s resolutions, this thread offers a treasure trove of clever solutions.

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