In the tech world, there is a constant flow of changes and keeping up with them means the choice for tools and technologies which are the most appropriate to invest your time in.
In 2026 the best programming language or technology stack to learn really depends on your personal aims, hobbies, and apps you are going to create.
The use of AI is increasing. AI as a “Pair Programmer” is becoming the default. Code completion, refactoring, and boilerplate generation are used often. Devs spend more time reviewing and steering code than typing it. “Explain this error” and “why is this slow?” prompts are useful.
In prompt-Driven Development programmers describe the intent in natural language and then let AI generate first drafts of functions, APIs, or configs. Iterate by refining prompts rather than rewriting code. Trend: Knowing how to ask is becoming as important as syntax.
Strong growth in: Auto-generated unit and integration tests and edge-case discovery. Trend: “Test-first” is easier when AI writes the boring parts.
AI is moving up the stack. Trend: AI as a junior architect or reviewer, not the final decider.
AI comes to Security & Code Quality Scanning. Rapid adoption in: Static analysis and vulnerability detection, secret leakage and dependency risk checks. AI can give secure-by-default code suggestions. Trend: AI shifts security earlier in the SDLC (“shift left”).
Instead of one-off prompts: AI agents that plan → code → test → fix → retry. Multi-step autonomous tasks (e.g., “add feature X and update docs”) can be done in best cases. Trend: Still supervised, but moving toward semi-autonomous dev loops.
AI is heavily used for explaining large, unfamiliar codebases and translating between languages/frameworks. It helps onboarding new engineers faster.
What’s changing: Less manual boilerplate work
More focus on problem definition, review, and decision-making. There is stronger emphasis on fundamentals, architecture, and domain knowledge. Trend: Devs become editors, designers, and orchestrators.
AI usage policies and audit trails is necessary. Trend: “Use AI, but safely.”
Likely directions:
Deeper IDE + CI/CD integration
AI maintaining legacy systems
Natural-language → production-ready features
AI copilots customized to your codebase
440 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://thenewstack.io/webassembly-vs-javascript-testing-side-by-side-performance/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Bandit: Open-source tool designed to find security issues in Python code
Bandit is an open-source tool that scans Python source code for security issues that show up in everyday development. Many security teams and developers use it as a quick way to spot risky coding patterns early in the lifecycle, especially in projects that already rely on automated linting and testing.
https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2026/01/21/bandit-open-source-tool-find-security-issues-python-code/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Why Building a GUI App Was the Turning Point in My Python Journey
How wrapping automation in an interface forced me to grow up as a developer
https://python.plainenglish.io/why-building-a-gui-app-was-the-turning-point-in-my-python-journey-f0251d85d3c5
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.uniladtech.com/news/tech-news/intelligence-officer-breaks-down-what-phones-listen-486835-20260123
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://corellia.fi/seitseman-yleisinta-tapaa-joilla-tiimit-tuhlaavat-pilvirahaa-ja-miten-sen-voi-korjata/
Tomi Engdahl says:
The “Famous” Claude Code Has Managed to Port NVIDIA’s CUDA Backend to ROCm in Just 30 Minutes, and Folks Are Calling It the End of the CUDA Moat
https://wccftech.com/the-claude-code-has-managed-to-port-nvidia-cuda-backend-to-rocm-in-just-30-minutes/
Tomi Engdahl says:
two questions on software “sovereignty”
Posted on January 22, 2026 by Luis Villa
The EU looks to be getting more serious about software independence, often under the branding of “sovereignty”. India has been taking this path for a while. (A Wikipedia article on that needs a lot of love.) I don’t have coherent thoughts on this yet, but prompted by some recent discussions, two big questions:
First: does software sovereignty for a geopolitical entity mean:
we wrote the software from the bottom up
we can change the software as necessary (not just hypothetically, but concretely: the technical skills and organizational capacity exist and are experienced)
we sysadmin it (again, concretely: real skills, not just the legal license to download it)
we can download it
https://lu.is/2026/01/two-questions-on-software-sovereignty/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Adjusting One Line Of Linux Code Yields 5x Wakeup Latency Reduction For Modern Xeon CPUs
https://www.phoronix.com/news/5x-Wakeup-Latency-Reduce-Xeon
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://cybersecuritynews.com/hackers-extensively-abuses-visual-studio-code/
kedin says:
Here’s a refined, coherent version of your text, lightly edited for clarity, flow, and completeness, while preserving your original ideas and tone. I’ve also completed the cut-off ending and tightened the structure so it reads like a short thought piece or blog post.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Scaling PostgreSQL to power 800 million ChatGPT users
https://openai.com/index/scaling-postgresql/
Tomi Engdahl says:
This OS quietly powers all AI – and most future IT jobs, too
Without Linux, there is no ChatGPT. No AI at all. None. Here’s why.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/why-ai-runs-on-linux/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.xda-developers.com/ubuntu-reason-linux-users-dont-want-switch-linux/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Overrun with AI slop, cURL scraps bug bounties to ensure “intact mental health”
The onslaught includes LLMs finding bogus vulnerabilities and code that won’t compile.
https://arstechnica.com/security/2026/01/overrun-with-ai-slop-curl-scraps-bug-bounties-to-ensure-intact-mental-health/
The project developer for one of the Internet’s most popular networking tools is scrapping its vulnerability reward program after being overrun by a spike in the submission of low-quality reports, much of it AI-generated slop.
“We are just a small single open source project with a small number of active maintainers,” Daniel Stenberg, the founder and lead developer of the open source app cURL, said Thursday. “It is not in our power to change how all these people and their slop machines work. We need to make moves to ensure our survival and intact mental health.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Good News for Mobile App Developers: Skip Is Now Open Source
The tool gets rid of its subscription model and open-sources the engine.
https://itsfoss.com/news/skip-goes-open-source/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.infoworld.com/article/4120292/python-picks-up-speed-with-a-new-jit.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://levelup.gitconnected.com/9-python-libraries-i-discovered-while-fixing-my-own-messy-scripts-90c994cde67b
Tomi Engdahl says:
How an experienced developer teamed up with Claude to create Elo programming language
Bernard Lambeau, the human half of a pair programming team, explains how he’s using AI
https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/24/human_ai_pair_programming_elo/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://python.plainenglish.io/6-python-libraries-that-instantly-upgraded-me-from-average-to-senior-level-44f082eeee89
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://python.plainenglish.io/12-python-projects-that-broke-my-code-and-fixed-my-skills-371df9f7e777
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.xda-developers.com/free-networking-tools-use-weekly/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Bytebase: Open-source database DevOps tool
Bytebase is a DevOps platform for managing database schema and data changes through a structured workflow. It provides a central place for teams to submit change requests, run reviews, and track executions across environments. The open-source edition is designed for organizations that want to run the software on their own infrastructure.
https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2026/01/19/bytebase-open-source-database-devops-tool/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.xda-developers.com/remote-desktop-solution-works-better-than-rdp-or-vnc/
Tomi Engdahl says:
RustDesk takes a more direct approach to security through the use of peer-to-peer and end-to-end encryption. When self-hosted, you can choose to enable additional security options like multi-factor authentication.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.headphonesty.com/2026/01/audiophiles-find-cheap-computer-board-hifi-streamers/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://muropaketti.com/tietotekniikka/tietotekniikkauutiset/kysely-yli-puolet-valmis-harkitsemaan-linuxiin-siirtymista/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft Releases Azure Functions Support for Model Context Protocol Servers
https://www.infoq.com/news/2026/01/azure-functions-mcp-support/
Tomi Engdahl says:
NodeJS creator says era of humans writing code is over, suggests next options for software engineers
The state of Vibe Coding in early 2026 is such that even seasoned software developers are now saying that the days of manually writing code are over. The latest in line to say this is NodeJS creator Ryan Dahl.
https://www.indiatoday.in/technology/news/story/nodejs-creator-says-era-of-humans-writing-code-is-over-suggests-next-options-for-software-engineers-2854873-2026-01-20
Tomi Engdahl says:
Claude Code costs up to $200 a month. Goose does the same thing for free.
https://venturebeat.com/technology/claude-code-costs-up-to-usd200-a-month-goose-does-the-same-thing-for-free
The artificial intelligence coding revolution comes with a catch: it’s expensive.
Claude Code, Anthropic’s terminal-based AI agent that can write, debug, and deploy code autonomously, has captured the imagination of software developers worldwide. But its pricing — ranging from $20 to $200 per month depending on usage — has sparked a growing rebellion among the very programmers it aims to serve.
Now, a free alternative is gaining traction. Goose, an open-source AI agent developed by Block (the financial technology company formerly known as Square), offers nearly identical functionality to Claude Code but runs entirely on a user’s local machine. No subscription fees. No cloud dependency. No rate limits that reset every five hours.
https://block.github.io/goose/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Go
https://www.programiz.com/golang/online-compiler/
https://go.dev/play/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.reddit.com/r/rust/comments/qie567/what_is_the_best_online_rust_ide_and_compiler/
https://play.rust-lang.org/?version=stable&mode=debug&edition=2024
https://users.rust-lang.org/t/aalto-university-online-rust-course/117916/4
The Raspberry Pi Pico Now Has Official Rust Tools – Here’s How it Works
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbyk-9z2VRY
Rust on the Raspberry Pi Pico: Programming the “Programmable IO” (PIO)
https://www.reddit.com/r/rust/comments/1ie05cs/rust_on_the_raspberry_pi_pico_programming_the/
Pico Pico – Intro
https://pico.implrust.com/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://forums.raspberrypi.com/viewtopic.php?t=350082
Stumbled over this today while looking around
https://wokwi.com/projects/new/micropython-pi-pico-w
That’s to the PicoW micropython emulator
Also has normal pico, and other language choices SDK, CircuitPython and Arduino .
Plus some other microcontroller and languages, Rust (Arduino, ESP..)
Best I’ve seen so far.
Nice to test out micropython without a microcontroller to hand.
https://wokwi.com/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nine Pico PIO Wats with Rust (Part 1)
Raspberry Pi programmable IO pitfalls illustrated with a musical example
https://towardsdatascience.com/nine-pico-pio-wats-with-rust-part-1-9d062067dc25/
Tiny Computer, Big Headache – Porting Advent of Code to the Pi Pico
https://blog.scottlogic.com/2025/04/08/tiny-computer-big-headache.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Programming Rust on Your Raspberry Pi Remotely Using VS Code
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-gDmqJ244s
Set Up Remote Development Environment using SSH for Rust and the Raspberry Pi.
How to set up a Rust development environment in your Raspberry Pi, and set up VS Code remote ssh so that you can write, compile, and execute Rust code in your Raspberry Pi from a MacBook.
Chapters:
00:00 – How to set up a Rust development environment in the Raspberry Pi with VS Code, and set up VS Code to remote into Raspberry Pi
02:01 – Rust curl command for installation
03:17 – Installing VS Code in Raspberry Pi from the command line
03:56 – Configuring the Pi for remote connection from the MacBook through VS Code
06:18 – Set up VS Code in MacBook for remote connection to Raspberry Pi
06:53 – ssh into Raspberry Pi from VS Code in MacBook
07:46 – Writing Rust code for the Pi in the MacBook
09:24 – Compiling Rust code for the Pi in the MacBook
Tomi Engdahl says:
Windsurf vs. Cursor – which AI coding app is better?
An honest review of Windsurf
https://www.thepromptwarrior.com/p/windsurf-vs-cursor-which-ai-coding-app-is-better
Conclusion
I think Windsurf is actually the better IDE for beginners.
If I were to start out coding today, Windsurf would be a great choice. You don’t need to think about context much, and the Windsurf agent will guide you through the code, helping you write everything.
Cursor by contrast has a bit of a steeper learning curve.
But if you’re aiming to write production-ready code, e.g. applications that have a working backend, payments integration, and authentication, the more fine-grained control that you get in Cursor will result in higher quality code.
For professional purposes, I would currently still choose Cursor over Windsurf.
Tomi Engdahl says:
How to Become an AI Engineer in 2026: A Self-Study Roadmap
Want to become an AI engineer in 2026? This step-by-step roadmap breaks down the skills, tools, and projects you need.
https://www.kdnuggets.com/how-to-become-an-ai-engineer-in-2026-a-self-study-roadmap
Artificial intelligence (AI) engineering is one of the most exciting career paths right now. AI engineers build practical applications using existing models. They build chatbots, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) pipelines, autonomous agents, and intelligent workflows that solve real problems.
If you’re looking to break into this field, this article will walk you through everything from programming basics to building production-ready AI systems.
Tomi Engdahl says:
I automated half my digital life with just a Raspberry Pi and Cron jobs
https://www.xda-developers.com/automated-half-digital-life-raspberry-pi-cron-jobs/
I used to think automation required a pile of services and a dashboard I’d pretend to check daily. Then I set up a Raspberry Pi to run a few cron jobs and realized that most of what I wanted was inherently boring. I didn’t need clever logic or a sprawling platform. I needed repeatable tasks to happen on time, every time.
Cron jobs are almost aggressively unromantic, which is why they fit a Raspberry Pi so well. The device stays on, the schedule stays simple, and the work stays small enough to understand later. When something breaks, there’s usually one script to blame instead of a whole chain of dependencies. That makes it easier to trust, and trust is what turns “I should automate this” into “it’s handled.”
Why this approach keeps paying off
The best part of cron jobs on a Raspberry Pi is that you can build the system one small task at a time. You add a job, validate it, and move on without redesigning everything every time you get a new idea. Over months, those saved minutes add up to real time, and the reduced friction changes what you bother doing at all. It’s the difference between intending to stay organized and actually staying organized. Most of all, it keeps automation grounded, because it only does what you can explain clearly and repeat reliably.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Building a C compiler with a team of parallel Claudes
Published Feb 05, 2026
https://www.anthropic.com/engineering/building-c-compiler
We tasked Opus 4.6 using agent teams to build a C Compiler, and then (mostly) walked away. Here’s what it taught us about the future of autonomous software development.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple integrates Anthropic’s Claude and OpenAI’s Codex into Xcode 26.3 in push for ‘agentic coding’
https://venturebeat.com/technology/apple-integrates-anthropics-claude-and-openais-codex-into-xcode-26-3-in-push
Tomi Engdahl says:
Databricks’ serverless database slashes app development from months to days as companies prep for agentic AI
https://venturebeat.com/data/databricks-serverless-database-slashes-app-development-from-months-to-days
Tomi Engdahl says:
Vercel rebuilt v0 to tackle the 90% problem: Connecting AI-generated code to existing production infrastructure, not prototypes
https://venturebeat.com/infrastructure/vercel-rebuilt-v0-to-tackle-the-90-problem-connecting-ai-generated-code-to
Tomi Engdahl says:
Claude and Codex are now available in public preview on GitHub
https://github.blog/changelog/2026-02-04-claude-and-codex-are-now-available-in-public-preview-on-github/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Qwen3-Coder-Next just launched, open source is winning
Two open-source releases in seven days. Both from Chinese labs. Both beating or matching frontier models. The timing couldn’t be better for developers fed up with API costs and platform lock-in.
https://blog.devgenius.io/qwen3-coder-next-just-launched-open-source-is-winning-0724b76f13cc
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://base44.com/lp-en
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.howtogeek.com/if-linux-is-going-to-thrive-some-distros-must-go/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://ollama.com/library/qwen3-coder-next
Tomi Engdahl says:
Using GitHub Copilot CLI
Learn how to use GitHub Copilot from the command line.
https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/copilot-cli/use-copilot-cli
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.infoq.com/news/2026/02/vercel-agent-skills/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.infoworld.com/article/4125081/4-self-contained-databases-for-your-apps.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Qwen3-Coder-Next offers vibe coders a powerful open source, ultra-sparse model with 10x higher throughput for repo tasks
https://venturebeat.com/technology/qwen3-coder-next-offers-vibe-coders-a-powerful-open-source-ultra-sparse