UXFOSS; Vithai; TypeLol | #40
Issue 40 of This&That
☕ Coffee Updates
A highlight this month was discovering Vithai, a small batch roaster doing standout work. I tried a couple of their coffees and they really held up. You can message them directly. They are easy to talk to and genuinely interested in how people experience their coffee. Their packaging is a delight. The label looks like a classic bus ticket and it comes in a manjapai, which makes the whole thing feel personal and grounded.
Also, @coffee.devout and friends have created a lovely map of all the speciality coffee spots across Bangalore. I picked up a printed copy from Nerlu, Indiranagar. But you can find it at many cafés around the city. There is also a Google Maps version that they maintain, which makes it easy to save and explore at your own pace.
I stocked up on a few reliable coffees from BlackBaza, including some recent microlots. After months of thinking, I finally placed an order for the Hario Switch. Still waiting for it to arrive. Thanks to Labeeb, I also got to try a coffee from Nuro Toplar’s Kostarika San Jorge. The cup was clean and with a quiet sweetness that stayed through till the end.
🚀 Introducing UXFOSS
I have started working on UXFOSS, an attempt to make design contributions in FOSS more collaborative and practical. There is a short draft on the idea and I would love your feedback. I have proposed a BoF session on this for IndiaFOSS (19-21, September 2025). I will be at the event and I am hoping to meet FOSS maintainers to understand where design fits in today and what is missing.
&Thats
Switching music apps is painful. And here is tunemymusic.com makes it a lot easier by copying or syncing playlists across services. YTMusic is pushing this!
I listened to குறும்படைப்பு / Sotrukanakku as an audiobook. The language, setting, and story stayed with me. A quiet, powerful story about hunger, people, and food, all unfolding in a city I know well.
Scavenger / സ്കാവഞ്ചർ by Indugopan reads like it was storyboarded for screen. It flows fast and keeps you going. It tries for depth, but fails at times.
Worth bookmarking: type.lol is a page full of type foundries.
Discovered Vithai, a roaster doing small-batch gems. I tried a couple and they’re genuinely special. DM them - they’re responsive and fun to chat with! (Kudos to their packing - label looks like ticket, and comes with a manjapai)
Amitava Kumar talks about books, influences, and what shaped his reading life in this interview. It’s a short, personal piece.
Must Read : Intellectual Self-Doubt: The Psychology Behind Questioning Your Competence by Anne-Laure Le Cunff for NessLabs.