blog.thomasorlita.com

chrome://crash is the best home page

2025-11-27T00:00:00Z

The home page button was included in the oldest web browsers and has been around since, yet it doesn't seem to be used much anymore. Setting the home button URL to chrome://crash/ (in Chromium-based browsers) is a useful trick to use it to easily unload pages when needed.

When the home button (configured to chrome://crash/) is clicked, the current tab crashes and the web page is unloaded, saving CPU and RAM. However, the URL of the page gets preserved! When the reload button is clicked, the original page gets loaded back.

A Chrome tab that has crashed

The crash home button comes in handy if there's a tab that uses a lot of resources but I'm not using it at the moment. Completely closing the tab is not ideal, as I may come back to it soon and want it to stay in the tab strip to not forget about it.

Clicking the home button "closes" the page without closing the tab. If I want to bring the page back, there's several options. The easiest one is clicking the reload button. This works, but it will also completely reload the original page, meaning it will not preserve things like text in input fields. Instead, pressing Enter twice^[1] in the URL bar will load the page, and clicking the back button will load the original page back along with text input values (thanks to bfcache). Closing the window or the browser and reopening it will also restore the page along with the content.

A Chrome tab that has been restored after a crash

Changing the home button URL

The Show home button is located in chrome://settings/appearance. However, if you try to change the URL to chrome://crash/, the field will show a validation error. The reason is that before the URL is saved, it is validated using extensions::ExtensionTabUtil::IsKillURL(url). ^[2]

Chrome home page button URL settings showing a chrome:// crash URL as not valid

However, the validation is only done in JavaScript. This means we can set a breakpoint on validateStartupPage and change the url to any valid URL. This will bypass the validation and save chrome://crash as the home page.

DevTools breakpoint on validateStartupPage

Alternatively, you simply open chrome://crash/ directly in a tab, and then drag and drop the URL onto the home page button. This will update the home page URL without validation, and doesn't require using DevTools.

Drag and dropping a chrome://crash URL onto the home page button

On Android, chrome://crash/ can be set as the URL directly in settings without validation. However, the home page button takes quite a bit of space from the URL bar and may be tapped accidentaly, therefore it's better to save chrome://crash/ as a bookmark instead. This way, you can type the name of the bookmark, such as crash tab, into the URL bar and select it from the results. Just make sure not to mistake it with chrome://inducebrowsercrashforrealz.

You can also access bookmarklets this way on mobile devices!

For some reason, the first Enter only changes the URL from chrome://crash to the original URL, and the second Enter actually loads the URL. ↩︎
This is done in settings_utils::FixupAndValidateStartupPage. ↩︎

How to change the New Tab Page in Chrome

2025-12-22T00:00:00Z

Chromium doesn't offer a direct way to change the New Tab Page to a custom URL. However, you can change this with a few lines of JavaScript using a Chrome extension. ^[1]

background.js

chrome.tabs.onCreated.addListener(function (tab) {
    if (tab.pendingUrl === 'chrome://newtab/' && tab.url === '') {
        chrome.tabs.update(tab.id, { url: "https://example.com" });
    }
});

manifest.json

{
    "name": "NTP",
    "description": "Overrides the new tab page",
    "version": "1.0",
    "manifest_version": 3,
    "permissions": [
        "tabs"
    ],
    "background": {
        "service_worker": "background.js"
    }
}

If you use a different search engine than Google and want to continue to use the native New Tab Page, set the URL to chrome://new-tab-page/. ^[2]

Add these two files into an empty folder somewhere, go to chrome://extensions/, enable Developer mode, click Load unpacked, select the folder, and that's all. ↩︎
chrome://new-tab-page/ doesn't work in Incognito mode, so don't enable this extension in Incognito mode. ↩︎

How to inspect Chrome DevTools with Chrome DevTools

2026-01-04T00:00:00Z

Chrome DevTools can be used for inspecting websites in Chromium-based browsers. As the Chrome DevTools UI is written in HTML, JS/TS, and CSS, you can use Chrome DevTools to inspect Chrome DevTools.

There are two relatively straightforward, but non-obvious ways to open DevTools within DevTools:

When you right-click on a website, the system context menu includes an Inspect option at the end. However, this option is hidden from the DevTools context menu. If you use an extension that extends DevTools by adding a panel, the Inspect option will be present in the context menu when you right-click within the panel.
A much simpler option is to undock the DevTools panel from the side of the window into its own window. Then, you can use the default shortcut (Ctrl+Shift+I on Windows/Linux, Option+Cmd+I on macOS) to open a new DevTools window to inspect the current DevTools window. This approach and more details are described in the Chromium docs.

Tip: If you are on macOS and want to change the default shortcut for DevTools, go to Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts > App Shortcuts > click the plus button > select All Applications > enter "Developer Tools" as the Menu title, and set the keyboard shortcut, for example to Cmd+Shift+I.

Too Good To Go: Guide + Tips + Experiences after 3 years

2026-01-21T00:00:00Z

When I started studying at university, I realized that eating food is essential for survival. Considering I never cooked before, plus the fact that there was no canteen or a similar place with subsidized meals, figuring out how to get meals for a good price was quite important. While I did learn to cook a few basic meals, cooking took a lot of time and I did not particularly enjoy it.

I found out about Too Good To Go (TGTG) a few weeks later and it became my main source of food for several months. Later, I tried other sources of food, particularly with more focus on health, which included meal replacements (Huel, Jimmy Joy) and frozen food delivery (Field Doctor). I still continued using TGTG from time to time.

Over the past 3 years, I ate a total of about 500 "food items" from over 200 TGTG orders. Mostly in the UK, but in a few other countries as well. At the time of writing, TGTG is available in western and central Europe, the US and Canada, and Australia.

How to use Too Good To Go

Ordering a TGTG bag^[1] is quite easy. You open the app^[2], find your area on the map, and add filters, if needed. Then you tap on a result, and you can see more details: collection date and time window, average rating of the bag, the description, and the price. You won't get to know the exact items that will be in the bag (that's the point), but you can get a vague idea based on the type of restaurant/store and the description of the bag.

Once you click Reserve and select the payment method, the specified number of bags will be held for you until you finish the payment, but only up to 5 minutes. Once it's been paid, you can see it in your orders in the app. You also get a confirmation email.

After that, if you're not reserving the TGTG bag right in the store^[3], it's useful to have a reminder to not forget about it. You can enable Calendar reminders in the app settings, which will add the collection window as an event to your calendar. There's also an option for Push reminders. The last time I tried it, order reminders and promotions were sent in the same notification channel, so I disabled notifications completely. The most reliable way for me is to create an alarm on my phone for some time before the collection starts, which makes it hard to miss.

Picking up a TGTG bag

To pick up a TGTG bag, arrive at the store within the collection window. It usually spans a few hours, but can be as short as 10 or 15 minutes. Most of the time, TGTG bags can be collected up to 15 minutes before the start of the collection window (that's when the "swipe to collect" becomes enabled in the app).^[4]

Then, you let the staff know that you have a TGTG order. They may direct you elsewhere, such as in the case of a hotel reception, to the hotel restaurant, or in a large cafe, to a different counter/till. Once asked, you confirm the collection by swiping a slider within the app.^[5] ^[6]

Most of the time, the TGTG bag is packaged in advance. However, sometimes, the staff selects the items just in time, based on current availability.^[7]

Eating the food from the TGTG bag

If the TGTG bag contains edible items (i.e., it's not groceries or pet food), eating it right at the store is usually most convenient, depending on the type of the store/restaurant. For places like university cafes, it's often expected that you eat it there, especially if they offer you metal cutlery. For places like big cafe chains, usually no one minds, but this may depend on the staff or the time of day. For places like fancy restaurants, it's almost guaranteed that they won't like the idea of you eating from a discounted take-out bag in there.

Either way, it's best to either eat the contents within a few hours, or freeze it, if feasible. This is especially the case as the food expires the same day or the next day. If the food seems like it may have gone bad (or is about to), it's absolutely best to throw it away. Food poisoning is worse than food waste - I only realized that after the fact!

Strategy for choosing a good TGTG bag

These are the main categories when looking for TGTG bags:

meals
bread & pastries
groceries
other

I find that bags in the meals category provide the best value for money. Bread & pastries is often cakes or desserts, which I don't like. Groceries can be a good value, but it varies a lot based on the store. Other can be, for example, flowers/plants or pet food.

When it comes to the average rating, I don't find TGTG bags with a rating under 4* worth trying. 4.2* is okay - not bad but not exceptional either. 4.5* means usually very good and worth trying. 4.8* is rare, but almost always a great deal.

In central London, for example, there are over a thousand different TGTG bags to choose from. After filtering by location, category, and rating, there may be a dozen results nearby. However, the best ones have usually already been reserved within minutes of becoming available. It's not surprising that there's competition for the best TGTG bags.

There's no reliable and easy way to get notified once a TGTG bag is available for reservation. However, a TGTG bag for the next day often becomes available around the same time each day. Also, there is a self-hosted tool to send a message or a webhook when the availability of a given TGTG bag changes.^[8]

The day of the week also plays a role. For example, places that are closed during weekends tend to have more food to give away on Fridays, as it will also include items that expire on Saturday and Sunday.^[9]

You can cancel a reservation up to 2 hours before the start of the collection time for a full refund. Alternatively, you can let someone else pick up the TGTG bag by sending them a link, which they open in the app and collect it the same way.

Fighting food waste?

Apart from getting cheaper food, the major selling point of TGTG is helping to prevent food waste from happening. While this is great in theory, I find that the reality varies from store to store. For some locations, especially grocery stores or cafes selling packaged food with expiration dates, this works well, considering the food would actually be thrown out.

However, some stores, especially restaurants, treat TGTG primarily as another sales channel. This means they order/cook additional food to handle TGTG orders, mostly offsetting the benefit of using TGTG to prevent food waste.^[10] For stores that offer the same items per TGTG bag, and make the same amount of TGTG bags available for the next day, each day, it's difficult to see how it's helpful for preventing food waste in such cases.

Out of all my orders, only 2.5% of TGTG bags were cancelled as they "didn't have enough surplus food available". This is considerably lower than I would expect. Overall, I think the impact on saving food really depends on the type of the store.

Food exploration

Another benefit of TGTG is that it lets you try various types of food and cuisines that you may not have tried otherwise, eliminating decision fatigue once you choose a TGTG bag. Exploring random restaurants and cafes can be a fun activity, or even a fun challenge when the store isn't even on Google Maps and it takes quite a bit of problem solving to locate it - unless you're running late.

Ensuring that food sticks to your dietary requirements may be complicated, considering the food in the TGTG bag is supposed to be random. At least, the app lets you filter for vegetarian and vegan options. Stores that offer several types of TGTG bags often have separate bags labeled "meat" and "vegan". For other dietary restrictions, staff at the store often ask if you have any allergies. However, saying so may result in less food, which you may have wanted to give to someone else.

Too Good To Go addiction

Ordering various TGTG bags means in most cases you get mediocre quality and amount of food, but occasionally (but not too often) lots of good food. This is the same psychological principle of intermittent reinforcement - the reason slot machines and social media apps are addictive. Calling it an addiction may be hyperbole unless there are long-term negative consequences. However, the effects may be harder to notice due to the nature of the app.

£80 worth of food for £4

Scarcity is perhaps the most obvious effect - there's a limited number of TGTG bags, and they're available on a first-come, first-served basis. More than once have I hesitated for a moment whether to reserve a TGTG bag, and when I did, it was not available anymore as someone else had just reserved it. This further reinforces the fear of missing out, encouraging users to act quickly.^[11]

While saving food from going to waste is a legitimate reason for using the app, it is also a powerful halo effect, meaning this makes it harder to notice any negative effects.^[12] I've often gone out of my way to pick up an interesting TGTG bag, not taking into consideration the time it takes to get to the store and how healthy the meal is. Even though it did contribute to the exploration of different foods and stores, in hindsight, sometimes the total cost (energy/time/money) greatly outweighed the value of getting a TGTG bag.

Is Too Good To Go worth it?

Ultimately, using TGTG can be an effective way to save money, especially if you find good locations near you and don't have strict dietary requirements.

pros

get food for cheap
help prevent food from going to waste
get food you may not have tried otherwise
can be a fun activity

cons

dietary restrictions make it more difficult
preventing food waste is not guaranteed
get food you may not have tried otherwise (if it's not healthy)
can become addictive

TGTG bags are often called "Magic bags" or "Surprise bags". However, I've gotten confused looks when asking for these at the store. Instead, calling it just "Too Good To Go" has been much more reliable. ↩︎
There's no web version, unfortunately. ↩︎
You can reserve TGTG bags all the way until the end of the collection time, if they're still available. ↩︎
On a few occasions, based on the store or the staff, I had to wait right until the collection time or a bit longer. Collecting after the end of collection time may or may not be possible: the app won't let you "swipe to collect" anymore, but if the store isn't closed and they give you the TGTG bag, you can later retroactively mark it as collected. Either way, it's best to be on time. ↩︎
Once swiped, it can't be undone, and is used to represent that the order was collected. ↩︎
Interestingly, perhaps in 1/10 cases, the staff didn't ask me to swipe or show them the app. Essentially, I got food just by asking. Of course, I had already paid for the order in advance and swiped it in the app afterwards, but they couldn't have known that. For instance, when picking up a TGTG in a store in SF, I was told someone abused this to get food without paying, so that now they check diligently. This could likely vary a lot based on the implicit social trust in different areas and cities. ↩︎
Occasionally, I was told that I can take X number of items based on my preferences. On a very few occasions, I was told to take as many items as I can fit in a bag they gave me or even to take as much as I want! I'm glad I had a backpack with me that time. But I did leave two or three items that I wouldn't really like behind, as taking everything felt a bit awkward. ↩︎
I also noticed that there was an option within the app to send a notification when a TGTG bag becomes available again after collecting it, however, it's possible this was just an experiment. ↩︎
Sometimes, stores forget to remove TGTG bags availability from the app for days when they are closed outside of the usual days - such as on bank holidays. It's best to confirm whether they are indeed open in such cases. ↩︎
There can still be some benefit for preventing food waste even if extra food is made specifically for TGTG orders. As the contents of the TGTG bag can contain any kind of food, this provides flexibility if there is a surplus of a particular type of food. ↩︎
Unlike on other platforms where you can buy other things, a TGTG bag reservation is reversible - as long as it's more than 2 hours before the start of the collection time. However, the sunk cost fallacy comes into play, as getting rid of a potentially good deal feels worse than not reserving it in the first place. ↩︎
The positive impact is constantly reinforced through messages in the app ("You've just saved a meal from going to waste"). ↩︎

Systematic analysis of the efficacy of water-based plant extract interaction with carbonated beverages

2026-02-03T00:00:00Z

Abstract

Coke Zero with oat milk is the result of amalgamation of two beverages, Coke Zero and oat milk. This relatively unknown but distinct combination offers the textural viscosity of oat milk with the effervescence of Coke Zero. Despite the existence of research into carbonated beverages and water-based plant extracts respectively, their combination remains understudied. This paper delves into the synergy of a drink which is more than the sum of its parts, presenting novel approaches in the field of carbonated beverage flavor analysis by enhancing state-of-the-art research on water-based plant extract interaction.

Methodology

This research employs a thoroughly mixed-method approach, encompassing both qualitative and quantitative methods, yielding an effective framework for the analysis of this topic.

Analysis

Participants (n=2) in this study were asked to describe the perceived impression of this combination. To streamline the analysis, responses were limited to a single-word adjective, leveraging the One-Adjective Test Scale (OATS).

Participant	Response
Participant #1	disgusting
Participant #2	disgusting

Table 1: Participant perception results

Recorded data was processed using Python inside a Jupyter Notebook, utilizing Pandas as the industry-standard data analysis library. All results were anonymized to comply with data protection requirements in order to preserve the privacy and integrity of participants.

Analysis of these results revealed an unexpected aversion of the perception of this beverage in most participants, likely highlighting a case of food neophobia.

The second survey assessed the responses of participants after tasting the reviewed beverage. This experiment employed a control group, which was given plain Coke Zero without a water-based plant extract.

Participant	Group	Substance	Response
Participant #1	Control	Coke Zero	okay
Participant #2	Experimental	Coke Zero with oat milk	(no response)

Table 2: Participant taste results

To ensure the implementation of a double-blind research design, both the researchers and participants were blindfolded for the duration of the experiment. This further eliminates possible observer bias in researchers.

Figure 1: Comparison of Control Group vs Experimental Group ratings

Participants in the control group reported average results in taste, serving as the baseline for the analysis. The lack of response from participants in the experimental group highlights the unanimous astonishment over the unexpected quality of the combined beverage, with the time-to-response index therefore overwhelmingly indicating a positive impression.

Results

The study found that the taste response of the participants in the experimental group greatly surpassed their impression, as compared to their initial perception. The control group participants did not report an increased perception in the quality of the beverage, eliminating the placebo effect as a possible cause of this outcome. This provides compelling evidence (n=2, p≤1) for the unprecedented potential of Coke Zero with oat milk. ^[1]

Limitations

The potential limitations of the study include the fact the altitude at the time of testing has not been taken into consideration. While it has been observed that altitudinal changes may affect the perception of human taste, the authors have not found these claims statistically significant to include this as a confounding variable.

Additionally, it is possible that the use of Python 2 may have limited the efficiency of data processing in this study. Switching to Python 3 may allow a more comprehensive analysis of the participant data.

Future work

Further research is needed to determine the ideal ratio of Coke Zero and oat milk.

Additional areas of research include the use of Pepsi instead of Coke, where desired. In general, any sugar-free sparkling beverage is applicable as an alternative research subject. ^[2]

Furthermore, soy milk may also be used instead of oat milk, but the applicability may be limited due to unpleasant aftertaste. While almond milk has not been tested in this combination, it should be approached carefully due to unknown cross-interactions. ^[3]

These findings are further supported by the generous funding from Big Beverage. ↩︎
It should be noted that while the sugar-free attribute may be omitted, the authors do not endorse the consumption of an acidified, carbonated aqueous solution amended with saccharose or isoglucose. ↩︎
Animal milk is also known to be one of possible alternatives to oat milk. ↩︎

Original Huel T-Shirt vs SF121 alternative

2026-02-14T00:00:00Z

The Huel T-Shirt is unique thanks to its nice fit, texture, and flexibility.

However, it comes with a rather prominent Huel logo on the front and another tiny one on the back. And I very much don't like wearing clothes with labels on them.

While peeling the Huel logo from the T-Shirt is doable, it is quite a difficult task requiring a lot of patience. Attempting to remove it too aggressively may result in damaged fabric. And not removing it all the way may leave some of the glue residue in the fabric and a faint outline of the Huel logo may still remain. However, if you remove it just right, it's indistinguishable from a blank T-Shirt.

Huel T-Shirt after successful logo removal by peeling

Still, buying a blank T-Shirt outright might seem more sensible. As it happens, there are many posts on Reddit and threads on the Huel discussion forum praising the Huel T-Shirt. And the #1 question is where to get a blank version of the T-Shirt. However, the official response is that you can't, as they are custom-made. ^[1]

The most commonly mentioned alternative is the SF121 (SF Clothing Feel Good Stretch T-Shirt). It was often described as the closest you can get to the original. So I've ordered eight to properly test them.

After two months of wearing the SF121 (alternating with blank Huel T-Shirts), I can say the SF121 is quite similar to the original Huel T-Shirt in many ways, but also different enough in other qualities.

The main upside of the SF121 T-Shirt is that the feel is similarly comfortable to the Huel T-Shirt. The material composition is the same (96% cotton / 4% elastane), although the actual fabric quality isn't identical - the Huel T-Shirt felt just a tiny bit softer. Also, the price of the SF121 is very reasonable (at £8 / $11).

Huel T-Shirt (black) vs SF121 (white) width comparison (in cm), after washing

The main cons, however, include that the SF121 is considerably narrower. At size M (men's fit), the SF121 is 3 cm less wide around the hem, when laid down on a flat surface, compared to the Huel T-Shirt. This was the biggest disadvantage of the SF121 for me, as it made the fit around the waist too tight.

Another difference is in the fabric density/weight. The Huel T-Shirt has 185 gsm (grams per square meter), the SF121 has 165 gsm. When stretched, the SF121 was slightly more see-through (although this may be partly because I was testing the SF121 in white, and the Huel T-Shirt in the classic black color).

SF121 back side laid on the Huel T-Shirt (ISO banana for scale)

Perhaps buying the SF121 one size bigger would solve the tightness problem, but I worry that then it'd be too big in other dimensions. Especially, as the SF121 is already 1 cm longer (from top to bottom) compared to the Huel T-Shirt.

Update (3 months later): I wear the SF121 every single day and it's great. I may perhaps one day consider buying them in different colors than white (such as black, or even grey if I'm feeling really adventurous).

https://discuss.huel.com/t/t-shirt/6819/9 ↩︎

A guy with a rifle in my hotel room

2026-05-04T00:00:00Z

When I was at university, I got interested in public speaking. I had never really done much public speaking then, apart from school project presentations. So when there was a competition organized by the public speaking society, it felt like the right kind of challenge, especially as the society had masterclasses and tutoring, which I really enjoyed.

When thinking about what to make my speech about, I decided to share my recent, quite unusual experience when I stayed in a hotel room. It went like this:

I will tell you the real story of an unusual dream I had a few months ago. To set the context, I was travelling to a conference abroad. As it was happening over several days, I was staying in a hotel. I got my own hotel room with the comfiest bed you can imagine. And since it was quite late when I arrived, I put a do not disturb sign on the door and headed to sleep.

When I was asleep, I had a really weird vivid dream. I was dreaming that someone entered my hotel room and pointed a gun at me. I forgot what happened right after that, but I woke up, still breathing heavily. I look around, and there's a guy -- with an actual rifle -- standing in my very real hotel room. As my brain is still processing whether I'm stuck in dream inception, he mumbles something and leaves.

I notice there's a paper on the countertop with a message. I pick it up and it reads, "Dear valued guest, as you may or may not know, a well-known hacking convention will be held during your stay. In an effort to increase the safety of our guests, we will be conducting brief non-intrusive room inspections daily. Rooms with the do not disturb sign will be included as part of the inspection process. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation."

I'm sorry -- what!? Non-intrusive room inspections?! Nothing says 'non-intrusive' like a stranger with a gun watching you sleep. This was like someone ordered a wake-up call in a horror movie. Except this was no movie.

Needless to say, I did not get much rest that night. From now on, I always read the hotel's policy very carefully. I make sure they offer free WiFi, late check-out, but if they mention anything about "non-intrusive room inspections," I know it's time to book a different hotel.

Now, this may feel like a made-up story. But it was mostly real. There was a bit of artistic license utilized to add more tension. The main difference was that the person with the rifle^[1]^[2]^[3] did not actually point it towards me, he just held it, pointing down.

To add a bit more background, I was attending a conference for bug bounty hunters organized by Google in Las Vegas in 2024, happening the same week as DEF CON. When I checked in, I found this piece of paper in my hotel room. I didn't think much more of it than just some security theater^[4].

Paper on the countertop in my hotel room

Turned out, "non-intrusive room inspections" was the biggest euphemism I've ever experienced.

It consisted of two people, one armed with a rifle, doing a walk around the room. I'm not sure what exactly that accomplishes. Security? I don't think so. A feeling of security? I certainly did not feel secure(!)

The "non-intrusive room inspection" happened two days in a row. It's quite possible I was actually dreaming about this when I got woken up the second day. Either way, this time I was woken up by the sound of the door opening. Knowing what is happening now, and as I just wanted to sleep, I politely shouted "I'm sleeping", and they promptly left my room.

It was quite a shocking am-I-still-dreaming-or-not experience in the moment... I guess it makes for a cool story, though? What concerned me the most is the part about DND signs being ignored^[5]. Like, what if I'm in the shower during this "non-intrusive" room inspection?

Regarding the speech for the competition, I focused on speaking loudly, moving across the stage, and making intense pauses (silence adds tension!). I also used the actual piece of paper as a prop to read the "non-intrusive room inspections" quote. And it was very well received - I got second place!

"[...] stay with us for relaxation,"

Uhm...

"fun,"^[6]

In retrospect, maybe a bit?

"and excitement!"

Well, in a way. I guess.

As I'm not familiar with weapons, I'm not 100% sure what type of gun it exactly was. It was long, and held in both hands, and it looked just like a rifle, so I called it a rifle. Either way, it looked intimidating, especially being held by someone clothed in full gear. ↩︎
The guy with a rifle was accompanied by a second person, likely a hotel manager, based on the appearance. ↩︎
They did stand in front of my bed when I woke up, though! ↩︎
I like security. I like theater. I don't like security theater, though. ↩︎
The Do Not Disturb sign on the door was taken about as seriously as the Do Not Track header. ↩︎
At least they used an Oxford comma. ↩︎