This page contains links to online locations I frequent and tools I find handy. Think of a curated and annotated copy of the bookmark menu of my browser. I created it primarily for my own convenience, allowing me to access these links on shared and new devices without needing to set up syncs. Hopefully some of the links would also be helpful to visitors. The currentness is checked as of the date herein and may change over time.

News

The Wall Street Journal Print Edition

I find The Wall Street Journal's reporting generally more balanced (excluding the opinion section, of course) and succinct than that of The New York Times and The Washington Post. I prefer the print edition because it is more organized than the front page of the digital edition.

The Paper (RSS) | Sixth Tone (RSS)

The Paper is the only Chinese domestic news site I find tolerable. Its main feed aggregates posts from various “mainstream” sources, saving you the effort to go elsewhere. Sixth Tone, which shares the publisher with The Paper, offers the best English articles among state-sponsored news outlets, particularly on cultural and social issues.

Techmeme (newsletter)

Tech news aggregator that groups similar articles and social network discussions for each entry. I particularly appreciate their concise and informative rewriting of link titles.

Hacker News Best Comments (RSS)

Highest-voted recent comments on Hacker News. Technically not a news source but perfect for discovering thoughtful tech-themed essays and hacker projects.

EveryCRSReport (RSS)

Work products of the Congressional Research Service. These encyclopedic research reports explain a wide scope of current issues with implications on U.S. politics and policies. While intended for legislators, they are written impartially, approachably, and with rich context, making them perfectly readable for everyone.

Money Stuff (RSS)

I have zero chance of understanding all the jargon and quirks of financial news without Matt Levine’s tongue-in-cheek explanations like I’m 5.

Weibo Watch (RSS)

Help me to keep updated with current events over the Chinese internet without following the distasteful timeline of Weibo myself.

Whitelisted News Search

Google Custom Search targeting news outlets licensed to operate in China (current as of October 2021). Made by me. (See methodology.)

Editing

AutoCorrect

Online playground of AutoCorrect, a library for adding spaces between CJK and Latin characters.

Apple Services Marketing Tools

Create share links, badges, and widgets for Apple services.

pandoc online

Online playground of pandoc, a library for converting between multiple markup formats.

r12a apps

Tools to inspect and convert Unicode characters.

qwerty.dev

Transform latin characters to quirky alternatives.

Redline

Compare texts in a lawyerly way.

StackEdit | Typo

Open-source online markdown editors. StackEdit is more established but kind of outdated, while Type is newer and more actively maintained.

Shots.so

Create framed screenshots or device mock-ups.

Table Convert Online

Edit and convert tables in HTML and markdown.

Dev

AppleDB | EveryMac

Database of Apple software and devices.

CleanIcons

Find, customize, and download icons from FontAwesome.

CyberChef

Open-source web app for text manipulation, encryption, encoding, etc.

DevDocs

Developer documentations in a clean and organized web UI with instant search and offline support.

HTML Arrows

All sorts of arrow-shaped symbols, ready to copy.

HTML Online Viewer

Does what the name says. Can be used with Google’s SEO test tool to get around various registration walls.

iOS Ref

Quick references for the designing and development of iOS apps.

IP tools on skk.moe

Collection of IP and CDN detection tools, oriented for users in Mainland China.

jq play

Online playground for jq, the command-line manipulation tool for json files.

LMSYS Chatbot Arena

Crowd-sourced open platform for LLM evals.

Open Hub

Discover, track, and compare open-source software.

OpenRouter

Directory and bridging API for latest LLMs.

RegExr | Regex Vis | Nodexr

Tools to build and test regular expressions, with traditional, visualized, and interactive UIs, respectively.

vscode.dev

Online version of VS Code.

WebBrowserTools

Collection of tests for browser fingerprints.

Media

Book Marks

Review aggregator for English language books.

DownSub

Download subtitles from YouTube and other video streaming services.

ePubViewer

View EPUB files online.

FFmpeg Explorer

Visually explore ffmpeg filters.

Heart Playlist Helper

Migrate playlists between Apple Music, Spotify, QQ Music, etc.

Listen Notes

Full text search of podcasts.

Metacritic

Review aggregator for movies, TV series, games, and music.

Podcast Search by David Smith

Full transcriptions of popular English language technology podcasts.

PreDB.me

List of scene releases.

Stirling PDF

Open-source collection of tools for PDF editing.

SVG Viewer

View, edit, and optimize SVGs.

Life

Good To Run

Check the wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) of the current location to determine whether it’s a good time to run.

gpx.studio

Online GPX file editor.

Hiking routes in Shenzhen

Turn-by-turn routes with previews; downloadable as GPX files.

Shenzhen Weather

Official Shenzhen weather information and forecast.

SMS activate

Get throwaway phone numbers for online service registrations.

World Time Buddy

World clock, time zone converter, and online meeting scheduler.

Legal

Cornell LII

Acknowleged online database of U.S. law primary sources.

CourtListener

Search through PACER documents and dockets of U.S. lawsuits.

FCCID.io

Searchable FCC ID database, the information resource for all wireless device applications filed with the FCC.

HKEX News (English | Chinese)

Official search portal of filings of Hong Kong listed companies.

SEC EDGAR

Official search portal of filings of U.S. listed companies.

Misc

EIZO Monitor Test

Full suite of display quality tests for uniformity, defective pixels, color, refreshing rate, etc.

Farside

Actively maintained list of privacy-oriented alternative frontends.

Scaife

Digital library of Greek and Latin classics.

Shakespeare’s Words

Online library, glossary, and research resources of Shakespare’s works.

Webster’s 1913

Praised as a “connoisseur’s reference to American English” and “dictionary for writers and wordsmiths.” (See rationale.)

WikiTranslator

Translate terms by querying linked pages across multilanguage versions of Wikipedia. Made by me. (See methodology.)

YunoHost Apps

Catalogue of self-hostable software available on YunoHost.

About Me

The person behind this site is Chenyang “Platy” Hsu, who —

• happens to be a staff editor and membership coordinator at SSPAI, a Chinese-language community focused on digital life, products, and cultures;
• used to be a transactional lawyer (until July 2021); and
• is born to be a nerd.

Mini Bio

I grew up in Hefei, Anhui, a city in central China that was long overshadowed by neighboring coastal areas but has gained momentum in recent years by attracting LCD and EV ventures. I also spent significant time living in Beijing (which I mostly dislike) and Philadelphia (which I mostly cherish). Today I’m based in Shenzhen. While I don’t enjoy every aspect of it, I generally resonate with its utilitarian and apolitical characteristics. I also appreciate the abundance of green spaces and hiking trails.

I earned an LL.M. (no, not that AI thing) from the University of Pennsylvania in 2019 and an LL.B. from Peking University in 2018. Like many fellow Chinese students, my choice of major was influenced not by a particular passion for law but rather by more pragmatic considerations such as admission chances, career prospects, and, of course, parental expectations.